How to Clean Lime Buildup in a Tea Pot

Remove scale from your tea pot with white vinegar.

Lime buildup is common in tea pots because water stands in the pot and leaves behind hard water residue that settles as discolored lime scale flakes. To prevent the scale from getting into your next batch of tea, clean the pot in a way that safely breaks up and removes all lime buildup without the use of chemical cleaning ingredients. Luckily, an inexpensive household item works well in removing the lime buildup.

Things You'll Need

• White vinegar
• Dish soap
• Cleaning rags

Instructions

1. Fill the tea pot with equal parts water and white vinegar.

2. Put the tea pot on your stove and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil for 15 minutes.

3. Discard the liquid and wash the tea pot with soapy dish water. Rinse the pot and examine.

4. Fill the pot with pure white vinegar if any lime buildup remains.

5. Let the vinegar sit in the pot overnight. Discard the vinegar and wash the pot with warm soapy dish water.

References

• Russell Hobbs: Clean Electric Tea Kettle
• Vinegar Book: Cleaning Tea Kettle with Vinegar