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Descaling citric acid: how to clean a washing machine and limescale in a kettle
Excellent whitening, cleaning and disinfecting properties – that’s what citric acid is prized for in the household. From scale, for cleaning dishes, for caring for washing machines, all these are options for its domestic use.
Limescale on the walls of the kettle, as well as on the heating element of a washing machine, is the deposition of salts contained in tap water. Salts settle on the surface, which over time leads to the destruction of the teapot enamel. For the same reason, premature wear of the heating element in the washing machine occurs.
You can extend the service life of kitchen utensils and household appliances by cleaning the scale with citric acid. The action of a substance is based on its chemical properties: by reacting with salts, the acid converts them into a soluble form and completely destroys them.
Teapot descaling citric acid
The process of descaling the walls of the kettle is simple:
- depending on the state of the enamel, take 30-50 g of citric acid;
- fill the kettle with cold water and add powder;
- boil water for 5 minutes;
- remove the container from the heat and lightly shake the water to make sure that all the scale has come off the walls;
- drain the dirty water and rinse the kettle thoroughly.
If necessary, the procedure can be repeated several times. Before using the kettle for its intended purpose, you need to boil it two more times and completely drain the clean water.
Citric acid for cleaning the washing machine
To rid the washing machine of limescale with citric acid, follow these steps:
- Pour 200 g of the substance into the compartment for washing powder;
- turn on the mode, which lasts 1,5-2 hours;
- leave the drum empty for such a “wash”;
- the temperature should be at least 80 degrees;
- when the washing process is over, peel back the edges of the sealing gum and remove the scale accumulated there;
- open the drain hatch and check for any scale particles.
Citric acid can be poured not only into the powder compartment, but also into the drum of the machine itself, this will not affect the quality of cleaning the heating element. For preventive purposes, 20 g of the substance can also be added to the powder when washing white linen.
Scale cleaning with citric acid has a number of advantages over other methods – the substance is effective even in the most advanced cases and is absolutely non-toxic. And using it when washing white linen will not only extend the life of the machine, but also whiten your favorite things even better.
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