Here in the UK over 100 million cups of tea and around 70 million cups of coffee are drunk every day. We seem to have a cuppa for every occasion and our poor kettles seem to take a hammering on a daily basis!
But how often should you clean a kettle, bearing in mind how much this electrical wonder gets used each day?
Brew up, sit down and read on to find out how often these vessels need to be maintained!
How Often Do You Need to Clean an Electric Kettle?
A kettle is a staple appliance in most homes, and for most of us tea drinkers an electric kettle plays a pivotal role in our daily routine!
But how often should you clean your kettle?
The answer to this question depends on the following: how much the kettle is used and what type of water goes into the kettle.
If you add hard water to your kettle, you’ll likely see large mineral deposits inside your kettle and these need to be cleaned away because they can hinder the inner workings of the vessel.
- If you are a frequent kettle user (for example, two-four cups on average a day) and you live in a hard water area, you should aim to clean your kettle on a monthly basis.
- If you are a frequent kettle user and you live in a soft water area, you should aim to clean your kettle every one to two months at a minimum.
- If you don’t use your kettle that much (for example, none-one cup on average a day), and you live in a hard water area, you should clean your kettle on a monthly basis.
- If you don’t use your kettle very much, and you live in a soft water area, you should aim to clean your kettle every two to three months.
Further to the above, if you see obvious limescale build-up between cleans, you will need to clean your kettle as soon as you can. The build-up of limescale can prevent the kettle from working correctly, namely, it may not boil water effectively and it could shorten the lifespan of the appliance.
Plus, your cuppa may taste funny and a bit of chalky limescale could be floating in your beverage – yucky!
So, it’s worth keeping the limescale at bay.
Alternatively, your handbook may tell you when to clean your kettle, regardless of how much use it has. In this case, it would be better to follow the advice in the handbook so you don’t void any warranty you may have.
As a rule, you should try and give the outside of your kettle a wipe-down on a weekly basis. This’ll just keep it looking fresh and free from food splatters.
Bethan has a passion for exploring, reading, cooking and gardening! When she’s not creating culinary delights for her family, she’s concocting potions to keep her house clean!
