Boil a kettle with citric acid proportion. How to descale an electric kettle. Why citric acid helps with limescale

If you do a little research on social networks, on forums and just among neighbors and colleagues, it turns out that not everyone knows how to descale a kettle with citric acid. If we are talking about an electric kettle, then it is easier to remove scale by boiling cola and sprite in it - many believe. Others prefer to use a store-bought cleaning compound.

In fact, descaling the kettle with citric acid is much easier and cheaper, safer and more efficient, no matter if an electric kettle is used in your family or work collective, or an ordinary metal kettle that is heated on the stove.

When a person, in response to the question why he does not remove scale in the kettle, answers - "Yes, all the time is not enough", it would be necessary to add to this - "But there is enough money and health."

You can start from the first moment - money. What is scale? These are lime deposits that form from petrified salts in hard water. By themselves, they do not conduct heat well.

This means that if a lime crust forms inside a metal kettle or on an electric heating element, it will heat up several times longer than clean dishes without any plaque. And this is a greater consumption of energy resources, which are not getting cheaper, but only getting more expensive.

At first glance, the increase in costs seems like a trifle - just think, the kettle began to boil for a minute and a half longer. Now count how many times a day you heat the kettle, and add up these one and a half minutes. As a result, in a month you will get an impressive amount, which you could be guaranteed to spend on more useful and interesting goals.

The second point is much more important - it is your health and the health of your loved ones. First of all, the digestive and urinary system will suffer. Problems with the stomach, kidneys, bladder will not keep you waiting if you regularly consume water from a kettle with scale.

How to properly remove limescale

Descaling with citric acid poses no threat to human health. in addition, citric acid is sold in every grocery store or supermarket and is not expensive at all. Most people always have a jar of this substance or a couple of small bags in the kitchen.

In order to remove scale inside an ordinary or electric kettle, you will need very little:

one or two tablespoons of citric acid - the amount depends on the volume of the dishes for boiling water;
several liters of water - it should fill the kettle by at least two-thirds.

Then everything is very simple. First, water is poured into the kettle. Then citric acid is added to it. After that, the kettle is placed on the stove or connected to the power supply. The water in it must necessarily boil.

If the scale layer is very dense and covers the entire surface, the water after boiling is not drained, but left for several hours - until it cools completely. After that, the liquid with exfoliated pieces of limescale is poured out, the kettle is filled with clean water and boiled again.
If the kettle is in quite good condition, or if preventive cleaning is carried out, then you don't need to boil the water - the mixture with citric acid is simply left in the kettle for 5-8 hours. Then it is drained and a kettle of clean water is boiled.

A very important point is that the water that was boiled in the dish after citric acid must be drained. Citric acid is not toxic to humans in small amounts.

But in this case, in addition to the residues of this substance, the water also contains residues of limescale. The combination of acid and lime will definitely not be good for your health. Besides, tea or coffee will have an unpleasant taste and visible sediment. Therefore, it is better to drain the water and use fresh water for cooking and drinking.

What to do if limescale remains

For not the most neat owners who do not like to monitor the state of kitchen utensils, this is quite possible - all the scale will not be removed the first time, because the plaque is too dense and thick. What to do in this case? You can repeat the procedure, the second time it will most likely be more successful.

You can also try baking soda to boost the effectiveness of citric acid. In this case, one spoonful of acid and soda are poured into the kettle, and then proceed as indicated above. After the water has cooled down, it is drained and, if necessary, the walls of the teapot are mechanically cleaned from scale residues using a hard sponge.

There is another way: first, water with soda is boiled in a kettle, then it is drained and water is boiled with citric acid. If a lime deposit in a heavily soiled teapot appears not only on the inside, but also on the outer surface, it can be cleaned with the same means. A little soda or acid is poured onto a sponge, after which the kettle is cleaned. You can preheat it - so the process will go faster and easier.

You can also find out on our website how to descale an electric kettle using baking soda and vinegar. This is also an effective and safe method available to everyone.

