If you've ever boiled the kettle to pour yourself a cuppa, only to be met with a layer of scum on your first sip, than your appliance may be full of limescale.
The calcium carbonate found in water hardens each time you turn the kettle on, which means it needs to be regularly descaled. While there are a number of single use products for sale that claim to strip the hard substance, there are also a number of ingredients that can do the same - and you likely already have them in your cupboard.
According to Mrs Hinch fans, boiling a solution of vinegar and water will descale your kettle in little time. Descaling involves filling your it with the cleaner of your choice with water and boiling it multiple times to get rid of the residue.
Followers of cleaning influencer Sophie Hinchcliffe shared the method after one member had little luck with lemon juice, which has been hailed as an effective natural cleaner.
Posting in the Mrs Hinch Cleaning Tips Facebook page, Susie Hargreaves asked: Ok… I keep seeing posts about using lemon slices in the kettle to descale? I’ve tried this now twice and it doesn’t work.
"Anybody else had any luck descaling their kettle with lemon and water?"
The post quickly flooded with comments, with the majority recommending to use vinegar in place of the citrus fruit as it has a higher acid content and is more astringent.
One member spurred the suggestion by first writing: "White vinegar...yes it stinks the kitchen out for a short while but most effective way of descaling a kettle...done mine yesterday. Takes no time at all."
Explaining how they use the highly acidic condiment, another commented: "I use vinegar about a quarter full boil it with lid open. Be ready to switch off if it risks spilling over.
"Try to let it boil for about 30 seconds. Empty, fill with clean water and boil, might need two clean water boils."
While a third penned: "White vinegar I use it all the time just remember to boil the kettle a few times and then boil it again with clean water to get rid of smell and taste."
Vinegar isn't only good for fish and chips - it has been recommended by cleaning enthusiasts countless times to clean different surfaces and home appliances. A 500ml bottle of distilled vinegar can be bought for just 29p at Tesco.
We recently tested the liquid by using it to clean an entire washing machine, that had not been touched for at least two years. The vinegar in partner with baking soda proved to be extremely effective in tackling built up mould grime and pungent,damp smells.
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