My wife was trying to clean our kettle
I said, it needs CLR
she asked what CLR is
I said Calcium Lime and Rust. There is also Lime-Away.
She put the CLR in there. Then she washed it out many times. All of the mineral deposits washed away. She rinsed it out with water many more times, and then eventually cleaned it with vinegar after rinsing it many times. At least, I think that’s how she cleaned it. She’s the kettle cleaner, I don’t know much about it, other than that CLR exists.
It was very clean for a few months.
We got a regular kettle after that
Nobody uses baking powder/soda? It’s how I used to clean my black tea thermos: baking powder, hot water on top (might foam iirc), let it stand for a few hours. Repeat if required.
Mixed with vinegar it’s even more potent.
BTW, CLR is the name of the prodcut, not its ingredients, which are a mix of acids.
Mixing soda and vinegar for cleaning is counterproductive. Use one after the other.
I wouldn’t imagine baking powder/soda would be terribly effective to dissolve calcium buildup in a kettle. I suppose it could work like a water softener exchanging calcium/sodium ions over time…
I haven’t thought to use baking soda for tea stain because it is so mild a base, but it just might work! I’ll have to give that and washing soda a try. I usually use oxiclean or denture cleanser.
Yes, there is also Lime-Away, which is a similar product. It stands for Lime, Calcium and Rust.