How to Remove Rust From Electric Kettle?

An electric kettle is one of the most helpful kitchen appliances we have in our kitchen. You can easily make tea, coffee or even hot chocolate with it.

It is essential to clean the kettle regularly to avoid any kind of problem like rusting or other things.

This article highlights everything you need to know about removing rust from the electric kettle and cleaning it.

How is the Rust Formed in an Electric Kettle?

Rust is formed in electric kettles when it’s exposed to moisture.

It’s usually a problem with the kettle’s internal water reservoir, or in the worst-case scenario, the entire kettle can rust out.

The rust starts to form when metal reacts with oxygen in the air, making a small iron oxide deposit on the inside surface.

The process is called oxidation. If you don’t want your kettle to rust, you should not leave it alone while heating up or boiling.

Top 5 Ways to Remove Rust From an Electric Kettle

There are many ways to remove rust from an electric kettle. Here are the top 5 of them.

Vinegar Is the Top Choice

Acetic acid is a solution of vinegar in water. When water is added to vinegar, it will react with the vinegar and create acetic acid.

This acid can help to clean any metallic object, including a kettle. It reacts and breaks down the oxide layer, leaving it iron-free and clean.

Baking Soda

This is one of the best kitchen hacks! When it comes to getting rid of rust on your kitchen appliances, you don’t need a lot of expensive chemicals to do it.

All you need is baking soda! Baking soda is an ingredient that has a pH of 9.

That’s high enough to break down most acids and alkalies in your kitchen and neutralize the residue they leave behind.

In this case, your electric kettle had to be neutralized after using some acid to clean it, so baking soda is the way to go!

Lemon

Lemon is a natural bleaching agent that can be used to clean up stains.

You can also mix some lemon juice with baking soda and pour it into an electric kettle. Let it sit overnight to loosen any food particles or minerals stuck to the inside of the kettle.

Scrub with a brush or scrubber pad, and then rinse with water.

In a way, lemon does the same thing that steel wool does – it removes the oxidation and rust from the kettle.

However, lemon is much gentler. Steel wool can be abrasive.

Lemon also has citric acid, which is very good for dissolving metals.

It also has high levels of vitamin C and citric acid, which are both used for cleaning and preventing the formation of rust.

Coke

Coke is a metal-based carbonate that removes rust and other corrosive substances from metals.

It dissolves the oxidized iron and aluminum on the outside of the kettle so that it can be washed off with water.

It is easy to remove the rust using a little coke. Put some coke into the kettle with water and light the burner.

The coke will burn and form carbon dioxide gas, pushing the carbon out of the kettle, thus removing the rust.

You Can Also Go for a Commercial Product

In the commercial products made specifically for this purpose, there are many chemical ingredients used to remove rust from the kettle.

Sandpaper

Sandpaper is beneficial material. It is used for polishing and smoothing many things. We use it in removing stains from many things like cars, furniture, etc.

However, one does not often think about using it to clean an electric kettle. But, it can be done.

Sandpaper has two essential qualities that make it helpful for this purpose.

First, it removes material quickly without damaging the metal, and second, it works in reverse to rust.

The water inside the kettle corrodes and eventually rusts the surface of the kettle. The sandpaper works like rust.

Can the Kettle’s Rust be Dangerous to Your Health?

It’s not dangerous, but it can be annoying. The bad news is that rust appears in all aluminum items, including kettles and coffee pots.

When you use a kettle or coffee pot, the aluminum inside will react with water and oxygen in the air, creating an acidic substance called acid rain.

This makes your coffee taste awful. Although rust is a real danger to your car or your boat, it’s not bad for you.

However, it is not a health hazard until consumed in small amounts.

Hence, if you don’t remove the rust from the electric mettle and continue consuming it, it can lead to health problems.

How to Prevent Your Kettle From Rusting?

If you want to avoid the hassle of removing rust from your electric kettle, it is best to prevent it from happening.

Here are some ways to prevent your kettle from rusting.

Store the Electric Kettle Appropriately

When you store a metal object like an electric kettle outside in any damp place, it will become rusty.

However, if you store it inside a metal container or put it in an airtight container, it will prevent rusting.

The best way to store an electric kettle is to keep it in a not too hot or too cold place.

It should be stored in a dry, cool, dark place. When keeping an electric kettle, you should only put things in the kettle that can be cleaned easily.

Clean the Electric Kettle Correctly After Every Use

If the inside surface of the kettle is not cleaned, it will be easy to get rusty due to the accumulation of rust on the inside surface of the kettle.

To clean the inside surface of the kettle, you can use a soft cloth or a brush and remove the rust after using it.

You can clean the electric kettle with a sponge soaked in vinegar and water. This is very effective.

Another way to clean it is to turn off the switch, fill the kettle with water, and let it boil for 2-3 minutes.

Then, turn the switch back on and let it simmer for a few more minutes. This will help remove the minerals that make the kettle rust.

You can also clean the kettle well with soap and warm water. It also needs to be dried well after washing.

Unplug and Disassemble the Electric Kettle

It is not necessary to unplug or take off the kettle when cleaning it. But when storing it, you should open and disassemble it.

You can prevent rusting by covering the electric kettle with a plastic bag and then sealing the plastic bag. And you can do that appropriately by disassembling it.

Clean the Exterior of the Kettle

There is a thin layer of zinc on the exterior of the kettle. This prevents the interior from rusting. If the zinc coating becomes worn down, the metal starts to oxidize and rust.

You can prevent the wearing down of the zinc layer by cleaning it gently. Hence, it is vital to clean the exterior of the electric kettle.

Conclusion

Rust is not something you want to see when you are about to use your electric kettle. Hence, it is best to remove rust from your electric kettle.