Depending on the composition of the water, some mistresses have never encountered such trouble, for others the problem of how to remove the scum in the kettle is always on the agenda. Why there is a scum in the teapot, can it harm the health, and how to get rid of it - this is what is important to know.
Why does scale build up in the kettle?
First, let's talk about what is the scum, where does it come from, and why does the question of how to remove the scum in the kettle is relevant? Scaling is the deposition of chemical elements that are formed from a large amount of hardness salts, so if you use hard water, this problem will be especially urgent for you. There is such a deposit according to this scheme:
- in the process of heating water decomposition of calcium and magnesium bicarbonate takes place;
- then less soluble bicarbonates are formed;
- further a precipitate forms;
- then the sediment is concentrated on the inner surface of the kettle.
If, as soon as the formed scum is not removed, your dishes will probably be spoiled by a huge layer of deposits. You will also find that horrible calcareous flakes will float in your cup of tea, so timely cleaning of the kettle from scale in the home is necessary.
Is the scale in the kettle harmful to humans?
Another important reason why it is necessary to remove scale in the kettle is harm to human health. There is much debate about the effect of scale on health, it is extremely difficult to determine the causes of certain diseases, especially those that do not manifest immediately, but are the result of accumulation of harmful substances.
But if you take into account the fact that the use of hard water is harmful to the body, it becomes obvious that if there is an excessive amount of salt deposits in a kettle in which you regularly boil water for making tea or other drinks, it can be extremely damaging for your health. The result of drinking water from the dishes with scum can become such problems as:
- gout ;
- stone formation in the urinary tract;
- osteochondrosis;
- tartar .
With one-time use of hard water from a teapot with a scum, nothing like this can happen, but if you regularly drink such water, you can cause irreparable harm to your health, is it worth it to take risks? Therefore, you should know how to remove the scale in the kettle, especially since it is much easier than it might seem.
How do I clean the kettle of scale?
Looking at the kettle with a huge layer of salt deposits, it is sometimes difficult to believe that it can somehow be disposed of. In fact, the problem is very easily solved, and for the removal of the plaque, you will not even need purchased aggressive chemicals. There are many simple and accessible recipes for everyone, how to remove scum in the teapot with home-made tools, and they will not require much effort and time.
How to clean the teapot with citric acid from the scum?
The way to clean the kettle from scale with citric acid is incredibly simple. We need to take about 500 ml of water and 1 large tablespoon of citric acid (instead of acid you can use a quarter of the average lemon, this will not affect the quality of the process). First, we collect water into the kettle, bring it to a boil, then turn it off, pour citric acid or put lemon and let the water cool down for about 1.5 - 2 hours.
If there is not a very large layer of scale in the kettle, after this procedure it is likely to go away by itself. But in order to remove the old raid, you will have to make efforts and rub it well. After such a cleaning of the kettle you need to collect in it pure water and boil, only after that you can use it again.
How to clean a kettle of a coca cola from a scum?
Few people know that the known cola is one of the most powerful means of scale in the dishes. Before you clean the kettle from scaling cola, we need to buy a drink and prepare wet kitchen sponges or toothbrushes.
- We pour a cola into the kettle, fill approximately 2/3 of the volume.
- Bring the drink to a boil.
- Turn off the kettle and let cool for about 30 minutes.
- Next, merge the cola, and most of the plaque should exfoliate itself.
- For the remaining plaque uses sponges and brushes.
- If after the procedure the plaque remains, repeat it again.
The exact composition of Coca Cola, unfortunately, the manufacturer does not disclose, and the substance in it helps to cope with the scum in the teapot - orthophosphoric acid. Therefore, for safety, before using the kettle after removing the scale, it should be thoroughly washed and boiled in it with clean water.
Cleaning the kettle from scale with vinegar
There are two options for cleaning the kettle from scale with vinegar. For the first option, fill the kettle with water for about 2/3 of the volume, add half the glass of 9% vinegar to the water. Next, heat the water and boil for 30 minutes, then pour the solution. If the procedure did not work, the solution can not be poured out, but boiled repeatedly. If the plaque on the kettle is too large and old, boiled vinegar solution is better not to drain immediately, and let him stand the night. After this, all deposits should be easily removed.
How to clean a metal kettle from scale?
Remove the scale from the kettle from stainless steel is much easier than from the other dishes. The fact is that stainless steel is very smooth on the reverse side, and simple boiling of water with vinegar or citric acid is also enough that even the heaviest deposits themselves separate. On metal kettles, more often deposits of scale are formed less, the sediment remains mostly in the form of floating flakes, which can easily be removed by simple rinsing.
How to clean the enamel kettle from scale?
On enamelware, salt deposits are deposited particularly strongly, so the problem of how to wash the kettle off scale, in such cases is more urgent. Using the methods listed above, be prepared for one boil not to help, and you will most likely have to make an effort to remove the plaque. To do this, you can use kitchen sponges with a hard side, and still do more than one boil, and a few.
Using an enameled kettle, it is important to monitor the deposition of scale, and as soon as you find it, clean it immediately. The thing is that too much layer of calcareous coating damages the enamel of the dishes, and even after a good cleaning the bottom will be rough to the touch and, most likely, irrevocably darken.
How do I clean the electric kettle of scale?
The peculiarity of electric kettles is that the bottom is not smooth and smooth, and it is sometimes impossible to wipe it clean with a kitchen sponge. And in budget models inside it is a curved and brittle heater, which is very easy to damage. How to remove scum in an electric kettle easily and qualitatively? For this, after boiling with the methods described above, it is advisable to use a new and rigid toothbrush. With its help you can easily clean uneven surfaces and heating elements from all sides.
The filter from the scale in the kettle - which is better?
Even if there is hard tap water in your home, you can prevent this problem, and you will never need any descaling agent in the kettle. There are measures to prevent scale in the kettle and other dishes. They cost not cheap, but they will permanently rid you of the problem of the appearance of a harmful calcareous attack. As a prevention of the appearance of scale, kitchen filters can be used that soften the water. They are of two types:
- Flow filter. Such a system is installed under the sink, it is designed for running water of medium hardness. But even if you have very hard water, you can use it, you just have to change the cartridge more often.
- Reverse osmosis system. Through the passage of tap water through a special membrane, this version of the filter removes excess salt from it 99% and makes the water more pleasant for taste and smell. But this system also has a significant drawback - during the purification process, complete demineralization of water occurs.
Choosing water purification systems to prevent the appearance of scale, you need to pay attention to such manufacturers as:
- Aquaphor;
- Barrier;
- Geyser.