You've just bought a new but used tea kettle, what should you do (as far as cleaning it out) before using it to make tea?

[FunkyMonkee]

[Aubrey97]

Unless there is some visible grime or mineral deposits inside it, I should think just bringing water to a boil should be hot enough to kill off the little non-visible bacteria and then dump it out and make tea with the second batch. If you can see stuff in there, the AI bot's vinegar suggestion of course will break all that up nicely.

[FunkyMonkee]

The problem is, FINDING white vinegar.

[purplepoppy]

There's lots of kettle descaling products on the market. But with old copper kettles I'd be checking the tin lining is still intact. Might actually be safer to leave the scale in place.

Make a cup of tea and look at the surface in the cup. If it's scummy then your kettle needs cleaned or your tap waters dodgy.

[FunkyMonkee]

The water's been perfectly fine up to now!
There's no scaling, just a bit of green on the copper bottom.

[exitseven]

I have used something called CLR to clean metal objects that have mineral deposits on them. I would use that first and then clean it good with detergent. Rinse it out and than make some tea.

[FunkyMonkee]

So far, it looks pretty good inside. A few patches of green on the outside on the copper bottom but that'll come off with Ajax and steel wool.

[exitseven]

thst works too.

[AviatorTom]

I boil a full pot of water, with a touch of salt in it, them dump all the water out and let the tea kettle dry out for at least a day before using it to boil water for tea.

[FunkyMonkee]

That could happen.

[AI Opinion]

When you acquire a used tea kettle, a good cleaning is essential before use. Start by rinsing it with hot water, which helps to remove any immediate surface dust or residue. Next, create a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar and fill the kettle halfway. Bring this solution to a boil to help break down any mineral deposits or lingering impurities. After boiling, discard the solution and rinse thoroughly to ensure there is no vinegar taste left behind. Your kettle is now ready for brewing, and you can enjoy your tea confidently! 🍵

[beenherebefore]

I would probably add some limescale soap, wash it properly with dishwasher and a sponge and then boil 1L of water before actually using it.

[jahaims]

It's a container that holds boiling water it would be hard to get it dirty. After you boil the water just let it dry out when you are done.

[FunkyMonkee]

Unless someone poured something into it that wasn't very healthy.