Tried and tested: This 30p trick is the best way to remove limescale from your kettle
With Brits consuming around 100 million cups of tea every day, the kettle is one of our most-used appliances in the kitchen, yet most of us don’t regularly descale it. It’s one of those small tasks with a big reward (a clean kettle is needed for making the best-tasting cuppa). However, we often put it off until we can no longer ignore the chalky layer that has formed on the metal base plate and we need to go in with harsh chemicals to remove the build-up.
Sure, most kettles come with a built-in filter (usually the mesh kind) that stops the chalky bits from being poured into your drink, but wouldn’t it be helpful if there was a way to prevent it happening in the first place? Because limescale is formed when hard water is heated, one of the best tricks is to use filtered or softened water. For those living in hard water areas, sadly, the only solution is to clean and descale it to remove the build-up.
That said, descaling a kettle doesn’t need to be a convoluted process. Take it from personal experience, as long as you do it regularly and ideally last thing at night it can be quick and simple – and all you need is a lemon.
All you need to descale your kettle is a lemon
About once a week (usually on a Sunday night), I cut a lemon in half, squeeze both parts in the kettle, throw in the peels (not sure how important this step is but that’s just how I do it), fill the kettle to the top with water and boil it. I then let this concoction soak overnight (I also make sure to tell my flatmate so she doesn’t accidentally make a cup of tea) and in the morning, after a very thorough rinse, the kettle is squeaky clean.
Now, there are two key parts to this descaling trick. First, you need to use fresh lemons. I’ve tried bottled lemon juice before, and it just doesn’t do the job. Secondly, you need to let it soak for at least a few hours, which is why I’d recommend doing it overnight. I also have to admit I’m not sure how well it would work on limescale that’s been building up for years, but I got a new kettle about a year ago, and it still looks brand new.
