How to remove odor from an electric kettle

An electric kettle is a device that is used by a person every day at least several times a day. In order for drinking water to bring health benefits and tea drinking to be enjoyable, it is important that no foreign odors come from the kettle. This can happen when purchasing a new device, as well as due to improper operation or poor quality of the water used. What causes unpleasant odors and what proven methods of elimination exist?

Reasons for the appearance of an unpleasant odor in an electric kettle

New electrical equipment may smell from the materials or auxiliary substances used in production. Usually it is possible to get rid of odors after several boiling procedures.

The smell of plastic in a new kettle is a consequence of the following factors:

• residues of technical oil after production;
• the smell of the packaging materials in which the goods were located;
• paint that has not completely weathered, if the product contains painted parts;
• the manufacturer's use of cheap dyes or plasticizers in the plastic composition.

IMPORTANT! If you notice a too pungent chemical smell even before purchasing a new device, it is better to pay attention to other models. Typically, such low-quality plastic materials are used in cheap, short-lived equipment.

The appearance of odors during operation of the device can occur for several reasons:

• accumulation of old water - when the internal tank is not washed and the remaining contents are not drained from it;
• problems with the plumbing or contamination of the cleaning filters - if the water is initially of low quality;
• ingress of foreign substances or odors from the environment.

How to remove plastic smell from a kettle in different ways

Manufacturers recommend that after purchasing a new kettle, be sure to boil it several times, draining and refilling each time. This is required in order to clean the device from residues of production substances that come with new material and equipment at the factory.

What to do if the smell does not go away with normal boiling? In this case, you can use some popular folk remedies.

ATTENTION! When choosing a specific method, pay attention to its safety. It is preferable to use products that are not harmful to health (citric acid, soda, bay leaf) so that their possible entry into drinking water does not cause poisoning.

Let's look at the most effective methods of combating odors.

Lemon acid

The most environmentally friendly way to clean and remove odors is to use lemon or its derivatives. Dissolve 3 tbsp in a teapot. l. citric acid (50 g). You can replace it with lemon juice. You can also use lemon peels: boil water with the peels and leave to steep, rinse after a few hours.

Bay leaf

Pour water into the kettle and add 10 bay leaves (half a bag). Boil and leave for a couple of hours. Then boil again, rinse and can be used to boil drinking water.

Baking soda

Fill the kettle and dissolve 3-4 tbsp. l. regular soda. Bring to a boil and drain the resulting solution. If necessary, you can repeat the procedure. After the smell has disappeared, rinse the kettle.

Acetic acid

Add 2 tbsp to the water. l. acetic acid or 100–150 ml of table vinegar. Heat the kettle without bringing it to a boil (otherwise the bubbling acid solution will spill out). After using acid, be sure to thoroughly rinse the inside of the tank and leave it to air until the vinegar smell goes away.

Carbonated drinks

To remove the plastic smell, you can simply boil Sprite or Cola in a new kettle several times instead of water. They contain orthophosphoric acid (and the first also contains citric acid), which not only eliminates odors, but also perfectly cleanses.

Fill the drink to the maximum permissible level, after boiling, drain and rinse.

Detergents

You can add a few drops of any cleaning solution when boiling, the main thing is. For example, powder or dishwashing liquid. After using foreign substances, it is important to rinse everything thoroughly to prevent chemicals from getting into your drink.

IMPORTANT! If an unpleasant odor remains even after all of the above procedures, the manufacturer may have used cheap toxic plastic for production; using such a kettle can be harmful to health.

How to remove musty smell from a kettle

To get rid of the mustiness that has appeared in the kettle, just rinse it and perform the following sequence of actions:

1. Place 2-3 tbsp on the bottom of the device. l. sugar or a few pieces of refined sugar. Leave for 12 hours. Thanks to this, all the unpleasant odor will be absorbed.
2. Pour water and add a small amount of citric acid. Bring the resulting solution to a boil.
3. Rinse the kettle and leave it open until all odors disappear.

In the future, try to ensure that the stagnant water does not go rotten. To do this, drain unused residues more often and add new fresh water to boil. If you need to brew just one cup of tea, simply fill the kettle to the minimum level.

In case of prolonged absence, drain the remaining liquid from the device to prevent it from stagnating.

REFERENCE! On average, drinking boiled water remains fresh for no more than a day, and repeated boiling makes it no longer as tasty and healthy.

If the problem is initially in the quality of the water itself, you should change the filter in the purification system or look for the problem in the water supply itself. If it is impossible to improve the quality of tap water, you can order or purchase already purified safe drinking water in the store. By following all the recommendations for caring for an electric kettle and using high-quality water, you can avoid any unpleasant odors in the future.