Kettles have long been a staple kitchen appliance in many households, with many brands offering high-quality options to fit anyone’s needs. No matter the quality of your kettle, over time and with use, you may notice that your kettle has developed a smell. What is causing the smell, and is it still safe to drink from your kettle?
It is not uncommon for kettles to develop a strange smell after a period of use. Depending on the manufacturing of your kettle, a smell could be caused by chemicals reacting to your water. It could also be the result of a mineral buildup within the kettle. Cleaning the kettle with baking soda, lemon juice or vinegar should remove the smell.
The good news is, it is not too late to restore the quality of your kettle if it has begun to smell. There are a number of ways to remove the smell, as well as to prevent it from happening again. With continued care, your kettle can long outlast any brief odor issue.
Proper care is important to preserving the quality of your kettle and ensuring you pour a smooth-tasting cup of tea each time. Let’s discuss the best ways to clean and preserve your kettle.
Should You Clean a New Kettle Before Using It?
To begin, it is a good idea to clean your kettle before its first use. Upon opening the package, you may notice a plastic or chemical smell. There is an easy explanation for this, as well as an easy fix.
Manufacturers may use chemicals to coat the kettle as a rust preventative. This keeps the kettle in good shape while it awaits purchase on shelf, and can give off a noticeable odor when first removed from its package.
The appliance also may have collected dust and other particles if it had been stored at a warehouse prior to purchase. While the chemical preservative and dust aren’t harmful to consume, you will definitely notice an unpleasant taste if you do.
To ensure you don’t ingest any of these unintended additives, be sure to properly clean your kettle after removing it from the packaging.
How Should You Clean a New Kettle Before Using It?
Once you’ve brought your new kettle home, there are a few steps to properly clean your kettle before its first use.
First, clean your kettle using regular dishwashing soap and give it a good rinse. If you use an electric kettle, be sure not to wet any of the electrical components or submerge the kettle – simply wipe clean and rinse.
Second, once your kettle is dried, fill your kettle to the maximum water level and boil. Once the boil cycle is complete, discard the water. This water is not safe to drink, as it will contain any of the chemicals and dust that may have been present even after washing.
Third, you will need to repeat the boil cycle with a full kettle of water at least one more time. If your kettle had a chemical smell when removed from the package, continue to boil and discard water until the smell has dissipated.
Once your kettle has boiled and discarded at least a few cycles of water and there is no longer a chemical smell, it is safe to use for the first time.
What Can Be Used to Remove Smell From a Used Kettle?
If your kettle has already been used and has started to smell, you can clean in a similar way you would a new kettle, though with some extra cleaning agents. There are a few different options that will work equally well, depending on what you have on hand in your pantry. Any of these methods can be used to successfully remove smell from a used kettle.
Baking soda is typically found in most kitchens, and is a great cleaning agent. To clean your kettle with baking soda, first fill the kettle with water, and then add two tablespoons of baking soda. Bring to a boil, and then let the mixture sit overnight. Discard the mixture, and then wash regularly using dish soap.
Rinse well, and then boil and discard a kettle full of water. This should remove any buildup, as well as any baking soda. You can repeat the steps until the smell is gone.
If you don’t have baking soda on hand, or are reserving it for your baked goods, you can use vinegar as your cleaning agent instead. Fill your kettle half full with water, and then add vinegar to fill the remaining half. Boil, and then leave the mixture overnight.
Discard, wash with dish soap and rinse, and then boil another kettle full of water. Repeat these steps to remove any source of smell or foul taste.
Lastly, you can replace baking soda or vinegar with fresh lemon, as the citric acid will also act as a powerful cleaning agent. If you have a spare lemon, cut it into slices and add to your kettle. Fill to the max fill line with water, and boil.
Let the mixture sit for at least a half hour, then boil again. Discard the mixture, and rinse well. If the smell still lingers, repeat the process and clean with dishwashing soap.
How Often Should You Clean a Kettle?
After you’ve cleaned your kettle for the first time and begin to use it, it is important to maintain regular cleaning to prevent rust and mineral buildup.
Simply to maintain your kettle’s quality and ensure that it produces the freshest taste, hand wash using dishwashing soap after each use. This will act largely as a preventative measure to ensure that rust and other buildups don’t form.
While most don’t think to clean their kettle this often because it is brought to such high temperatures, this is a quick and easy way to significantly extend its life.
In addition to regular cleaning after each use, it is also wise to descale your kettle at least once a month if you have hard water, or every three months if you have soft water, to remove any buildup that may have formed despite your best efforts.
You can descale using any of the methods previously outlined, using baking soda, vinegar, or lemon. Even if your kettle doesn’t smell, these methods will ensure the inside of your kettle is squeaky clean.
Can You Leave Water in a Kettle?
It is not recommended to leave water in a kettle after boiling. This is because the minerals in hard water, magnesium and calcium, form a substance called limescale when evaporated. Limescale leaves behind a chalky residue; while it is not dangerous to consume, limescale can damage your kettle by causing erosion.
It is best to ensure you regularly empty and clean your kettle in order to prevent it from forming, but if it does, you can use the methods previously described to remove the limescale – a process commonly referred to as descaling.
Depending on the material of your kettle, standing water can also cause rust to form. While consuming rust in small amounts isn’t harmful, it is important to remove rust as soon as possible to avoid damage to your kettle.
You can clean your kettle using the descaling methods already discussed to remove any rust buildup.
Are There Other Ways to Maintain a Kettle?
In addition to regularly cleaning your kettle with dishwashing liquid and descaling every few months, there are a few additional ways to preserve your kettle.
Water is generally the cause of all damage to your kettle, whether it be limescale or rust. Hopefully you are cleaning regularly, but be sure not to skip an important step – properly drying out your kettle with a dish towel.
Leaving your kettle to air dry, particularly if closed, will leave water residue that can be damaging. Additionally, you can store your kettle with a paper towel inside, if you live in a particularly damp environment, to absorb any moisture.
Although the inside of the kettle is generally the focus of your cleaning, make sure to also clean the outside of your kettle to keep it in good condition. As most people keep their kettle either on top of their counter or on their stove, kettles can be particularly susceptible to grease and other potentially damaging grime.
In summary, kettles can last for quite a long time when properly cared for – make sure to regularly clean and descale to enjoy yours for years to come.