De-scaling kettle

Pink.

Hi Gryfon,

There's an earlier thread on getting rid of limescale on a kettle so I've added your thread to it to keep the suggestions together.

Pink

Gryfon

Fab thanks, shall have a read through now. Forgot to search first, I think vinegar fumes has gone to my head!

Mrs_P_Pincher

Hi

Hate using the descaler you buy - always afraid we are going to be poisoned!

Is there an MSE way to get rid of the horrid scale in our kettle? People are beginning to complain about crunchy bits in their tea!

Thanks

Mrs P P

Pink.

Hi Mrs P Pincher,

There's an earlier thread that should help so I've added your post to it to keep the replies together.

Pink

Beckymarshall07

Hi everyone
Apologies for posting - tried to see if solution was somewhere on here but couldnt find anything specific.

Basically need advice on descaling my kettle. I used some clear white distilled vinegar - half a cup - and about 3/4 teaspons of bicarb of soda. It cleared the kettle somewhat but there is still quite a bit of build up still in the kettle. Did I use enought bicarb? I checked that it was fizzing when i went up to bed last night

esmf73

I think sometimes you have to do it more than once. Just try it again

carolinosourus

I think that the acid in the vinegar and the alkaline bicarb of soda actually neutralise each other, so together they wouldn't do anything! Try it again but with just the vinegar and boil the kettle with vinegar. You could then use the bicarb afterwards to get rid of the vinegary smell and taste.

Beckymarshall07

Great thanks for that everyone :beer:

Windmill_Farmer

Limescale is Calcuim Carbonate CaCO3 and any strong acid will disolve it,
here it the chemical reaction for using hydrocloric acid HCL, it desolves into calcium cloride (aqueous), CO2 and water.

CaCO3(s) + 2 HCl(aq) → CaCl2(aq) + CO2(g) + H2O(l)

Vinegar of course is an acid, acetic acid, lemon juice or any fruit juice is
citric acid and coca cola is phosphoric acid.
Any of those should do, as should any sweet fizzy or non fizzy drink, including the diet types I believe. You could even use battery acid but I
would not recommend you messing around with that!! (it might go right through the kettle for starters!!)

How long it takes depends on the time, the strength of the acid and the temperature. It will keep going untill all the H's (hydrogens) in the acid are used up.

The Ph of vinegar is about 2.4 classic coke is 2.5, the lower the number the more acidic it is, water if 7 (neutral).

Fizzy drinks cans have a plastic lining inside to stop the acid disolving the can!!

The same principle should work for removing limescale from the loo although if it too is dilute it may not work.
So it basically comes down to cost as to the best method I think, or whatever you have around to try. Remember alcoholic drinks ferment to vinegar if they are allowed to go off.

I just tried witrh some viinegar in a old aluminum pan I boil water in, you can clearly hear it poping and fizzing!

Apparently urine is also acidic, but only slightly it has a pH of just 6, still if it works it the cheapest option! :rotfl:

Olliebeak

Used SmartPrice brown vinegar and bicarb last week on my daughter's kettle and it worked wonders!