Latest news with #limescale
Washington Post
23-05-2025
- General
- Washington Post
What's that film inside my electric kettle, and how do I get rid of it?
Q: What is the soft buildup on the bottom of my electric kettle, and what's the best way to remove it? A: Mineral deposits, also known as limescale, can coat the bottom of an electric kettle with a white or gray film that can seem chalky or crusty, depending on how thick it is. The minerals, typically calcium and magnesium, are left behind when water boils and evaporates because only pure water turns from liquid to the gas we know as steam. The deposits are inevitable, unless you heat only distilled water in the kettle. With tap water, how quickly the deposits form depends partly on the mineral concentration in the water. Deposits form quickly if you have so-called hard water, which has such a high concentration of minerals that soap doesn't lather well. Deposits also are more of a problem if you use a kettle frequently. How you refill the kettle also matters. If you routinely top off water that's in the kettle, rather than emptying and refilling it each time, you will gradually increase the mineral concentration in the kettle and need to remove deposits more often. Mineral deposits are easy to ignore, but a thick crust can affect the taste of the water and block heat transfer. If water seems to be taking longer to boil, or if the kettle switches off before water boils, excessive mineral buildup is probably the culprit. Another sign that it's time to deep-clean: If your kettle has a replaceable filter behind the spout that's clogged with grit. The grit is almost certainly bits of the deposits, which you can remove by lifting the filter out and rinsing it in running water. Wipe with a cloth or use a soft brush to dislodge stubborn bits. KitchenAid, a manufacturer of electric kettles, recommends monthly cleaning to remove deposits, but you can adjust that timing to match what you see or experience. Although it's possible to remove mineral deposits by scrubbing with an abrasive pad, doing that on the inside of a kettle could scratch the interior. It's much safer to use simple chemistry to break the bonds holding the deposits in place. The deposits are usually alkaline, so acids are the way to attack them. You can use a commercial limescale remover, such as Oxo Brew All-Natural Descaling Solution, or try one of several acids you may have on hand (if not, you can buy them in a grocery store). Suitable cleaners include lemon juice, white vinegar, citric acid and cream of tartar. Advice varies about what concentrations to use and how long to let the solutions soak. And cleaning regimens will depend on the thickness and chemical composition of the deposits. There's considerable wiggle room: Within reason, you can use a more potent concentration or let the solution sit longer. Be aware that you might need to repeat whatever process you choose to get a clean kettle. White vinegar is probably the most commonly recommended cleaner. Cuisinart says that if you aren't using a commercial descaler, you should pour enough white vinegar into the kettle to cover the base ½ inch deep, then heat the vinegar until it boils. 'Repeat with cool vinegar until all deposits are removed,' then rinse several times. KitchenAid recommends using one part white vinegar to three parts water, enough to cover the deposits. Heat until boiling, then let it sit overnight. Drain, then fill with water alone. Boil and drain. Refill with water and boil a second time, then a third. Although these instructions differ in details, they all advise repeated rinsing. That's because vinegar has such a strong smell that any remnant can work its way into the first batch or two of tea or coffee you make after cleaning the kettle. Plus, while you're cleaning, the smell can make your kitchen seem like a pickle factory. If a lemon scent is more appealing, you can switch to a solution recommended by Fill the kettle one-fourth full with lemon juice, then add enough water to make it three-fourths full. Boil, let it cool enough so the water won't burn your skin, then pour out the water and scrub the still-hot interior with a cut piece of lemon. Electric kettles often have a capacity of 1.5 to 1.7 liters, or around 6 to 7 cups, so this solution may require as much as 1½ cups of lemon juice. You might need up to two pounds of lemons (about 10 to 12). If lemons are too expensive, head over to the store's section for baking ingredients, bulk spices or canning materials and price out citric acid and cream of tartar. Citric acid, a powder that's manufactured by fermenting a type of mold to match an acid found naturally in citrus, is used to adjust the pH of tomatoes and other produce during home canning. It's also used to add tang to recipes. Cream of tartar is made from tartaric acid, a natural by-product of the winemaking process. Among the reasons it shows up in recipes: It keeps whipped egg whites from deflating prematurely. If your grocery store sells spices in bulk, that's probably where you can purchase these powders most economically. Although both have an extremely tart taste, as you'd expect from an acid, they create only a slightly tangy smell, hinting at lemons or vinegar, while cleaning a kettle. For citric acid, KitchenAid recommends adding one tablespoon to enough water to cover the deposits. Bring it to a boil and pour out, then rinse and dry. Bon Appetit offers a slightly different recipe: Add enough water to cover the deposits, bring to a boil, then stir in a rounded teaspoon to a rounded tablespoon of citric acid, depending on the amount of water. Let sit 10 minutes. Rinse and swirl, and rinse again. If deposits are still visible, repeat this process, but wait longer, even overnight, before you empty and rinse. For cream of tartar, Hamilton Beach recommends putting ½ teaspoon of the powder into the kettle and adding enough water to fill it halfway. Bring to a boil, let cool, then empty and rinse several times. Whatever solution you choose, you get the idea: Dilute an acid in water. Use heat and time to make the cleaner work better. Repeat the process if you need to. Rinse well. And next time, don't wait as long to clean so you have less to remove. Have a problem in your home? Send questions to localliving@ Put 'How To' in the subject line, tell us where you live and try to include a photo.
