How to descale kettle: 99p household item is the ‘easiest’ method to ‘descale’ your kettle

Limescale may seem harmless enough but it can quickly build up inside kettles, boilers, shower heads and pipes. The hard, chalky deposit is mainly made from calcium carbonate but other minerals can be present.

Limescale usually builds in hard water areas and gets thicker as the calcium develops.

While limescale is usually white, it can be reddish-brown or yellow depending on if there's a high iron content in the water or where the limescale is found.

Limescale can also impact the efficiency of appliances like kettles.

The element inside the kettle can become less efficient which means it takes longer to heat up, reducing the kettle's lifespan.

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With this in mind, Sue Caldwell, the managing director of the multi-award-winning, eco-friendly cleaning brand Clean Living International, has shared an eco-cleaning hack to remove limescale from kettles.

She exclusively told Express.co.uk: "An easy way to descale your kettle is to fill it with half water and half distilled white vinegar and pop it on to boil.

"Once it has boiled, pour all of the solution out, fill it with just water and boil again.

"Repeat this until any lingering vinegar has been removed."

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Most households have white vinegar but for those who don't, it can be bought online or from most local supermarkets or hardware stores.

Wilko Original White Vinegar costs £1.25 for one litre and Stardrops White Vinegar Multi-Purpose Cleaning Spray costs 99p from Asda.

Dri-pak clean and natural white vinegar costs £2 from B&Q.

Those living in a hard water area are usually aware if they have a problem.

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However, those who are unsure can test if they have hard or soft water easily.

Simply put a small amount of soap into a bottle and fill it halfway with water.

Next, shake the bottle vigorously to allow the soap and water to lather up.

If the water is frothy and bubbly, it's likely you have soft water.

If the water has dull bubbles and is cloudy with soap, it's likely you have hard water.

Those in hard water areas can buy a test kit which checks the exact hardness of the water, according to Hague Quality Water International.

Hard water can also impact the efficiency of coffee machines, dishwashers, washing machines and irons.