Kettles are a simple and common kitchen appliance, something that comes in extremely handy when you need to boil water for a coffee or a cup of tea, or for any other purpose really.
So almost everyone has one at home! (Especially people in the UK, since they can’t go more than a few hours without tea!)
As for how the kettle works, it’s simple enough. You fill it up with water, plug it in, and the water heats up. But because it is usually full of water, many people forget that it has to be cleaned every so often.
Sure, it doesn’t have to be cleaned after every use as plates or cutlery do. But kettles still need cleaning, and if you don’t maintain them properly, they eventually become damaged and unsafe!
The main reason why you also should be cleaning your kettle regularly is that it can end up with quite a lot of limescale, due to the water. And this will not only damage the kettle but also make the water taste…not good.
Below you will find a handy guide by CLEANA’s commercial cleaners that will help you to clean the kettle on the outside and inside.
How To Clean A Kettle – Step By Step?
Cleaning a kettle is something that should be done regularly, but luckily, it’s pretty simple. In fact, it’s easy and fast, and really shouldn’t take you a lot of effort either, so there’s no excuse!
Anyway, your kettle needs to be cleaned on both the outside and the inside, so we’re going to give you step-by-step instructions for both:
Cleaning Your Kettle On The Outside
Cleaning your kettle on the outside is super easy, and something that can be done quite quickly.
The only important thing to remember, which is pretty vital, is that you should not submerge the entire kettle in water, as there are electrical elements at the bottom of the kettle to heat the water up.
Instead, do the following:
- Create a solution of soapy warm water (you can use the washing liquid for your dishes)
- Use a sponge or cloth to apply the soapy water onto the kettle, and scrub away the dirt
- Rinse the kettle out under running water over the sink (without submerging it completely)
- Leave out to dry in the air, or dry with a clean cloth
Cleaning Your Kettle On The Inside
Cleaning your kettle on the inside is slightly more effort, but it’s pretty fast, and it’s a lot more important than cleaning the outside. So if you’re going to do one or the other, prioritize cleaning the inside!
Here is how to do it:
- Fill the kettle up with a solution of water and vinegar (it should be half water and half vinegar)
- Turn the kettle on and allow the solution to boil. Once it switches off, let the solution rest inside the kettle for around half an hour or so
- Pour the solution out, and then rinse the inside of the kettle with water by filling it up and emptying it out several times
- If there is still limescale inside the kettle, or it still seems dirty, repeat the process by boiling some more vinegar and water inside it
- Once you are happy with the inside of the kettle, wipe it down with a damp cloth (you will have to stick your hand inside it for this)
- Rinse the kettle out once more, then leave it to air dry
- Once the kettle is dry and ready for use once more, fill it up with water and boil. Discard that first batch of boiled water, and now it is truly ready to be used as normal
Tips For Keeping Your Kettle Clean And Well-Maintained
Cleaning out your kettle is fairly easy, and doesn’t take up a lot of time.
However, there are other things that you can do and incorporate into your everyday regular use of the kettle, in order to ensure that it is well-maintained and to help keep it cleaner.
Here are some of our top favourite tips:
- Every now and then, add some drops of lemon into the kettle and boil with water, this is a quick way of cleaning out any growth of limescale or dirt
- After you use the kettle, get into the habit of emptying it out. This will help you avoid leaving water in the kettle for long periods of time, reducing the growth of limescale, dirt, and bacteria. A good way of getting into this habit is to water the plants with the water left over in the kettle every so often!
- If you have a stainless steel kettle, apply some olive oil to it with the help of a cloth. This will clean the outside and make it shine, polishing it so that it looks brand new!
And just, overall, make sure that you are using the kettle properly and taking good care of it. If it gets stained, clean it immediately, and keep on top of those regular deep cleans to ensure it is always functioning properly.
You should also make sure that it is in a good place, where it won’t suffer any damage from other kitchen appliances or conditions.
How Often Should You Clean Your Kettle?
Cleaning your kettle doesn’t take long, and it’s fairly easy, so cleaning it regularly should not be a problem.
As a general rule, it is recommended that you clean the kettle once every month, or once every month and a half. So really, not that often!
But more specifically, you should simply clean your kettle whenever you see that it is becoming dirty, or whenever it is starting to develop limescale on the inside.
If the kettle has visible dirt, you should clean it. If the water coming from the kettle smells weird or tastes off, then clean it, as it likely has dirt on the inside or limescale.
Basically, clean it as often as you need, and any other time that you feel like it!
Final Thoughts
It’s important to clean your kettle regularly so that it functions correctly, and so that the water is safe, getting rid of any possible build-up of limescale.
To clean it, you have to wipe the outside, and then take care of the inside by boiling a solution of water and vinegar. There are plenty of other things that you can do to clean a kettle and then keep it clean, but those are the basics, and they should be fairly easy to do!
