Generally speaking, stainless steel tea kettles are highly durable and easy to clean. However, their exterior surfaces and bases will gradually lose their natural shine and, inevitably, accrue a layer of burnt residue that is both visually unappealing and a pain in the butt to clean.
While these burn stains won’t likely prevent you from continuing to use your stainless steel tea kettle, they look bad enough that you are going to want to clean them off as soon as possible.
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How Do You Clean The Outside Of A Burnt Tea Kettle?
To clean the outside of a burnt tea kettle it takes some effort. You will need to make a thick paste out of a couple of common household products, baking soda, and vinegar.
The paste needs to be thoroughly applied to any of the blackened, burnt spots and left to work its magic for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Afterward, simply scrub the burnt spots to remove the sticky residue, and then rinse with fresh, clean water.
Depending on the severity of the burn marks, you may have to scrub more vigorously or repeat the process a few times.
How To Clean A Stainless Steel Tea Kettle – Step By Step
Many people give up quickly when attempting to clean the outside of a burnt tea kettle. However, by following the step-by-step guide below you will be able to clean your stainless steel tea kettle without spending much money and with very little fuss.
Before we start, here is what you will need:
- Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate
- Distilled white vinegar
- Water
- Steel wool pad or bristled brush
The first step is to wash the tea kettle clean with fresh water, making sure to scrub away any leftover residues from both the interior and exterior. Regular dish soap is fine, make sure that all leftover bits are removed.
Next, you must dissolve about 1 cup of baking soda into about 1 cup of vinegar. Make sure to stir well until you have made a thick cleaning paste that can be easily spread.
Now you must spread the paste around, making sure to cover all of the blackened buildup and burnt areas. Let the paste solution rest and work its cleaning magic for at least 20 minutes. The longer you let the baking soda and vinegar paste work, the more profound the cleansing effect it will have.
Once the paste has had enough time to dissolve the burnt bits, take a steel wool pad dipped in vinegar and start scrubbing at all of the caked-in burnt bits. The darker the stains, the more vigorously you may need to scrub.
Then wipe down any leftover paste with clean water and a damp sponge or cloth.
Baking soda and vinegar are a winning combination. This is because vinegar and baking soda, an acid and a base respectively, react on a molecular level to dissolve any burnt residue, as well as dirt, grease, and other organic compounds commonly found in kitchens.
You can use this same mix of baking soda and vinegar to clean a variety of things around your household, kitchen, and even bathrooms.
How To Prevent Your Stainless Steel Kettle From Burning In The First Place
Preventing the appearance of burnt areas on your tea kettle requires understanding why these marks develop in the first place.
Burns and scorch markings appear on the bottom and sides of your tea kettle, as well as other types of cookware, because oil and greasy residues commonly found throughout kitchens and stovetops, accumulate on the stainless steel surface and burn into the metal.
Another factor that promotes the appearance of unsightly burn marks on tea kettles is the presence of hard water. Hard water is rich in a variety of minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, which adhere to the surface of the kettle where they burn under the intense heat of the boiling process.
Therefore, in order to prevent the appearance of these burnt remains, you need to concentrate on temperature control. Make sure to monitor the amount of heat that is hitting your tea kettle. Additionally, you need to keep your stainless steel kettle as clean as possible during use to avoid any spills from burning under direct or indirect heat.
