How can I clean the kettle with citric acid?

No matter how clean the water is, when it is boiled in a kettle, scum will form every now and then. It is a lime-salt precipitate, which gradually accumulates on the walls of the vessel and the heating elements, which leads to their destruction.

To wash the kettle inside from lime and salt deposits, it is not necessary to purchase special products containing harsh chemicals. You can use ordinary citric acid for this.

Tap water contains a large amount of impurities that fall into it after passing through several stages of cleaning, necessary to eliminate debris and disinfection. But at the same time, the liquid becomes more rigid, so it is not recommended to use it in its raw form. Thanks to modern filters at home, water can be purified from most of the impurities, including chlorine and heavy metals, but they are not able to rid it of lime. However, the amount of sediment in the filtered liquid will form much less.

The precipitate, which appears as a result of boiling water, gradually accumulates on the inner surfaces of the kettle and eventually forms dense salt layers. Scale helps to reduce the heat transfer of materials, therefore, as a result of heating, the vessel glows and simply bursts. If an electric kettle is used in the house, then its heating element usually fails, because it is on it that lime-salt deposits accumulate.

Descaling with citric acid is not only effective, but also safe. After using special cleaners, the kettle must be washed thoroughly and boiled water several times in order to completely get rid of chemicals. Otherwise, aggressive elements will enter the body, which can lead to poisoning, an allergic reaction or a chemical burn of the mucous membranes. While after applying citric acid, it will be enough to wash the vessel under running water.

A dense layer of scale corrodes the metal, leaving cracks, chips and scratches on it that cannot be seen with the naked eye. If damaged elements are exposed to aggressive substances contained in cleaning products, their destruction rate will increase several times. In addition, particles of chemicals will remain in small cracks and will certainly enter the human body along with water.

Citric acid gently cleanses an electric, metal, glass and enameled kettle. In this case, after the procedure not only lime-salt sediment, but also harmful particles will not remain. It should also be noted the availability of this method of descaling, because 1-2 bags of citric acid will cost much lessthan a special cleaning agent.

To clean the kettle from a thin layer of limescale, a minimum amount of time and effort is required. But it should be noted that the effectiveness of the procedure will depend on the proportions of citric acid in relation to the liquid. For each liter of water, 40 g of crystallized acid should be taken. You can also use 1-2 medium-sized lemons, which should first be cut into large cubes.

The container to be cleaned does not have to be completely filled with water, its level should be sufficient to cover only surfaces with scale.

The kettle filled with lemon liquid needs to be put on the stove and the contents brought to a boil. Then you should open the lid and continue to boil the water over low heat for about 2-3 minutes. When removing plaque from an electric kettle, the solution with citric acid should be boiled again 3 minutes after the first cycle. In the latter case, the lid of the utensil does not need to be opened.

A hot water kettle does not need to be washed immediately, it should be allowed to cool naturally. During cooling, citric acid will gradually corrode scale. The cooled cloudy liquid together with particles of calcareous salt should be poured. If after the procedure traces of plaque remain on the walls and the heating element, it is recommended to re-clean it. In addition, if the first time it was not possible to eliminate even part of the scale, the concentration of citric acid should be doubled.

After complete descaling, the cleaning procedure can be completed. The kettle must be thoroughly washed with a sponge for washing dishes with detergent. Then the first and second water after boiling must be poured, and only from the third cycle will it be suitable for use.

A similar procedure can be carried out using carbonated drinks, for example, lemonade, which do not have a bright color. They contain citric and phosphoric acids, which have a devastating effect on calcareous deposits. A contaminated kettle must be filled with soda and left with the lid open until the gases exit completely - for about 2 hours. Then the liquid is brought to a boil and left to cool, as in the case of a lemon solution.

Despite the effectiveness of citric acid, to eliminate the thick layer of scale, it must be used with vinegar. It should be noted that such cleaning is more aggressive, therefore It is important to carry out the procedure correctly so as not to break the kettle and not harm the body.

To clean dishes made of stainless steel or with enamel coating, it is recommended to use citric acid with vinegar.

For the procedure you will need table vinegar in an amount of 0.5 cups per 1 liter of water, and 60 g of citric acid. First, the kettle is filled with vinegar solution and left for 20 minutes. Then, citric acid is added to the liquid and brought to a boil, after which it is boiled for several minutes with the lid ajar.

When cleaning the kettle, boil the water with the lid closed. twice with an interval of 3 minutes. Hot lemon-vinegar solution should cool, and only after that it can be poured. If the scale has not been completely removed, the procedure should be repeated, but if it is successfully eliminated, the container must be thoroughly washed with detergent and boiled in it several portions of water.

Getting rid of multi-layer dense scale is the most difficult task. As a rule, such a neglected state is observed in old enameled dummies. Thick layers of limescale are often eaten into the walls of the kettle so that when they are eliminated, thinning of the metal and even cracks can be noticed. In no case should scrape layers of scale, since this will entail even greater damage to the internal surfaces of the container.

To eliminate multilayer plaque, you will need baking soda, citric acid, as well as apple or grape vinegar. First, you need to pour water and soda in the teapot at the rate of 2 tbsp. l powder per liter of water and boil the contents for about 20 minutes over low heat. Then the soda solution must be drained, rinse the kettle and pour it with water and citric acid at the rate of 60 g of dry matter per liter of water. The liquid should be boiled for 5-7 minutes, after which it should be left in the container until it cools completely.

The above steps must be performed twice in order to well loosen the scale. Only after that they thoroughly rinse the kettle and proceed to the third part of the procedure - vinegar treatment. Apple or grape vinegar is poured into a teapot in 1/3 of its volume and 2/3 of water is added. The liquid must be boiled over low heat for at least half an hour. It should be noted that during the cleaning of the kettle the room must be constantly ventilated from vinegar vapors.

After half an hour, the multilayer scale will become pasty and can be easily removed with a wooden or plastic spatula. At the end of the procedure, the container should be thoroughly washed with a sponge with detergent and boiled in it several portions of water.

In order to prevent deposits of lime-salt sediment inside the kettle, regular cleaning is necessary. To do this, fill the tank with water and add citric acid in an amount of 1 tbsp. l dry matter for every glass of liquid. The resulting solution is left in the kettle for 2 hours, after which it is thoroughly washed with a sponge with a detergent.

See how to clean the kettle with citric acid in the next video.