How to: Clean your kettle

It would be hard to find an appliance that is used as regularly in an Irish kitchen as the kettle, which means it deserves a little extra TLC now and again. Read on and learn how to keep your kettle in tip-top shape.

Hard water build-up

Hard water build-up is the white, powdery deposits inside a kettle. Minerals in the water remain in the kettle after the water has evaporated and dry along the bottom and sides of the kettle. Luckily, these are easily removed with an acidic cleaning agent, such as vinegar, citric acid or lime juice.

How to clean the kettle with vinegar:

Step 1: Combine equal quantity of water and vinegar and fill about half of the kettle with the solution.

Step 2: Bring the kettle to a boil.

Step 3: Allow the solution to stay in the kettle for about 10-15 minutes. Remove the power cord from the outlet. Pour the solution away and rinse the appliance several times to remove any traces of vinegar from the kettle.

Step 4: Use a clean cloth to wipe the insides and outsides of the kettle. Allow it to dry.

Step 5: After the kettle dries, boil plain water in the kettle once again to remove the remaining traces of vinegar completely.