Anna Markovich

If our grandparents without any fear drank water directly from the tap or from the street pump, then we cannot afford such a luxury. The water flowing in our apartments is unusable; in order to make soup or brew tea with it, the liquid must be driven through a filter.

Therefore, more and more people are inclined to purchase bottled water, considering it cleaner.

But whatever liquid you buy and no matter how much you filter, it will gradually settle on the walls of the teapot, leaving an ugly layer of scale. It is for this reason that many housewives are looking for an effective way to rid the kettle of lime deposits.

proportions of citric acid for cleaning the kettle

On the shelves of hardware stores, you can find a wide range of products that should help cope with the scale layer. Only, judging by the reviews on the Internet, all this chemistry does not give the desired effect, but is not cheap.

But you should not despair, experienced housewives recommend resorting to the old and proven method: use citric acid for cleaning. Therefore, let's talk about several ways to get rid of plaque using the familiar "lemon".

How to descale a kettle with citric acid, simple tips:

for work, purchase a bag (50 g) of citric acid from the store. If you suddenly do not find it on the counter, you can replace it with lemon. Pour the water out of the kettle and add a bag of "lemon" to it. Pour clear liquid at room temperature into a bowl and, armed with a spoon, stir the contents of the teapot. This is necessary in order for the "lemon" to dissolve;
leave the kettle, where the citric acid solution is obtained, to stand for at least 2 hours. Next, focus on the scale layer that was in the vessel. If limescale deposits are significant, boil the water first. Otherwise, it will not work to clear the plaque;
if there is little scale, the liquid need not be heated. When the allotted time has passed, drain the "lemon" solution and rinse the dish. Then pour water into it and boil. Let the liquid boil for 5-7 minutes, then rinse the vessel again. After all the manipulations, your friend for tea parties will become like new and can be used;
if there is too much limescale, the kettle should be cleaned in a slightly different way. To get rid of scale, pour half a bag of "lemons" (25 g) into the vessel, pour in water and 100 ml of nine percent vinegar. Put the vessel on gas and boil its contents, let the mixture boil over a minimum heat for no more than a quarter of an hour. After that, empty the vessel, rinse thoroughly and boil again, but already filled with clean water. Repeat the same manipulation several times;
to heighten the effect, a mixture of water, citric acid and vinegar can be left overnight. In this case, you do not need to boil anything, in the morning you should pour out the liquid from the vessel and rub the scale with a cruel washcloth, and then rinse the kettle thoroughly.

To clean the electric kettle, change the proportions of citric acid: take not 50 g of "lemons", but 15 g, you can perform all other actions as in the methods given above.

how can you clean the kettle besides lemon

For those who realize that their favorite utensils cannot be saved in the two ways described above, since the layer of plaque is too large, a couple more options can be advised:

put water in a bowl and add 1 tbsp. l. baking soda. Boil the resulting solution and let it simmer over minimal heat for about 30 minutes. Then pour out the contents of the vessel, pour in clean cold liquid and add 1 tbsp. l. with a slide of "lemon". Put the kettle on gas and let the water gurgle for 30 minutes. Drain the boiling water, fill the vessel with clean liquid again and add ½ cup of vinegar there. Put the kettle on gas and simmer for another 30 minutes. After all the manipulations carried out, the vessel should be thoroughly rinsed using a sponge to remove scale residues. After washing, boil clean water a couple of times, but do not use it, drain;
a very large layer of limescale will perfectly remove the vinegar essence. To do this, pour water and half a glass of essence into the kettle. You don't need to boil anything, you just need to let the composition stand for at least 2 hours, and then rinse the vessel thoroughly. All unpleasant deposits should disappear;
some housewives use a drink that young people love to get rid of scale. This is Coca-Cola sparkling water. It is poured into a bowl and boiled. Then the drink is poured out, and the dishes are washed and boiled with water. When using sweet soda, it is recommended to either release the "gaziki" from it, or pour no more than half of the container.