The Sun
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Mrs Hinch loves it but I think it's toxic… I've seen it do so much damage & I'm a pro cleaner
MRS Hinch loves it so much that she's done multiple Instagram videos gushing about its effectiveness. But now professional cleaner Gemma has had her say - revealing she thinks Viakal is one of the most "toxic" products around. 3 3 3 Gemma took to TikTok to share her opinion after Mrs Hinch - aka Sophie Hinchcliffe - posted yet another social media clip about the limescale spray she's used from "day one". This time she was referring to the latest Viakal release - Viakal Vinegar Action - which "combines the magic of Viakal with the cleaning power of vinegar". She then used it on her shower screen to show it in action, spraying it on, waiting three minutes and wiping it off to reveal a sparkling clean screen. Mrs Hinch continued to use the spray on both her shower head and her plug to remove the limescale, before concluding: "If you haven't got one in your cleaning cupboard, get one. "It's the number one by me for a reason." But Gemma was quick to disagree with the cleanfluencer in her TikTok video, as she said: "I've just seen Mrs Hinch promoting this product, it was an ad and I know that she works for them, she said it's her favourite product. "Now I'm a professional cleaner and it's my worst. "I've spoken about this product so many times because I've just seen so much damage from this product and I will never use it." Gemma added that the reason her nails always look so good is that she doesn't use Viakal, or get such "toxic" products near her hands. "I would say that anybody if you do want to use Viakal please wear gloves," she sighed. "That stuff is potent and I would even wear a mask, like that stuff makes me feel sick, it gives me a headache and the worst part is it's not needed." Instead of using the spray, Gemma swears by Cif cream cleaner, white vinegar and a Brillo pad, which doesn't scratch the glass and works for her every time. In fact, she's said she's even seen "so much damage" that's come from using the spray. "I don't normally come on here and talk about other people but I find it hard when someone is promoting such a toxic product and it's an ad and it's just not needed," Gemma continued. "Honestly ditch the Viakal and swap it for white vinegar or Cif cream cleaner and you're going to get exactly the same results without breathing in loads of toxic chemicals." And as with any video featuring an opinion, the comments section of Gemma's TikTok was quickly filled with other cleaning whizzes sharing theirs. Mrs Hinch's whopping £4.4million fortune HOMEMAKER Sophie Hinchcliffe makes a whopping £4,313 per day. The star, known best as Mrs Hinch online, has cleaned up with bumper earnings for her social media, with reported new figures for company Mrs Hinch Limited. In fact, according to Companies House, she has more than a million reasons to be smiling with the company's takings in 2024 amounting to a huge £1,574,405 annual profit. They also reveal that Sophie has amassed a huge £5 million worth of assets in her firm since it first launched. Mrs Hinch Limited, which was set up in 2019, started off with online videos detailing cheap cleaning hacks, ways to save money, and advice to run a family home. Sophie was also praised for her honesty when it comes to raising her sons, giving advice to mums who could be struggling, lifting the lid behind a world that could be picture perfect. She proved so successful, she has since been expanding her businesses to multiple different ventures, including her own cleaning range, books, interior design services and baby goods. In 2024, her company's reported cash at bank and in hand at £4,179,283, monies due in at £748,130 and tangible assets at £81,123. After allowing for £644,402 in bills, Sophie retained £4,364,134 worth of profits in the firm – including her latest takings. Her assets include a £99,775 car bought in 2024 - with her latest account proving her most successful set of figures so far. "I love it. It's the texture- it clings," one wrote. "So I can spread it evenly, the other stuff is too patchy." "I love it!!!!!! It's great for glass," another agreed. "If used correctly it's fantastic. Don't get me wrong, Mrs Hinch is promoting it like it works easily when it doesn't. "But it can be used safely and I work in a ventilated room with a mask and gloves. Job 10x easier." "It's good in the right hands," a third said. However, others were firmly of the same opinion as Gemma, and didn't hold back as they explained why. "I used it for a long time and totally regret it," one said. "It ruined my client's taps, it's toxic and it DAMAGES for sure." "It ruined my bathroom!!!" another added. "I'm also a self employed cleaner and I hate it so much," a third said. "Causes so much damage."
Times
16-05-2025
- General
- Times
The 9 best kettles for speed, quiet — and good looks
I hate my kettle. There is nothing instant about my coffee. I can do a whites wash while waiting for steam to rise. I complain, of course I do, but nobody can hear over the F-15 screech emanating from the unlovely jug. It was a supermarket stopgap buy that cost a tenner and is maybe a decade old now. Its suboptimal performance is perfectly natural, considering its vintage and my neglect (grey shards of limescale occasionally emerge from the spout). And the bar has risen since I bought it, with more homes installing an on-demand boiling water tap, so that anything short of instantaneous now feels glacial. It's not all my kettle's fault, but the fact remains, it does not please me. So I'm shopping
