Limescale is a common problem in UK households, but cleaning enthusiast Lynsey has shared a simple trick to remove it from your kettle using just two cheap ingredients that you might already own
Limescale is a familiar problem in most British homes, commonly building up on taps, toilet bowls, showers and kettles. Given their constant exposure to water, these appliances are particularly susceptible, and if you happen to live in a hard water area, the build-up can occur even more rapidly due to the high concentration of dissolved minerals, especially calcium and magnesium.
Left untreated, limescale can eventually cause a host of problems, including reduced water flow, leaks and drips from taps, damage to kettle heating elements, and a knock-on effect on your dishwasher’s performance.
While taps and bathroom fixtures can be tackled with shop-bought chemical cleaners, you can also whip up your own effective cleaning solutions using just two ingredients that work equally as well.
To demonstrate just how powerful these homemade remedies can be, cleaning enthusiast and author Lynsey, who has previously appeared on ITV’s This Morning and Good Morning Britain, has shared her own experience with the two-ingredient solution.
In her video, Lynsey showed her pink kettle, which was covered in white limescale stains on the inside.
“The easiest way to descale your kettle,” she wrote in the on-screen text of the video, before revealing her straightforward cleaning technique.
How to descale a kettle
In the clip, Lynsey was filmed filling her kettle to the quarter mark with a mixture of white vinegar and water. The general recommendation is one part white vinegar to three parts water. She then left the solution to sit for about 30 minutes.
Should the spout of your kettle be particularly plagued by limescale, she also suggests soaking a piece of kitchen roll in white vinegar and wrapping it around the spout while the vinegar does its job.
“After 30 minutes, boil the kettle, empty it, then rinse thoroughly with fresh water,” she explained in the caption of her post. “Your kettle will be sparkling clean and ready for a well-earned cuppa!”.
Lynsey then revealed an impressive before-and-after shot of the kettle, with the unsightly white patches of limescale that had previously coated the inside nowhere to be found.
How does vinegar help remove limescale?
Vinegar is an affordable, natural and highly effective solution for dissolving limescale. As limescale is an alkaline mineral deposit, the mild acid found in white vinegar breaks it down on contact.
This makes the budget-friendly, natural ingredient ideal for reviving taps, showerheads, kettles and toilet bowls without the need for harsh chemicals.
If you find that your limescale build-up is particularly stubborn, warming the vinegar slightly before use can give its cleaning power a welcome boost.
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