UK households urged to put lemon slices in kettles this week

Millions of people across the UK boil their kettle several times a day and many may notice some little annoying floating bits in their teas or coffees. While they might not be extremely harmful they don't look appetising and can put people off.

Luckily there is one easy way to deal with them and it involves a citrus fruit that's probably in your kitchen already. The advice came after one frustrated person posted on Reddit asking for help. They wrote: "What's the best way to remove limescale buildup in my kettle? Preferably food safe.

"So I have a kettle with the metal elements exposed in the bottom. The problem is it's getting lots of limescale buildup from the hard water.

"I can't scrub between the elements because there is no space to get my hand down there. It still works well but sometimes I am getting chunks of limescale in my tea that manages to get past the mesh filter.

"So I want to clean out the kettle but the only way I know how to remove limescale is with CLR and that is super poisonous so I don't want to use it in the kettle. Any tips on how to clean it out?"

Many users responded with tips,with one person saying: "I live in an area with extremely hard water so I've tried lots of different options. Vinegar works but then you have to clean the smell/taste of it out.

"I've found that slicing up a lemon and placing it in the kettle (rind and all) with a full amount of water and then boiling it like normal gets rid of any buildup just as well, with the added benefit of a nice lemon scent afterwards.

"The acid from the lemon breaks down the minerals enough that they come off in large flakes.

"All you have to do is pour it all out and rinse the inside. I do this routine about every other month and it keeps the minerals from building up badly."

Experts at Fantastic Cleaners agree. They say lemon is a natural and safe way to remove limescale because of its citric acid.

They advise slicing a lemon and putting it in the kettle with water, boiling it, then leaving it to sit for 20 to 30 minutes before rinsing.

According to Fantastic Cleaners, limescale builds up when hard water evaporates and leaves behind minerals like calcium and magnesium.

These leave a chalky white residue that can clog parts of the kettle and even flake off into your drink.

Vinegar is another common way to tackle the problem, but needs to be rinsed well afterwards to avoid smell and taste.

Coca-Cola is also sometimes used, as the acid can break down light limescale if left in the kettle for long enough.

For more tips on how to remove limescale, click here.