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Original poster

Anxious after descaling kettle

69 replies

Anxioustealady · 25/02/2024 22:32

Hi everyone,

I get anxious about my health so please let me know if I'm being ridiculous.

I used oust descaler for dishwashers/washing machines in my kettle earlier. I boiled water and rinsed it out 5 times, checked it wasn't fizzing anymore, but I can still taste the cleaner after using it a few more times.

Have I accidentally poisoned myself by using the large appliance version or is this normal? What would happen anyway if you did ingest oust?

Thanks everyone

OP posts:
Agapornis · 26/02/2024 01:00

You don't need to boil white vinegar. Just leave it for an hour or so. No fumes. All limescale will have dissolved. Use a funnel to pour it back in the bottle and you can reuse it next time. £1 for a 1l bottle from the eastern European cornershop. 10% vinegar works better than 5%.

MyrrAgain · 25/02/2024 23:43

Unfortunately you don't get to dictate what I do and don't read, or what I write. Welcome to AIBU.

Original poster
Anxioustealady · 25/02/2024 23:41

MyrrAgain · 25/02/2024 23:37

These people posted on and on and on despite hundreds of reassuring responses. Reassurance fuels anxiety. So actually it's in your best interests to stop now love.

Show quote history

There's no need to patronisingly call someone love. You didn't need to click onto the thread, it's obvious what it was about.

Thanks to everyone else who has been polite and kind

OP posts:
MyrrAgain · 25/02/2024 23:37

Anxioustealady · 25/02/2024 23:34

No, first post ever.

It must be really fun not having anxiety, you're really lucky. Thanks.

Show quote history

These people posted on and on and on despite hundreds of reassuring responses. Reassurance fuels anxiety. So actually it's in your best interests to stop now love.

Cookerhood · 25/02/2024 23:35

Oust is citric acid

Original poster
Anxioustealady · 25/02/2024 23:34

MyrrAgain · 25/02/2024 23:29

Hope this isn't the cold sore and painkiller lady back again....
You're fine.

No, first post ever.

It must be really fun not having anxiety, you're really lucky. Thanks.

OP posts:
aliceinanwonderland · 25/02/2024 23:31

Anxioustealady · 25/02/2024 23:23

Thank you, I'll do that from now on

Show quote history

To be honest when I boiled the vinegar it created loads of fumes. Neat unboiled works just as well

aliceinanwonderland · 25/02/2024 23:30

Anxioustealady · 25/02/2024 22:41

I've descaled it before, just not with the big appliance one, maybe it's stronger? I think I'll just use vinegar from now on so I don't worry afterwards 😅

Show quote history

Yes white vinegar overnight works wonders! You can get large bottles of it online

MyrrAgain · 25/02/2024 23:29

Hope this isn't the cold sore and painkiller lady back again....
You're fine.

RogueFemale · 25/02/2024 23:27

Another vote for citric acid.

Original poster
Anxioustealady · 25/02/2024 23:23

Delphina17 · 25/02/2024 23:19

I'm sure you'll be fine, but can recommend using vinegar instead. Only costs 30p if you buy the cheap supermarket brand. Use the full bottle, boil and leave it for 30 mins. Then fill the kettle with water, leave it overnight and change the water in the morning. This gets rid of the vinegar taste completely (and works better than rinsing).

Thank you, I'll do that from now on

OP posts:
Delphina17 · 25/02/2024 23:19

I'm sure you'll be fine, but can recommend using vinegar instead. Only costs 30p if you buy the cheap supermarket brand. Use the full bottle, boil and leave it for 30 mins. Then fill the kettle with water, leave it overnight and change the water in the morning. This gets rid of the vinegar taste completely (and works better than rinsing).

Original poster
Anxioustealady · 25/02/2024 23:15

Healthyhappymama · 25/02/2024 23:09

I'd boil over a few times more. Next time use something natural like white vinger, then rinse out

Yeah I will do, thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
Anxioustealady · 25/02/2024 23:15

CousinGreg55 · 25/02/2024 23:07

Sorry I didn't realise there was another version of oust for dishwasher. I use the all purpose one. What does the packet say about kettles?

It doesn't say anything about kettles. I used it thinking it would just be the same product but then because it still smells like the product in the kettle I started worrying

OP posts:
Healthyhappymama · 25/02/2024 23:09

I'd boil over a few times more. Next time use something natural like white vinger, then rinse out

CousinGreg55 · 25/02/2024 23:07

Sorry I didn't realise there was another version of oust for dishwasher. I use the all purpose one. What does the packet say about kettles?

Original poster
Anxioustealady · 25/02/2024 23:05

YesThatsATurdOnTheRug · 25/02/2024 23:02

My husband once didn't realised I'd been descaling the kettle and made me tea with it. I had a whole gulp. Disgusting but I survived!!

Glad you were OK and good to know 👍 thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
Anxioustealady · 25/02/2024 23:04

MalteserGeezee · 25/02/2024 22:56

A quick way to check all the cleaning fluid has gone from the kettle -- boil water as usual and pour into a cup. Add milk. If the milk immediately curdles, there's still solution in the machine and you need to rinse through again

Cool tip, thanks. No reaction at all 👍 but I have had to give some milk to the cat lol

Love a science experiment at 11pm on a Sunday 😄

OP posts:
YesThatsATurdOnTheRug · 25/02/2024 23:02

My husband once didn't realised I'd been descaling the kettle and made me tea with it. I had a whole gulp. Disgusting but I survived!!

MalteserGeezee · 25/02/2024 22:56

A quick way to check all the cleaning fluid has gone from the kettle -- boil water as usual and pour into a cup. Add milk. If the milk immediately curdles, there's still solution in the machine and you need to rinse through again

Original poster
Anxioustealady · 25/02/2024 22:55

HowDoWeDoThisPlease · 25/02/2024 22:51

I think the one made for dishwashers contains a perfume as well as the actual active ingredient op, so it’s probably just that lingering a bit too much (I’ve used a dishwasher cleaner once that had a really strong smell and I could taste it on my dishes for the first few washes after using it).

You might be right, it smells so strongly its just hard to believe it's not still in there. Thank you

OP posts:
scorpiogirly · 25/02/2024 22:55

Get some citric acid, I use this to descale the kettle.

Original poster
Anxioustealady · 25/02/2024 22:53

TenThousandSpoons · 25/02/2024 22:48

Ah op this is the sort of thing I get worried about too and convince myself I can still taste the oust afterwards.
Still here to tell the tale so it must be ok.

interested in the vinegar method tho, what do you do? Boil it with vinegar in or just leave it sitting in the kettle for a bit?

Thanks for understanding, I've got visions of my teeth been worn away in the morning etc. I feel fine so far.

I've done it with vinegar before and I used it the way you'd use descaler, so I boiled some water, then added white vinegar, let it sit, and put it back onto boil if there's lots of limescale. It worked pretty well, but watch it when boiling it because it quickly bubbles up.

OP posts:
newnamethanks · 25/02/2024 22:53

I don't know what Oust is. I use Citric Acid. It's a common food additive so no panic about poison. I buy a kilo every so often from Amazon and descale kettle with a tablespoon of citric acid in a half full kettle. Boil. Leave for 5 minutes. Scale gone. Tip down sink and rinse with clean water.

HowDoWeDoThisPlease · 25/02/2024 22:51

I think the one made for dishwashers contains a perfume as well as the actual active ingredient op, so it’s probably just that lingering a bit too much (I’ve used a dishwasher cleaner once that had a really strong smell and I could taste it on my dishes for the first few washes after using it).

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