In most settlements, tap water contains many impurities, especially calcium and magnesium salts. During boiling, they form an insoluble precipitate. Therefore, an unpleasant plaque often forms inside the teapot - scale. These salts transform into an insoluble form and are deposited on its bottom, walls and heating elements. Because of scale, the taste of water deteriorates, small pieces of it get into tea and spoil its appearance and our health. For an electrical appliance, it is even more harmful, because because of it it boils longer and breaks down faster. Most housewives know citric acid, but there are several other ways.

What are the cleaning methods based on?

It is very unpleasant when, when adding water from the kettle, yellowish limescale flakes get into your cup. Moreover, it is formed, even if you use filtered water, because filtration does not purify it from calcium and magnesium salts. Over time, their insoluble forms erode the enamel or plastic of the teapot walls. Due to scale, the boiling time is greatly increased. Therefore, you need to deal with it regularly: this way it will be easier to remove than a thick layer.

All methods for cleaning a kettle are based on the principle that scale is the deposition of salts. Acids are used to remove them. They react with salts and convert them into a soluble form. Many people know how to descale a kettle. This method is based on this very property of chemicals. Descaling products are on sale now, some people use them because it's easier. Pour the product from the bag into water and boil. You can descale in this way in one go. But many do not like the fact that traces of chemicals may remain on the walls, so they prefer to use traditional methods.

How to descale a kettle with citric acid

This is the most common and well-known way to keep your heater in order. You just need to pour a bag of citric acid into the kettle and boil the water for 5-10 minutes. Then leave this solution for half an hour. Many leave the citric acid kettle overnight if the scale is very thick.

How should this agent be diluted correctly? On a regular two-liter kettle, take 1-2 bags of acid (or 2 tablespoons with a slide). You can also use lemon juice by squeezing 1-2 fruits. After the boiled solution has cooled down, the water must be drained, but not into the sink, as it can become clogged with scale flakes. The remains of plaque can be easily cleaned with a sponge. If the sediment is very thick, the procedure must be repeated.

Cleaning the kettle with citric acid is a very simple and cheap way. You can even descale an electric kettle so easily. But not everyone uses this method, because a concentrated acid solution can be dangerous for the metal, cause it to corrode. There are some other simple and safe methods.

Our grandmothers way

Since ancient times, women have cleaned dishes with soda. It was also used to descale the kettle. Soda not only gently removes plaque mechanically, but also softens the sediment. Along with citric acid, this is one of the safest methods. After all, even if you rinse your kettle poorly and the residues of the product will get into your tea, it is unpleasant, but will not harm you. Often the two are used together. This way more efficiently old thick sediment is removed.

How to descale the kettle with soda? Dissolve a couple of tablespoons in water and boil for half an hour. After the kettle has cooled down, boil it again. After draining the water, you will see that the scale has become loose. If you cannot remove it with a sponge, you can then still boil water with citric acid, so the most stubborn deposits are removed.

Other popular methods of dealing with scale

Boil potato peels, apple peel or sliced \u200b\u200blemon in a kettle for an hour.
Instead of water, pour the pickle from cucumbers or tomatoes into a bowl and boil for at least an hour.
For an hour and a half, boil such a solution in a kettle: two glasses of water, three glasses of crushed chalk and a glass of ammonia and laundry soap.

How to clean a kettle with acid

But most often, modern housewives use acids to remove salt deposits. After all, all folk remedies are not suitable for electric kettles.

Such solutions are boiled for a long time, and it will constantly turn off. Therefore, it is best to do this by pouring two-thirds of the water, topping up with vinegar. This solution must be brought to a boil and cooled. The scale should dissolve without a trace, but if there are pieces of it, the procedure can be repeated.

Recently, many housewives have been using Coca-Cola or Fanta instead of vinegar. These drinks also have an acid that dissolves the sediment. The peculiarity of this method is that you need to pour only half of the kettle, and before that, completely remove the gases from the drink. In addition, when boiling, traces of dyes may remain on the walls of the dishes, so it is better to take a colorless soda, for example "Sprite".

