Home Hacks #1: Descaling kettles with citric acid
A simple yet effective method I use to descale my kettle and coffee machine: citric acid.
Chemical descalers work fast but are full of who-knows-what. The labels on the bottles have a long list of warnings and precautions so I avoid using them. Citric acid is a natural product, so it is safe to use and safe to…eat! By using citric acid, there is no more worrying about possible harmful residue which can be left behind by the chemical descalers.
In the UK, it is sometimes labelled as “Lemon Salt” depending on where you shop but this is the same stuff used for baking, cooking and by the ladies to make their bath bombs. I get mine from the Turkish shop down the road and it is generally available in the international stores. Additionally, citric acid is much cheaper than the chemical descaler variety.
Home Hacks #1
Use it in the same way you would normally use a chemical descaler.
- Fill the kettle and bring it to the boil.
- Add 1 teaspoon of citric acid to the water.
- It fizzes so it’s working.
- Let it sit for 30-60 minutes.
- Empty the kettle and rinse it thoroughly.
For badly scaled kettles, add two teaspoons and leave it overnight. You will wake up to a shiny kettle, limescale free.
That’s the hack.