Surprisingly, despite several amateur cleaning gurus suggesting natural cleaning products to remove limescale from the kettle, an expert at Russell Hobbs advised against them.
The expert explained: “Yes, those methods work however, at Russell Hobbs, we’ve always directed people to a descaler. We recommend descaling once per month but, depending on if you live in a hard water or soft water area, you may need to do more often.”
Regularly descaling the kettle is the “best way to ensure that your kettle is working efficiently”. The expert elaborated: “If it’s full of limescale, it uses more energy to boil the same amount of water.”
In regards to minimising limescale accumulation, Russell Hobbs mentioned: “All our kettles have anti-scale filters in the spout. “Anti-scale filters will help prevent limescale deposits from pouring into your cup or pan, etc.”
While the Brita kettles “help stop limescale build-up”, which can be particularly useful for those living in hard water areas, regular descaling of the kettle will still be required.
“[These design features] don’t stop the limescale building up inside the kettle,” the expert clarified. “You still need to regularly descale to keep your kettle working at its best.”
The expert elaborated on the impact of not descaling: “Limescale will make your kettle noisier as the rougher surface increases the bubble popping that you hear during boiling, not to mention the taste, so descaling is a great all-round thing to keep on top of.”
The expert added: “Russell Hobbs has a multi-purpose descaler that is safe to use in kettles and coffee machines.
“In just one application, [the descaler] will destroy the scale that could cut short the life of your appliance.”
How to use a descaler
1. Add 50ml of multi-purpose descaler to one litre of water inside the kettle
2. Switch the kettle on and heat until fizzing
3. Leave for several minutes
4. Empty, and rinse the kettle twice before using.
