Clean kettles to get rid of limescale with 1 natural kitchen item - no need for vinegar

Most people do not realise they have to clean their kettle but taking 10 minutes to do this neglected chore will stop limescale build-up and help your beverages stay tasty.

Limescale is dissolved minerals that come from tap water heating up and if left alone it will form into a hard deposit which is difficult to get rid of no matter how much you scrub at it.

While limescale is completely harmless to consume it is a nuisance as it will eventually build up on the heating element which can break your kettle and also make tea or coffee taste bitter.

Luckily Wendy Graham, a cleaning expert and founder of Moral Fibres, has shared that you can " quickly, easily, and naturally" clean limescale off a kettle by using ingredients in your kitchen cupboard.

She said: "Thankfully, it's really easy to descale your kettle. You can buy expensive and chemically dubious kettle descalers. However, I say save your money and use these natural yet effective methods to descale your kettle."

The best way to get rid of limescale on a kettle What to use

According to Wendy, the most effective way to get rid of limescale is by using an acidic substance such as white vinegar as it will react to the minerals and easily dissolve them.

Vinegar can be used to clean a kettle, but many people prefer not to use it as the strong taste and smell will need to be thoroughly rinsed away before you can make a cup of tea again.

Instead, Wendy's "preferred method" to remove limescale from a kettle is citric acid, a natural substance which comes from lemon or lime juice.

Wendy said: "New to the amazing superpowers of citric acid? It's an amazing natural cleaning product that packs a mean punch against limescale.

"This is because it's a highly concentrated fruit acid, and as such citric acid is a key element in my green cleaning arsenal."

You can use lemon juice as it will contain citric acid but a more concentrated version can be found in the cleaning section of supermarkets, wholefood stores or online.

Method

All you need to do is add one tablespoon of citric acid to a kettle filled halfway with water.

Boil the kettle and allow the citric acid water to sit in the kettle for at least at hour.

When the time is up, pour the water out and wipe at the bottom of the kettle, and the limescale marks should come away easily.

Give the kettle a rinse out in the sink and the kettle should be sparkling clean once again.

Wendy said: "Citric acid won't leave an aftertaste, so there is no need to reboil the kettle again. Less faff equals more time for tea drinking!"