How to properly descale a kettle

After using any method, the dishes must be thoroughly rinsed so that there are no traces of the solution on the walls. It would be nice to boil clean water in it and pour it out.
When cleaning an electric kettle, do not use a highly concentrated acid solution, which can corrode the plastic of the walls and heating elements.
Remember to warn your family members not to drink tea during this time, because instead of water, they may pour acid into the cup.

Many housewives have long known how to descale the kettle with citric acid. But it turns out there are many other cheap and reliable ways to do this easily.

During the operation of the kettle, under the influence of high temperatures, scale forms in the form of a dense crust. The longer the service life, the thicker the crust. Experienced housewives give advice on how to descale a kettle with citric acid.

Effective home descaling methods

Scale is formed during boiling of water due to precipitated salts, which are subsequently dissolved in water. Often, such salts at high concentrations have a detrimental effect on the functioning of the kidneys and liver. There have been cases when prolonged intake of water with scale led to urolithiasis. This ailment is hard on the body, and the treatment is long.

However, if there is a problem, there is always an opportunity to solve it. So, you can clean the kettle using home methods that are less aggressive than chemicals. But even on the shelves of household stores, you can find effective means to remove scale in the kettle.

Important information! An electric kettle assumes careful care, therefore, when buying a product, the package must contain an inscription about permission to use it in an electric kettle. It is noteworthy that for such household appliances, home methods are less aggressive.

However, it should be remembered that using radical approaches can render it unusable faster than the problem is eliminated. So, there are two categories for removing stone sediment in a teapot - folk methods and professional ones.

Home techniques include the use of:

citric acid;
vinegar;
soda;
apple or lemon skins;
potato peel;
soda;
brine.

Household chemical companies have developed professional descaling products. Such products, as a rule, have a single-use package equal for one procedure. Purifiers are produced both in the Russian Federation and abroad.

Most of the cleaning agents on the market are intended for use in electrical appliances.

In view of this, when removing scale in an electric kettle, specialized products are in demand, unlike home recipes. However, "grandmother's" methods are no less effective and often turn out to be indispensable helpers in everyday life and they should be used as intended.

Effect of citric acid on sediment in a kettle and the safety of the method

Chemical descalers do not always meet food standards and can be detrimental to human health. In view of this, after use, it is recommended to boil the parting for a long time, then wash, then boil again. Nevertheless, on a thermal element made of metal, under the influence of salt, microcracks are formed that are invisible to the human eye.

When a chemical is added, the microparticles remain inside the kettle. Accordingly, a person may drink water, tea or coffee and not realize that it damages health on a daily basis.

Cleaning the kettle with citric acid affects the scale gently without harming humans. At the same time, the product is 100% washed out after the first procedure. Therefore, you can remove scale using this method in an electric kettle.

In addition, such cleaning is a budget option. Acid is sold in any grocery store for up to 50 rubles. per packing. Moreover, one sachet is enough for several procedures.

For your information: citric acid effectively cleans the heating element in the washing machine. It is recommended to turn on the device once a month at the maximum temperature and spin with 1 packet of citric acid. Alternative to chemicals such as "Calgona", etc.

Several options for cleaning the kettle with limescale. The boiling method is relevant for large sediments. The procedure is performed in stages:

Wipe off plaque from the wall of the appliance and the heating tarp with a hard sponge. The use of metal mesh is prohibited. Then, rinse under cold water.
How much citric acid do you need? Depends on the level of plaque. On average, the proportions are from 20 to 40 grams, i.e. 1-2 packages. Further, the contents are poured onto the bottom, water is poured to level ⅔.
Boil a kettle with citric acid. The device with an automatic switch will turn itself off after 4-5 minutes, then bring it to a boil again. If the kettle is normal, then after boiling, keep on fire for another 3-4 minutes.
The kettle is left for 2-3 hours. Then the water is drained and the softened sediment is removed without the use of sharp objects. If cleaning is not 100% complete, repeat the procedure.
Rinse the device, draw water, boil and drain - you can use it.

