How to Descale a Kettle and Coffee Machine

If you live in a hard-water area like London, limescale builds up fast inside your kettle and coffee machine. That chalky white crust makes them slower, noisier and less efficient, and it can taint the taste of your drinks. Descaling every few weeks fixes all of that in minutes.

What causes limescale

Limescale is calcium carbonate, left behind when hard water is heated. London and much of the South East sit on chalk, so the water is very hard and scale forms quickly. You will see it as a rough white coating on the element, the spout and the water tank.

Descaling a kettle

With white vinegar

Fill the kettle halfway with equal parts white vinegar and water. Bring it to the boil, switch it off, then leave it to stand for 20 to 30 minutes. Pour the solution away and boil with fresh water two or three times to rinse out any vinegar taste.

With citric acid

Citric acid is odourless and works just as well. Add one or two tablespoons to a kettle of water, boil, and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse by boiling with clean water twice. Citric acid is sold cheaply as a powder and is ideal if you dislike the smell of vinegar.

Descaling a coffee machine

Check your manual first, as some machines have a descale setting or need a branded solution. For most drip and pod machines, the method is similar.

• Fill the tank with equal parts white vinegar and water, or a citric acid solution.
• Run a half cycle as if making coffee, without a pod or grounds, letting about half the tank pass through.
• Pause and wait 20 minutes with the machine off, then let the rest run through.
• Rinse well by refilling with clean water and running two or three full cycles.

How often to descale

In a hard-water area, descale your kettle every three to four weeks and your coffee machine once a month. In soft-water areas, every couple of months is plenty. A filter jug or a built-in water filter slows scale down and means less frequent descaling.

A few safety tips

• Never use bleach or harsh chemicals inside anything you drink from.
• Always rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear and odour-free.
• Do not scrape the element with anything metal, as this damages the coating.
• Unplug appliances before you start.

Descaling is one of those jobs that is easy to forget. If you would rather hand the whole kitchen over, you can book a GlowSpark cleaner from £19 an hour, with your first hour for £9 on your first Home Cleaning booking.