Descaler or vinegar?

Descaler or vinegar for a kettle?

Either works in a kettle. Morphy Richards' vinegar method is half fresh water and half white vinegar, brought to the boil and left for 20 to 30 minutes, then emptied and rinsed out thoroughly. Swan suggests rinsing two to three times so the vinegar is completely gone, and Russell Hobbs warns that vinegar leaves quite a strong smell in the house.

A sachet descaler skips the smell. The pick below is citric acid: half fill the kettle, boil it, unplug it, add one sachet and leave it for 30 minutes, its listing says. Morphy Richards suggests descaling once a month where the water is very hard and every three months where it is moderately hard.

Descaler or vinegar for a coffee machine?

Use the descaler the machine's maker names, not vinegar. Nespresso says home remedies such as vinegar, citric acid or baking powder are not recommended for its Original and Vertuo machines, and that they should be descaled every three to four months or every 300 capsules, whichever comes first, in soft or hard water areas alike.

De'Longhi says the same for its Dedica machines: use the De'Longhi descaler only, because an unsuitable descaler, or descaling done incorrectly, may cause faults the manufacturer's warranty does not cover. Other brands set their own rules, so the machine's manual is the place to check before reaching for the vinegar bottle.

Can you use vinegar in a dishwasher or washing machine?

Only now and then, and diluted. Lakeland's laundry buyer says vinegar is best used occasionally and diluted in a washing machine, and that it is not ideal for cleaning rubber seals regularly because it can wear them down over time. LG's dishwasher guide says frequent use of high-concentration acid can damage rubber seals, and prefers a purpose-made dishwasher cleaner or the machine's own cleaning cycle.

Steam irons are stricter still. Lakeland's iron manual says never to put vinegar or other descaling agents in the water tank, and Russell Hobbs' steam station manual says no descaling products, vinegar included, because they can damage the appliance. Follow your own iron's manual.

Is limescale harmful?

No, not in the small amounts a kettle collects. Morphy Richards says limescale itself, in small quantities, is not going to do any harm to your health, and gives taste, slower boiling and a shorter kettle life as the reasons to descale.