A kettle is one of the easiest household appliances to clean, yet so many of us forget to do it. Yes, it is important to clean the outside of your kettle, but that is not the main point of focus here. The inside of your kettle is just as important to clean and requires doing so on a regular basis. One of the best ways to clean your kettle is with a very common household product – bicarbonate of soda.
Before we take a look at the 5 simple steps you can use to clean your kettle with bicarbonate of soda, let’s discover why it is important to clean the inside of your kettle in the first place.
Why Is It Important To Clean Your Kettle?
The most important reason you should be cleaning your kettle regularly is for your health. Although a kettle’s job is to clean and purify water, the minerals that get extracted from the water start forming white, salty scales at the bottom of your kettle after enough time. This is especially problematic if you live in an area with unclean water. Either way, you should clean your kettle regularly to avoid consuming those solid minerals.
The second reason you should be cleaning your kettle on a regular basis is to extend its lifespan. Those same scales become a problem for your kettle’s element if they build up enough, resulting in a lower working efficiency. Instead of forking out some money to buy a new kettle, use the following 5 steps to give your current kettle a clean with bicarbonate of soda.
1. Fill Your Kettle With Water
Fill your kettle to the halfway point or more, not exceeding its maximum capacity level. Add 1 to 1 and a half tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda, based on how much water you’ve used.
2. Bring To A Boil
Switch your kettle on and allow it to run its full cycle. We get it, sometimes you can’t wait for the entire duration when waiting to make your favourite cup of coffee, but there’s no rush here, so wait for that switch to flip on its own.
3. Wait For Half An Hour
Once the kettle has finished boiling, allow the mixture of water and bicarb of soda to sit for half an hour. This wait will allow for the further breakdown of any bacteria that was not reached during the boiling process.
4. Pour Out And Scrub
Pour the mixture out and give your kettle a good rinse. If your kettle still looks to have some scales on the inside, then give it a good scrub with a sponge. Make sure you clean as thoroughly as possible.
5. Rinse And Dry
Once you’re confident in the amount of scrubbing you’ve done, rinse your kettle again and let it air dry.
After completion of these steps, you should be able to see a physical difference in the state of your kettle, and possibly even taste a difference in the quality of the water that comes out of it. Although there are many other ways to clean your kettle, using the powerhouse cleaning ingredient that is bicarbonate of soda will ensure thorough cleaning for a kettle that looks as good as new.
