Chalky Spots on Your Electric Kettle? How to Remove Them Fast

While many people use an electric kettle to boil water, most don't really know what the chalky white film that builds up inside is and how to clean it effectively. The film appears due to the presence of minerals like magnesium and calcium in the water that steadily builds up as the kettle is used. While it's nothing bad, it can be hard to clean, so here are some tips.

Clean the Kettle With Baking Soda

The magnesium-calcium buildup in your kettle is not harmful, but it can affect the taste of the water, so cleaning it is recommended. The simplest effective method to remove the buildup is to use a mixture of baking soda and water. This dissolves the buildup, and the soda also has abrasive properties. All that is required is to put two cups of water with two teaspoons of baking soda and set the kettle to boil. Once this is done, the mixture should sit a few hours before rinsing. Leftover spots can be removed using a soft cloth.

Lemon Juice Also Works

Lemon juice is a very effective cleaning agent as it is naturally acidic and smells nice. A mixture of water and lemon juice would easily dissolve hard water scales. What is needed is a quarter of a cup of fresh lemon juice with two cups of water that have to be boiled inside the kettle. Then, the mixture has to stay for a few hours before rinsing.

Lemon Juice Also Works
Shutterstock // @Raylui321

Those who don't have lemon juice at hand can use vinegar and water to the same effect or replace the lemon with citric acid. After all, it's the acidity of the mixture that gets the job done. So, to apply a solution of white vinegar and water, just fill the kettle to cover the film buildup with a mixture of one part vinegar and three parts water. Let it boil, let it sit for a few hours, and rinse.

Try Out Coca-Cola

Some people also claim that using Coca-Cola to clean a kettle is another effective method. So, does it work? Yes! All it takes is to fill the kettle with Coke to the fill line and let it boil. After this is done, the soda has to be left to cool and be removed. Then, the inside of the kettle has to be scrubbed gently with a soft pad or brush to clean the build-up. Rinsing is also necessary to remove the Coca-Cola flavor and any leftover sugar that may stick to the walls.