Shocking photo of a dirty kettle shows why you should clean yours ASAP! – Here’s how you can do it with little to no effort
- Replies 9
When it comes to kitchen-related chores, most of us direct our full attention to keeping our cookware, plates, utensils, and ovens spotless. But there’s one well-used kitchen staple that a lot of us are neglecting… Kettles!
Every coffee or tea aficionado swears by a trusty kettle – all the more so during winter for that absolute necessity: hot water bottles. But if you can’t remember the last time you gave your kettle a thorough cleaning, one man warned thousands why it can be dangerous and offered an easy trick to make it look brand new.
He shared his life-changing hack on the popular Facebook group Markdown Addicts Australia alongside before and after pictures.
Nat Langfedlt revealed that he grows twenty-year-old lemon and orange trees in his backyard, saying: “I have lemon and orange trees that are loaded [with fruits]. They're mostly given away to friends, family, and customers at work,”
What a difference! Image Credit: Markdown Addicts Australia
He discovered that using the excess lemons from the trees to deep clean his kettle works like a charm. He simply cuts up two lemons, throws them in his kettle filled with water, and leaves them to boil. He then waits for them to still before boiling them again for another round. After that, he throws the contents out and rinses his kettle.
“This is a real money-saving hack,” he wrote. “I use lemons to clean my kettle when it gets black inside,”
Nat added that keeping a kettle clean will not only extend its shelf life but also prevent users from ingesting dangerous, solid minerals.
“The black bits on the inside of the kettle are caused by hard water,” he explained. “Hardness in drinking water is mainly the result of the presence of large amounts of two minerals - calcium and magnesium.”
Harvey Water Softeners confirmed this on their website, stating: “Scaling in kettles is caused by hard water, where calcium or magnesium are dissolved in water,”
“As the kettle boils, calcium carbonate will form from the water which spreads across the appliance. This is presented as what we may know better as ‘limescale’ which will remain in the kettle until it is thoroughly cleaned,”
“If you have hard water in your home, the build-up of limescale could shorten the life of your household appliances,” they warned.
How Nat uses his extra lemons. Image Credit: Markdown Addicts Australia
Nat’s Facebook post made the rounds online, amassing over 1.3k likes and 260 comments. Several users expressed their gratitude for the nifty cleaning trick, while a few shared some of their own go-to cleaning methods.
“This is a great tip,” praised one woman. “I was just about to clean my kettle with a brush and some soap but I'm going to try this instead!”
“Leftover lemonade works just as well if you don't have any fresh lemons – and they smell delightful,” said another user. “I just boil lemonade with water, let it sit for a few minutes, and repeat. Then, I just rinse it out and it’s sparkling clean.”
“I’ve done this for years and don’t have to worry too much about making sure it’s totally rinsed. Lemon tea tastes better than vinegar or chemicals!” the user continued.
Other users vouched for another household ingredient that can be used to clean kettles.
“I use a dash of vinegar when I don't have any lemons or lemonade on hand and it also works just as fine,” a third commented.
However, a fourth warned: “Remember to throw out the vinegar water and rinse the kettle again before using it. Otherwise, you'll be wondering if your day-old milk is off because your coffee keeps curdling.”
“I use half a cup of vinegar into a full kettle of water. Boil the mixture once or twice and the kettle comes out perfectly clean every time. I used to use lemons.” chimed another.
There you have it, folks! When life gives you lemons, pop them in your kettle for a deep cleaning session.
What are your thoughts on Nat’s cleaning hack? How do YOU clean your kettle? Let us know in the comments?
Watch a brief tutorial of this hack below:
Video Credit: Yummieliciouz Food Recipes
Every coffee or tea aficionado swears by a trusty kettle – all the more so during winter for that absolute necessity: hot water bottles. But if you can’t remember the last time you gave your kettle a thorough cleaning, one man warned thousands why it can be dangerous and offered an easy trick to make it look brand new.
He shared his life-changing hack on the popular Facebook group Markdown Addicts Australia alongside before and after pictures.
Nat Langfedlt revealed that he grows twenty-year-old lemon and orange trees in his backyard, saying: “I have lemon and orange trees that are loaded [with fruits]. They're mostly given away to friends, family, and customers at work,”
What a difference! Image Credit: Markdown Addicts Australia
He discovered that using the excess lemons from the trees to deep clean his kettle works like a charm. He simply cuts up two lemons, throws them in his kettle filled with water, and leaves them to boil. He then waits for them to still before boiling them again for another round. After that, he throws the contents out and rinses his kettle.
“This is a real money-saving hack,” he wrote. “I use lemons to clean my kettle when it gets black inside,”
Nat added that keeping a kettle clean will not only extend its shelf life but also prevent users from ingesting dangerous, solid minerals.
“The black bits on the inside of the kettle are caused by hard water,” he explained. “Hardness in drinking water is mainly the result of the presence of large amounts of two minerals - calcium and magnesium.”
Harvey Water Softeners confirmed this on their website, stating: “Scaling in kettles is caused by hard water, where calcium or magnesium are dissolved in water,”
“As the kettle boils, calcium carbonate will form from the water which spreads across the appliance. This is presented as what we may know better as ‘limescale’ which will remain in the kettle until it is thoroughly cleaned,”
“If you have hard water in your home, the build-up of limescale could shorten the life of your household appliances,” they warned.
How Nat uses his extra lemons. Image Credit: Markdown Addicts Australia
Nat’s Facebook post made the rounds online, amassing over 1.3k likes and 260 comments. Several users expressed their gratitude for the nifty cleaning trick, while a few shared some of their own go-to cleaning methods.
“This is a great tip,” praised one woman. “I was just about to clean my kettle with a brush and some soap but I'm going to try this instead!”
“Leftover lemonade works just as well if you don't have any fresh lemons – and they smell delightful,” said another user. “I just boil lemonade with water, let it sit for a few minutes, and repeat. Then, I just rinse it out and it’s sparkling clean.”
“I’ve done this for years and don’t have to worry too much about making sure it’s totally rinsed. Lemon tea tastes better than vinegar or chemicals!” the user continued.
Other users vouched for another household ingredient that can be used to clean kettles.
“I use a dash of vinegar when I don't have any lemons or lemonade on hand and it also works just as fine,” a third commented.
However, a fourth warned: “Remember to throw out the vinegar water and rinse the kettle again before using it. Otherwise, you'll be wondering if your day-old milk is off because your coffee keeps curdling.”
“I use half a cup of vinegar into a full kettle of water. Boil the mixture once or twice and the kettle comes out perfectly clean every time. I used to use lemons.” chimed another.
There you have it, folks! When life gives you lemons, pop them in your kettle for a deep cleaning session.
What are your thoughts on Nat’s cleaning hack? How do YOU clean your kettle? Let us know in the comments?
Watch a brief tutorial of this hack below:
Video Credit: Yummieliciouz Food Recipes
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