How to Remove the Water Scale From a Tea Kettle

Remove water scale from a tea kettle with vinegar.

When your water supply has a heavy mineral content, water scale builds up after a few uses of the kettle. This leaves behind not only an unattractive residue but also buildup that can flake off of the kettle and into the water you are boiling, thereby giving you dirty drinking water. This makes it important to pay attention to your kettle, noticing when buildup has accumulated and using the proper steps to remove all of the buildup.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• White vinegar

Instructions

1. Pour 1/2 cup white vinegar into the tea kettle and let it sit for 1 hour.

2. Discard the vinegar, rinse the kettle with hot water and look over the kettle to see if all scale is removed.

3. Fill the kettle the entire way with white vinegar if any scale remains.

4. Put the kettle on your stove and bring to a boil, or plug in the kettle if it is electric and let the vinegar come to a boil.

5. Let the vinegar boil for 2 minutes, discard the vinegar and rinse the kettle with hot water.

References

• Vinegar Tips: Cleaning With Vinegar
• Russell Hobbs: How to Clean Your Electric Tea Kettle
• Vinegar Book: Remove Lime Deposits From Tea Kettle with Vinegar