How to Use Coke to Descale a Kettle
The basic science behind descaling any household appliance is that acid breaks down the calcium in limescale and causes it to fall away easily.
Some other household hacks involve using lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda to descale taps and kettles.
They all have their advantages but we think Coca-cola is the best option.
Lemon juice can be costly to find in bulk, especially in the cold UK.
Another factor of living in the UK is that a lot of us have very hard water, which creates a level of scale that baking powder just can’t quite cut through.
Vinegar can leave a lingering odour which isn’t very appetising when brewing up.
Cleaning with coke is cheap, can be bought in bulk and does a great job.
So we’re here to tell you how to descale a kettle with coke!
This post will also touch on how to descale a kettle with diet coke, and how to descale a kettle with Pepsi, as well as some kettle descaling FAQ’s.
For more advice on limescale and the best descaler, take a look at our post: What Is The Best Limescale Remover UK 2020
How to Descale a Kettle With Coca Cola
This Youtube video shows one woman’s success with using coke for cleaning a kettle.
We’ve all heard rumours about how wonderful cleaning with coke is, but did you know that it can also be used to descale your kettle?
Official descaling chemicals can be pricey, so why not opt for a ‘natural’ ingredient that works just as well!
Coca-Cola contains carbonic acid, which is really powerful when it comes to dissolving limescale.
The process for descaling a kettle with coke couldn’t be simpler:
- Fill your kettle with coca-cola and boil.
- Leave the hot kettle to stand for 30 minutes.
- Pour out the coke and use a scouring pad to scrub away any loose limescale.
- Boil your kettle again with plain water and repeat until the water runs clear with no scaly bits
How to Descale a Kettle With Diet Coke
Diet coke should work exactly the same as regular coke when it comes to cleaning.
The only difference in ingredients between coke and diet coke, as far as we’re aware, is the use of artificial sweeteners in diet coke as opposed to sugar.
The sugar in coke plays no part in why it’s so good for cleaning, so diet and regular cola can be used interchangeably.
How to Descale a Kettle With Pepsi
It turns out that Pepsi contains citric acid, while Coke doesn’t—and that’s the one single difference in ingredients between the two!
The minor traces of citric acid in Pepsi could mean that Pepsi cleans even better than coke!
If you’re on team Pepsi instead of team Coke, then the exact same process above can be repeated for your beverage of choice.
Descaling a Kettle FAQs
Does Coke remove limescale?
Coca-cola can be used for light limescale cleaning at normal temperatures but works best when boiled.
Coke is great for removing light limescale from toilet bowls when left overnight.
You can check out our post How To Clean A Very Stained Toilet Bowl for more bog cleaning hacks.
For any hard-wearing limescale, it won’t work miracles.
For those tough jobs, we recommend a strong descaler chemical product and a blunt knife or scratch-proof scourer.
Can you use baking powder to descale a kettle?
Baking powder is a mixture of baking soda and cream of tartar. The baking soda is good for cleaning but the cream of tartare adds no benefit.
There is, however, a lot of people who are advocates for cleaning limescale with bicarbonate of soda.
We prefer other methods to descaling a kettle with baking soda, but in a softer water area you might find it works perfectly well. It’s definitely worth a shot!
How to descale a kettle with baking soda:
- Fill the kettle to the fill line or wherever the scale goes up to, and add one or two teaspoons of baking soda.
- Boil the kettle and leave to sit for 30 minutes before scrubbing gently at the leftover scale.
- Boil the kettle again and rinse until all scale has gone and the water runs clear.
For more bicarbonate of soda cleaning tips and advice, check out our post How To Use Bicarbonate Of Soda For Cleaning.
What is the fastest way to descale a kettle?
The fastest way to descale a kettle is probably with vinegar – but it’s not the most pleasant if the kettle isn’t properly rinsed afterwards.
White vinegar is a mild acid that can dissolve limescale and calcium build-up inside our appliances and on taps.
- Fill the kettle with a 50:50 mixture of white vinegar and water and leave soak for an hour (don’t boil)
- After an hour, boil the kettle then leave to sit for 30 minutes to cool down
- Rinse the kettle and use a scourer or scrubbing brush to lift away any stubborn scale
- Repeat as necessary, altering the ratio of vinegar and water depending on the hardness of the limescale (add more vinegar if it’s really not budging)
- Thoroughly rinse the kettle and boil plain water until the vinegar smell goes away
If the smell of vinegar doesn’t shift, try boiling the kettle with lemon wedges or lemon juice.
How to Descale a Kettle With Coke – Final Thoughts
So there you have it!
Our Clean and Tidy Living Guide to descaling a kettle and cleaning with coke.
We hope that these tips have been helpful and your kettle is now looking as good as new.
Limescale can be a frustrating and costly problem to solve, so it’s nice to know there’s an affordable solution to the scaly problem.
These methods of limescale removal will work best if done when the problem starts to arise, as opposed to treating years of caked-on calcium.
Keep an eye on the inside of the kettle, and try not to boil the same water twice.
If you’ve enjoyed learning all about coca-cola and it’s weird and wonderful uses, you might enjoy some more of our cleaning tips and tricks below.
Related Cleaning Hacks and Organisation Advice:
- What Is The Best Limescale Remover UK 2020
- How To Use Bicarbonate Of Soda For Cleaning
- How To Clean A Fixed Shower Head Like A Pro
- How To Clean Gas Hob Burner Caps
- How To Clean A Very Stained Toilet Bowl
- Best Eco Friendly Cleaning Products In The UK