Kettles have become an essential part of our daily lives. It doesn’t matter if you’re a tea person, a pour-over coffee person, or someone who constantly boils water. You’ll always reach for your kettle.

Since we use our kettles regularly, knowing how to clean and descale a kettle is essential. It’s also important to know how often you should clean your kettle.  Luckily, this post from our Wimbledon end of tenancy cleaners covers everything you need to know about cleaning kettles, but let’s first learn the differences between the two main types of kettles.

Electric Kettle vs. Stovetop Kettle

Kettles come in two main types: electric and stovetop. Each type has its benefits, but their choice depends on the person’s preferences.

Electric kettles are designed to be quick and easy. All you need to do is plug it in, turn it on, and boil your water in minutes.

On the other hand, old-school stovetop kettles are a little harder to set up. As the name implies, you need a stovetop to use them.

It also takes a little longer than electric kettles, but once they’re up and running, the tea or coffee you make with the boiling water will taste heavenly.

Now that we’ve quickly covered both types of kettles let’s walk you through how to clean them thoroughly.

How to Clean an Electric Kettle

Cleaning your electric kettle needs daily clean-ups and monthly descaling, but how do you do that?

Daily Clean Up

These steps are for minimal upkeep of your electric kettle. If you follow them, you’ll always have a fresh, clean kettle waiting for you to use it.

Step 1: Grab Your Tools

To lightly clean your kettle after every use, you’ll need the following:

  • Two microfiber towels
  • Warm water

If you haven’t cleaned your kettle in a while, you may need a little dish soap to scrub off any old, dirty spots.

Step 2: Wipe Away the Dirt

Dampen your microfiber towel in warm water and clean any water splashes, dirt, or dust off the entire exterior of your electric kettle.

Get into every nook and cranny, and don’t forget to clean the heat pad.

Step 3: Dry Off Your Kettle

Once you’ve finished cleaning your kettle from the outside, grab a clean microfiber towel and dry off any excess water.

As long as you keep your kettle squeaky clean, you’ll ensure having a perfect cup of tea every single time.

Learn more about How to Clean the Inside of a Fridge

Monthly Kettle Descaling

Once a month, you’ll need to descale your kettle to remove any limescale buildup on the inside of your kettle. This buildup occurs due to minerals in your water, like calcium and magnesium.

If you live in a place with hard water, you may need to descale your kettle more frequently than once a month because hard water has higher levels of minerals than soft water.

So, how do you descale an electric kettle?

Step 1: Prepare Your Mixture

Create a mixture of one part white vinegar and three parts water and pour it into your kettle.

The mild acidity of the diluted vinegar will break down any mineral buildup on the inner walls of your kettle without damaging it.

Step 2: Bring It to a Boil

Bring your mixture to a boil and leave it in your kettle overnight to work its magic before pouring it out.

Step 3: Rinse Your Kettle

In the morning, pour the water and vinegar mixture and rinse your kettle. To remove any lingering vinegar odour, fill your kettle with water and let it run. Repeat this step two times at least. Each time, pour out the old water and start rinsing and boiling again.

Some people may replace vinegar with lemon juice, citric acid, sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda. They all work fine. To use any of these ingredients, follow the same descaling steps, and replace white vinegar with your ingredient of choice.

That’s it! Now your electric kettle will be in tip-top shape and give you its best performance.

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How to Clean a Traditional Kettle

Traditional stainless steel kettles are known for their longevity and sustainability. So, it only makes sense to clean them with eco-friendly ingredients.

Cleaning your stainless steel kettle is similar to cleaning an electric one, minus the soap. You may only use soap if your kettle is filthy and needs a deep clean. Other than that, warm water will do just fine.

Daily Cleaning

Make sure you wipe your stainless steel kettle and remove any specs of dust nesting in its corners. The little things you do to maintain your kettle will allow you to extend the time between each descaling session and preserve your kettle for longer.

Seasonal Kettle Descaling

Like electric kettles, descaling your kettle every 1-3 months or when needed can help your kettle perform at its best potential.

Step 1: Prepare the Mixture

Prepare your 1:3 vinegar and water mixture, then fill your traditional kettle halfway up. Bring it to a boil, then let it cool down.

Step 2: Scrub Your Kettle Gently

When your kettle has cooled down, use a soft, non-abrasive brush to scrub your kettle’s inside walls.

Step 3: Rinse It Out

Rinse the diluted vinegar and refill your kettle with fresh water. Bring it to a boil to remove any traces of vinegar, then pour it out.

Now your stainless steel kettle is all clean!

Step 4: Polish your Kettle

This step isn’t necessary, but it makes a huge difference if you want your kettle to be as shiny as new.

Take a clean, soft microfiber cloth and dab olive oil on it. Just a drop. Don’t go overboard. Then, gently rub the cloth along the grains of the stainless steel. After you’ve covered the whole kettle, take a paper towel and rub off any excess oil.

Voila! Your stainless steel kettle is clean and shiner than ever.

Read more: How to Clean Coffee Maker

In Conclusion

Kettles are an important appliance we use daily, so we must always keep them clean and descaled. Otherwise, you may need a new one sooner if you don’t regularly maintain your kettle.

Now that you know how easy it is to clean and descale your kettle, add it to your daily routine and enjoy a perfect cup of tea daily!