Is it safe to use a tea kettle with black dots on the bottom?

Is it safe to use a tea kettle with black dots on the bottom? - Close-up of Black Teapot

My tea kettle has a bunch of black dots all over the inside bottom part of it. I tried washing it and using a scrub sponge to scrub it off but it won't come off. Is it safe to continue using it or am I drinking stuff that's leaching from the kettle?

To better describe this, the black dots are small dots, like if you used a pen to "dot" a piece of paper. The dots are only on the inside of the kettle, the part that touches the water. It doesn't show up on the outside bottom of the kettle. The dots are all over the bottom, there's no one part where it clusters up.

I highly doubt it's mold. It could be rust but I'd think (but have been wrong many times) it would have scrubbed off with the scrub sponge. Thanks in advance for your help.

EDIT: Newly attached picture below enter image description here

food-safetyequipmenttea


Best Answer

Those are mineral deposits. You can remove them with either vinegar or citric acid. Personally, I use citric acid:

  1. Fill the kettle with some water.
  2. Heat the water (doesn't need to boil).
  3. Sprinkle a little citric acid in (use food-grade, also sometimes called "sour salt").
  4. Let it sit for a few minutes.
  5. The spots should vanish.
  6. Dump the water out, rinse it a few times.

Works about the same with distilled vinegar, except you'll want some ventilation when you heat the vinegar (again, not to a boil), as the acetic acid vaporizes.

The heating isn't actually required for either approach, it just speeds the process up.



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Quick Answer about "Is it safe to use a tea kettle with black dots on the bottom?"

In any case it's perfectly safe to use the kettle. Once any microdeposit is formed, it becomes a ... whatever the opposite of a nucleation point is, so bubbles are more likely to form there. Then, when those bubbles do form, their mineral deposit will be left in the same place, and the dot will grow.

How do I remove black spots from my kettle?

For a deep clean: If you're dealing with both mineral deposits and rust stains, combine 2 tablespoons baking soda, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and water in the kettle. Boil for 30 minutes, making sure that there's always water in the kettle. Let cool, then rinse thoroughly and dry.

Can tea kettles get moldy?

Mold: If your kettle has a filter, you need to clean or change it frequently. Otherwise, the damp interior is the perfect place for mold to grow and thrive. This can also happen if you leave water in your kettle often.

What is the brown stuff at the bottom of my kettle?

What are those brown-coloured stains inside an electric kettle that looks like rust? They are called "limescale" and is formed as a result of boiling water. Limescale is mainly comprised of calcium carbonate and the amount is ultra-little and harmless to the body.

Can you get metal poisoning from a kettle?

Copper Kettles: Are not recommended as copper can also be highly damaging to the brain. Copper can be toxic if leached from copper kettles through boiling. Kettles with a copper bottom for contact with the burner are fine, but you don't want the inside of the pot to be made out of copper.


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More answers regarding is it safe to use a tea kettle with black dots on the bottom?

Answer 2

You aren't going to get mold on it unless you've been using your kettle for something other than boiling water. Mold needs something to eat, there's nothing in a kettle for it to feed on.

The dots you see are likely discoloration due to mineral deposits in your water. You'll probably find that the dots are occurring where the air bubbles form as the water heats. I'm not sure what the exact mechanism is but it's a combination of the heat, minerals, and the air bubbles which causes the dots to form. I don't think you can get rid of them although you could try to de-scale it. In any case it's perfectly safe to use the kettle.

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Pixabay, Monstera, Andrea Piacquadio, Andrea Piacquadio

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