Mineral deposits left from hard water can leave residue inside your kettle and make the water cloudy. You can make it sparkling clean again in just a few minutes, without scrubbing at all, using white vinegar.

Close-up before and after view of electric kettle descaling with vinegar, showing hard water stains and mineral deposits removed from the stainless steel heating plate.

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Using filtered water, even bottled water, can leave mineral deposits over time in an electric kettle.

These deposits are not harmful, but if they're not removed it can shorten the life of your kettle. And, it makes the water in the kettle cloudy and, quite frankly, gross-looking.

We use our kettle to make tea every day and it can make the tea cloudy, as well.

You might be tempted to scrub it away with soap and water, but that doesn't really work very well. And, it can be hard to reach in to clean it by hand.

Bottle of distilled white vinegar used to clean and descale an electric kettle naturally without harsh chemicals.

Thankfully, we have a secret weapon - vinegar!

White vinegar breaks down the deposits and then you can just pour them down the sink. Give it a good rinse and you'll be left with a sparkly clean kettle, ready to go!

🔪 Instructions

Here's how to clean an electric kettle, step-by-step!

Pouring distilled white vinegar into an electric kettle as the first step to remove mineral buildup and limescale without scrubbing.

Step 1: Remove the lid to your kettle, if it comes off, like mine does. Pour water in the kettle, enough to just cover where you see the mineral deposits. Then, pour in ⅓ cup of white distilled vinegar.

Boiling a vinegar and water solution in an electric kettle to dissolve hard water deposits and clean limescale naturally.

Step 2: Set your kettle to boil. Once it boils, let it sit for 5 minutes to allow the vinegar to dissolve the limescale.

Rinsing an electric kettle with clean water after descaling with white vinegar to remove any remaining residue.

Step 3: Pour the vinegar water into the sink, then rinse several times with fresh water, until the kettle doesn't smell of vinegar anymore. Wipe down the outside of the kettle with a clean cloth to dry it.

Clean electric kettle after removing limescale with white vinegar, showing clear water and a spotless interior.

Step 4: Fill with fresh filtered water, ready to go for your next cup of tea!

Before and after comparison of an electric kettle cleaned with white vinegar, showing limescale buildup removed from the kettle bottom without scrubbing.

Expert Tips

You only need a little bit of vinegar to get results.
Be sure to add water to the kettle just above where you see the mineral deposits. Then, add your vinegar.
Take the opportunity to wipe down the outside of the kettle with a clean, soft cloth after you rinse it out with clean water, because it gets a little gunky too.

How often should you clean your kettle?

It depends on the water you use in your kettle. You may need to clean and descale it more or less often. When you see the mineral deposits building up, it's time.

If you use it every day, multiple times a day, like we do, you'll likely need to clean it every 1-2 weeks.