The Quickest Kettle Cleaning Hack You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner (Plus How to Descale Your Coffee Machine Too)

Are you tired of scrubbing away at your kettle, trying to get rid of those stubborn limescale deposits?

Well, worry no more, as home hack expert Anita Birges has shared a game-changing cleaning hack that will revolutionise the way you clean your kettle – and it requires almost no effort.

In an Instagram post, Birges, known for her expertise in home organisation, revealed what she calls the “quickest kettle cleaning hack ever.” And believe us, it’s as simple as it gets.

All you need are two denture tablets, readily available at your local supermarket for about $3.50, and some water. That’s it!

Here’s how it works:

• Fill up your kettle with 4 cups/1 litre of water.
• Drop in 2 denture tablets.
• Turn on the kettle and wait for it to boil.
• Finally, rinse out the kettle.

No scrubbing, no harsh chemicals, and no hassle. Just pure cleaning magic!

The response from fellow users on Instagram has been overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the simplicity and effectiveness of the hack.

Birges isn’t the only one to wow her followers with a clever kettle cleaning hack. Fellow home hack queen Carolina McCauley also shared her genius method for giving the kitchen kettle a deep clean with minimal effort. McCauley’s version involves pouring a cup of vinegar and a cup of water into the kettle and allowing the combination to soak for 30 minutes, before boiling the mixture and rinsing the kettle out. Her followers were left astounded by how effective the simple cleaning hack was in leaving the kettle “clean and shiny.”

What about your coffee machine?

If a kettle isn’t the only appliance boiling away in your kitchen each morning, it’s worth knowing that coffee machines need exactly the same kind of attention – and by 2026, there’s a good chance you’ve got one on the bench. Whether it’s a drip machine, a pod machine, or a proper espresso set-up, mineral buildup from your water supply happens inside coffee machines just as it does inside kettles, and the signs are easy to miss until your coffee starts tasting a little off.

Signs your coffee machine needs descaling

• Coffee that tastes flat, bitter, or “off,” even with fresh beans
• The machine running louder than usual, or brewing more slowly
• Visible white, chalky residue inside the water reservoir
• Coffee coming out cooler than it used to

How to descale it

Most machines need a proper descaling solution run through the internal system, not just a soak, since the mineral buildup happens inside the boiler and tubing, not just the visible parts.

1. Remove any coffee grounds, pods, filters or removable water filters, and empty the water reservoir.
2. Check your machine’s manual first — many machines have a dedicated “descale” or “clean” setting, and some manufacturers specifically advise against vinegar for certain internal components.
3. If using citric acid (generally the preferred option — it’s odourless, gentle on seals, and rinses clean quickly), dissolve around 2 tablespoons of citric acid powder into a full reservoir of water.
4. If using vinegar instead, mix a roughly 1:1 solution of white vinegar and water for a heavy clean.
5. Run the solution through a full brew or descale cycle. For a deeper clean, pause the machine partway through and let the solution sit for 15–30 minutes before finishing the cycle.
6. Empty the machine, then run 2–3 full cycles with plain, fresh water to completely flush out any remaining solution and taste.
7. Hand wash any removable parts, like the carafe or brew basket, with warm soapy water.

As a general rule of thumb, aim to descale your coffee machine roughly once a month, or more often if you live in an area with hard water. It’s a small bit of regular maintenance that keeps your coffee tasting the way it should, and helps your machine last considerably longer.