How to Clean an Electric Kettle Inside and Out

Do you love your electric kettle? They are great for not only boiling water for coffee and tea, but they can also quickly boil water for oatmeal and instant potatoes. Learn how to clean and descale your electric kettle with ease. Find out how often to clean your kettle and get tips for keeping it clean.

How to Clean the Inside of an Electric Teapot

Have you ever looked inside an electric kettle? Not many have. However, if you've happened to peek, you might notice it looks a bit crusty. That crust is called scale. This is the stuff that builds up when water is boiled. The minerals in the water stay in the bottom of the kettle, making it furry. Descale the inside of your electric kettle quickly by grabbing a few materials.

• White vinegar
• Citric acid
• Cola (Coke or Pepsi work great)
• Baking soda
• Lemon
• Old toothbrush
• Distilled water
• Sponge

Simple Way to Clean an Electric Kettle With Vinegar

The easiest way to get rid of the scale on the inside of your kettle is with white vinegar. You'll be amazed at how quickly all that gunk is just poured away.

1. Fill your kettle halfway with white vinegar.
2. The other half is filled with distilled water.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil.
4. Allow the mixture to sit for at least an hour. (Overnight is best.)
5. Pour out the mixture.
6. Fill the kettle with distilled water and bring it to a boil.
7. Dump it out.
8. Repeat filling with water and boiling if any white vinegar smell lingers.

How to Clean an Electric Kettle With Baking Soda

Don't like the smell of white vinegar? Don't worry! You can clean your electric kettle without using white vinegar. You need to grab a bit of baking soda.

1. Fill your electric kettle with distilled water.
2. Add 2 teaspoons of baking soda.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil.
4. Allow it to sit for about 10-20 minutes.
5. Use a toothbrush to scrub the inside of the kettle.
6. Rinse with cold water.

Use Lemon to Clean an Electric Kettle

Looking for a lemony-fresh kettle? Try cleaning off the scale with a lemon. This method is super simple.

1. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the kettle.
2. Grab the peel and scrub the inside of the kettle.
3. Cut up the lemon into small chunks.
4. Throw them in the kettle.
5. Fill it with water.
6. Boil the mixture.
7. Allow it to cool.
8. Dump out the lemon mixture.
9. Scrub the inside of the kettle with a toothbrush or scrubby.
10. Rinse out the kettle with water.
11. Boil distilled water to remove any lemon taste.

How to Clean a Kettle With Citric Acid

You know how oranges and lemons contain citric acid? Well, you can buy it in a powdered form too. This is great for easily descaling a kettle.

1. Fill the kettle half to three-quarters of the way with distilled water.
2. Bring the kettle to a boil.
3. Turn off the kettle and add 2 tablespoons of citric acid.
4. Allow the kettle to sit for about a half-hour.
5. Pour out the mixture.
6. Scrub down the kettle with a toothbrush.
7. Rinse and wipe out with a sponge.
8. Rinse a final time.

Clean an Electric Kettle With Cola

You've heard that cola can clean a toilet. It can descale a kettle too. Grab a bit of cola and get to cleaning.

1. Fill the kettle with cola to the maximum fill line.
2. Bring it to a boil.
3. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
4. Scrub out the kettle with a toothbrush and sponge.
5. Repeat if needed.
6. Boil a bit of water to rinse.

How to Clean the Outside of an Electric Kettle

The inside of your kettle is looking fabulous. But the outside, it's not so hot. Get the outside gleaming too by grabbing:

• Dish soap
• Sponge
• Baking soda
• Microfiber cloth

Steps to Cleaning Outside of an Electric Kettle

Cleaning the outside of an electric kettle is all about consistency. You want to make sure to wipe it off after each use. To give it a deeper clean, you can follow these steps.

1. Wet down a sponge.
2. Add a drop of dish soap.
3. Work it into the sponge.
4. Wipe down the outside.
5. Add a bit of baking soda to the sponge and scrub for grime.
6. Wipe the kettle down with a damp cloth.
7. Buff with a microfiber cloth.

How Often to Clean an Electric Kettle

It's important to descale your kettle at least once every six weeks or so. If you have hard water in your area, you'll want to do it more frequently since it can build up. Heavy deposits can take longer to clean away. The outside of the kettle gets a bit more wear and tear because of the elements. You'll want to clean and wipe the outside once a week.

Important Tips to Keep in Mind When Cleaning an Electric Kettle

Electric kettles use electricity to heat the water. Therefore, when you clean them, you'll want to ensure you don't submerge them in water. A few other tips to keep in mind include:

• Once a week, boil a bit of water with a tablespoon of baking soda to keep the scale from building up.
• Remove the scale on the filter by soaking it in white vinegar.
• Watch out for the heating elements when cleaning the kettle.
• Don't allow water to sit in the kettle.
• Regularly wipe down the outside of the kettle to prevent buildup or rust.
• Use distilled water to avoid mineral buildup.

How to Clean Your Electric Kettle Like New

Be proud of your kettle. After a little bit of descaling, it will run like new again. You can use it to boil water for tea, oatmeal, or even instant mashed potatoes. Enjoy your clean kettle!