Why you should descale your Hotel-Room-Kettle regularly?
Depending on the region, the tap water can be particularly rich in lime or low in lime. The resulting degree of hardness has a significant influence on the hygiene and durability of various kitchen appliances – such as the kettle. Why is this so and what you can do about it?
We’ll tell you.
The more minerals (i.e. calcium and magnesium compounds) contained in tap water, the higher the degree of hardness. For this reason, one also speaks of soft, medium or hard water. While the latter does not pose any danger to our health, it is the final boss for household appliances. Because the fact is: If water is heated, the lime residues contained in it are released and deposited. You can see that and you can taste it – in addition, the kettle has to expend more energy and needs more time to boil. If you do not do anything about the increasing calcification, the shelf life of the kitchen appliance will be shortened many times over. This makes it all the more important to descale the kettle regularly.
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How often should a kettle be decalcified?
Two factors influence how often you should descale your kettle: On the one hand, the degree of hardness plays an important role, as it has a significant influence on how quickly the first deposits on your kitchen appliance become noticeable.
On the other hand, the frequency, i.e. how often a kettle is used, also has an influence on the lime scale deposits. If the drinking water is particularly hard, you should clean the kitchen appliance every two to three weeks. If you use filtered water or soft tap water from the tap, it is sufficient if you descale the kettle twice a year. However, at the latest, when the first white deposits, edges or flakes in the device – especially the heating rods – become visible, it is time for descaling.
Apply descaler for kettle correctly
Commercially available descalers (liquid and solid) can be found in every drugstore. The correct dosage is written on the manufacturer’s packaging. However, the method of application always remains the same:
- Fill the kettle with the prescribed amount of liquid and descaler.
- Make sure that all calcified areas come into contact with the mixture.
- Turn on the kettle to heat the mixture in it until it boils.
- Leave the water-descaler mixture on for as long as the manufacturer specifies.
- Pour the mixture into the spout and fill the kettle with fresh water.
- Boil the fresh tap water (without the descaler) in the kettle again.
- Pour the water into the spout and repeat the process again if necessary.
Home remedies for lime scale deposits
1. Descale kettle with citric acid
A classic for descaling kitchen appliances is the Citric acid. In contrast to a commercially available descaler, however, it must not be heated in the kettle, otherwise it reacts with the lime and releases calcium citrate – an even more stubborn deposit that is difficult to remove. Therefore, proceed as follows:
- Mix the citric acid with the water, the correct mixing ratio is taken from the packaging.
- Leave the citric acid-water mixture on for as long as the respective manufacturer specifies.
- Then tip the mixture into the spout and rinse the kettle with tap water several times.
2. Descale kettle with vinegar essence
An equally tried and tested home remedy is vinegar or Vinegar essence. While ordinary vinegar is mixed with water in a ratio of 1:1, the essence must be diluted more: for just two tablespoons there are 500 milliliters of water. Then bring the mixture to a boil and leave it on for an additional 30 minutes. But be careful: Do not inhale the water vapor while heating the vinegar, as it can irritate your eyes and mucous membranes. It is best to open a window so that the steam can drain off. Last but not least, the kettle has to be played through several times with clear water and the fresh water in it boiled a few times.
3. Descale kettle with baking soda
There is usually always at hand and can be used to descale a kettle. It contains baking soda, which reacts with water and thus dissolves stubborn deposits. However, due to the foaming effect, you should use the powder wisely:
- Take a bag and pour the contents into a kettle.
- Fill the device halfway with water and turn it on.
- Bring the water to a boil and let the mixture take effect.
- Tip away the cooled water and rinse the kettle.
4. Descale kettle with baking soda
As already mentioned, the baking soda contained in baking soda is the decisive ingredient to descale a kettle. For this reason, you can also use it directly pure by mixing 20 grams of loose powder with 200 milliliters of water and bringing it to a boil briefly. Again, the mixture should then act for at least an hour before pouring it into the spout and rinsing the kettle thoroughly several times.