When cleaning the electric kettle at least once a month, and with hard water twice, a gentle method of removing scale is used. No boiling is required for this.

Dissolve citric acid in 40 ° C water.
Pour the solution into a container and leave overnight.
Rinse with cool water.
Pour in clean water and bring to a boil. The device is ready for safe service.

If there is a small child in the family, there are always doubts about the safety of the means used. If there is no trust in citric acid off the counter, then you can use the self-made recipe:

Take lemon and cut into thin circles. Do not remove the skin.
Pour ⅔ water into an electric kettle, lower the rings and boil for 5 minutes.
Remove soft sediment together with citrus residues. Rinse the container thoroughly.

The lemon option is an effective option, albeit relatively costly. At the same time, the safety for the health of family members increases, and the time for cleansing decreases, because there is no need to boil the water several times. In addition, the teapot will retain a pleasant citrus scent for a period of time.

With regards to proportions, everything here depends on the level of pollution. For regular periodic cleansing, use ⅟₂ lemon.

We all use kettles: some are electric, and some are ordinary kettles, which are boiled on gas or. But, regardless of the type, scale is formed in it without fail. And nothing can be done about it, no one, even the most modern filters, will help, since they are designed to purify water from chlorine, some metals and debris, and scale is not included in this list. After all, scale is a solid deposit that forms when water is boiled. Our water contains a large amount of hardness salts, which decompose and release water-insoluble sediment and carbon dioxide. It is this sediment that settles on the walls of the enameled kettle and on the electric heating element.

There are many ways to clean teapots, but the most effective is the citric acid method. Let's find out how to clean a kettle with citric acid.

Cleaning the kettle with citric acid

A harmless, seemingly, at first glance, white limescale can cause quite serious harm to both our health and the equipment in which it appears. Getting into the human body with water, plaque can negatively affect the work of the urinary system. In ordinary kettles, a large layer of limescale can cause the water to boil longer, and a heating element in an electrical appliance under a layer of solid deposits can quickly fail.

Citric acid for a kettle is an effective and safe remedy for human health that helps to fight scale. Its action is based on a chemical reaction between alkali, which is scale, and acid, as a result of which the acid destroys scale.

Typically, descale your kettle as follows:

for cleaning we take one or two (depending on the amount of scale in the kettle) packages of citric acid;
pour about two-thirds of cold water into the kettle and add citric acid;
if the vessel is not too much "overgrown" with scale, then the water with acid must be kept in the kettle for about 5 hours, then drain it and boil clean water once or twice;
if there is a lot of scale, then the kettle with citric acid must be boiled for 3-5 minutes;
then we drain the dirty water and thoroughly rinse the kettle with water;
pour clean water, bring to a boil and drain, we carry out this procedure again before constant use.

If the kettle is not completely descaled after the procedure, then this method can be used again. If you do this cleaning regularly every two to three weeks, then boiling may not be necessary. It will be enough to soak the citric acid solution in the kettle for 20 minutes, and all the scale will come off.

Have you tried to descale your kettle, but you couldn't completely clean it? Then you can add soda for cleaning. First, you need to boil the kettle by dissolving 1 teaspoon of soda in water, then drain this water and pour another one, adding citric acid, and also boil. Now your kettle should be clean.

Sometimes it happens that rust and scale appears on the outer walls of the kettle. Apply the citric acid solution to a sponge and wipe the sides of the teapot with it.

You can use the folk method for descaling using a pickle from cucumbers or tomatoes. The brine contains citric acid, which will do an excellent job of both plaque and rust on a metal kettle.

There is another popular way to clean any teapots, except for electric ones: with the help of "Fanta", "Sprite", "Coca-Cola". The bottle with the drink must be opened for the gas to escape. Then the soda is poured into a kettle and brought to a boil. Then the kettle is thoroughly rinsed with clean water.