How to descale anything

Why it works

1. How to remove limescale with citric acid

Suitable for any kettles, coffee machines, irons, washing machines.
Proportions: kettles, coffee machines and irons - 10 g for every 100 ml of water; washing machines - 50 g per kilogram of load.
pros: environmental friendliness, safety, availability, pleasant aroma.
Minuses: does not cope with old, thick scale.

How to descale a kettle

Fill the kettle with about ¾ of water - so that the liquid covers the deposits on the walls and heating elements, but does not splash out during boiling.

Pour citric acid (100 g of powder for each liter of water) into a kettle and boil.

Leave to cool completely. Drain off water, remove residual plaque with a sponge and wash thoroughly.

How to descale a coffee machine

For the coffee machine, prepare a citric acid solution based on the volume of the water tank. For example, if the coffee machine is designed for 2 liters, you will need 200 g of citric acid.

Pour the hot solution into the tank and leave for 60 minutes.

After an hour, start the coffee program without the coffee itself. Empty the liquid through the dispensers.

Then run the coffee machine with water only, no citric acid. As soon as you drain the boiling water, you can use the device. If the tank of the coffee machine is removable, remove any residual deposits under running water.

How to descale your iron

Prepare a solution for the iron: add 10 g of citric acid for every 100 ml of boiling water, stir and cool to room temperature. Remove the anti-limestone rod, if present, and soak in the resulting solution for an hour.

If not, pour the solution into the water tank. Turn on the iron and, holding it upright, let off steam until all the liquid is used up. It is better to do this over a bathtub or basin: along with the steam, scale will fly out of the holes in the sole.

After the procedure, rinse the iron reservoir with running water, and wipe the soleplate with ammonia or nail polish remover.

How to descale a washing machine

To remove deposits from the heating elements and drum of the washing machine, you need 50 g of acid for every kilogram of load.

Pour ¾ citric acid (190 g acid per 5 kg load) into the powder tray and ¹⁄₄ (60 g) directly into the drum. Start washing at the maximum temperature.

2. How to descale with table vinegar

Suitable for glass and ceramic teapots, stainless steel teapots, irons and washing machines.
Proportions: kettles - 100 ml for each liter of water; irons - 1 tablespoon per liter of water; washing machines - 10 ml for each kilogram of load.
A plus: more aggressive acidic environment removes even thick layers of limescale.
Minuses: can damage rubber and plastic parts of devices, acrid smell.

How to descale a kettle

To clean the kettle, dissolve vinegar in water and put on fire. After boiling, let it boil for a few more minutes. Then drain the water, remove the remaining plaque with a sponge and a cleaning agent and boil clean water in a kettle.

How to descale your iron

Pour warm vinegar solution into the water tank and, holding the iron horizontally, release the steam.

Only boil a kettle with vinegar and let steam out of the iron in a well-ventilated area.

How to descale a washing machine

Pour vinegar (10 ml per kilogram of load) into the washing machine into a dish for conditioner or liquid powder. Run the wash without laundry at the maximum temperature, and then rinse again to surely get rid of the specific aroma.

The vinegar can damage the rubber bands on the door, so be careful if you choose to pour the substance directly into the drum. This can be done when there are no liquid reservoirs in the machine.

3. How to descale with baking soda

Suitable forany teapots, coffee machines.
Proportions: kettles and coffee machines - 1 tablespoon for every 500 ml of water.
pros: availability, simplicity.
Minuses: does not take all types of plaque, does not cope with old deposits.

The mechanism for cleaning teapots and coffee makers with soda is simple: fill them with water, add soda and boil. At the same time, it is recommended not to remove an ordinary kettle from the heat for another 20-30 minutes after boiling, and the electric kettle should be turned on several times.

After the procedure, wash the inside of the kettle or tank of the coffee machine and boil clean water.

If the build-up is very strong, try a more alkaline soda ash instead of baking soda. Or add the same amount of salt to regular soda.

4. How to descale with soda

Suitable forany teapots, coffee machines, irons.
Proportions: The containers are filled to about ¾.
A plus: effective even with thick deposits.
Minus: Colored drink can stain the vessel. Therefore, to clean irons and white plastic electric kettles, it is better to use clear soda, including mineral water.

How to descale a kettle or coffee machine

Open the bottle and wait for most of the carbon dioxide to evaporate.

Pour the soda into the kettle or the tank of the coffee maker, hold for 15-20 minutes, and then boil.

Thanks to orthophosphoric acid and carbon dioxide, soda drinks do an excellent job of removing salt deposits.

How to descale your iron

Pour soda into the water tank, turn on the appliance, hold the iron upright and let off steam. If there is a lot of scale, do this several times.

5. How to descale with brine

Suitable forany teapots.
Proportions: the kettle must be filled to ¾.
pros: simplicity, availability.
Minuses: does not cope with persistent plaque, specific smell.

The brine contains lactic and acetic acids. Fill the kettle with strained cucumber or tomato pickle, boil for 20-30 minutes.

Then drain the limescale brine and wash the kettle with a soft sponge and cleaning agent.

6. How to remove limescale with baking soda, citric acid and vinegar

Suitable forany teapots.
Proportions: 1 tablespoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of citric acid and a glass of vinegar per liter of water.
A plus: breaks even rock salt deposits.
Minus: troublesome, strong odor, exposure of devices to aggressive components.

Fill the kettle with water, add citric acid and baking soda and boil. If the kettle is electric, do this 2-3 times. If normal, let the soda-lemon solution simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Drain and refill the kettle with water. Boil it and pour in the vinegar. Leave it on for 15-20 minutes.

If after that the scale does not come off by itself, it will become loose. You can easily remove it with a sponge and dishwashing detergent.

At the end, boil clean water in a kettle again, and then drain it.

What to do to prevent limescale

Try to use only filtered water in kettles, coffee machines and irons.
Rinse the appliance before taking in water.
Do not leave water in the appliance after use. Better to pour a new one every time.
Get rid of limescale at least once a month, even if there is no pronounced plaque on the heating elements and walls. If the appliance has a self-cleaning function, use it.