How to Clean an Electric Kettle With Lemon Juice
An electric kettle is one of the most economical, fastest and safest methods to boil water. They are built to be safe to use with useful features like stay-cool handles and the ability to automatically shut-off once the water is boiled. Also, there is no open flame or exposed surface that can get very hot which is typical with the traditional stove-top kettle. However, they will need a regular cleaning schedule to help maintain their full operational performance.
The process of removing the build up of limescale from a ready-made liquid container like a kettle is relatively straightforward. Even though it is possible to scrub limescale from the kettle’s surface, the scraping process is likely to cause damage to its finish. For this reason, it is more practical to take the slow approach and use a mild acid to dissolve the limescale.
How to remove limescale
Firstly, the kettle should be half-filled with a mild acid like lemon juice and topped up with plain water. This is a very effective anti-scaling agent that can prevent and remove the build up of limescale. Once the solution is poured into the kettle it should be left to work for at least 7 hours or simply left overnight.
After the acid has been left to do its work, empty the kettle and give it a good clean with several changes of cold water. This is the first step to removing any traces of the lemon juice, which isn’t likely to taste good with coffee.
The kettle should be completely dry before plugging in and boiling water again. Take care to keep the connectors and electrical parts dry while cleaning. Also, to further minimize the risk of any aftertaste, refill the kettle with plain water to its limit and boil and empty at least two or three times.
Other useful acids that can be used if lemon juice isn’t readily available at home include clear vinegar, malt vinegar, bicarbonate soda and citric acid.
Also, this simple method to remove limescale from a kettle can be just as effective on other small kitchen appliances, such as a coffee maker. When cleaning a coffee maker you will need to fill the water compartment with an equal mix of lemon juice and water. Instead of simply leaving the solution to work, it is more effective to let the appliance run through a single coffee-making process. Once a complete cycle is finished, give the coffee maker a rinse by repeating the process with plain water only. Do this at least twice to ensure there is no aftertaste left behind.
