There isn’t actually a product called that, but “Removing hard water buildup from your electric water boiler‘s heating element” was too long a title for this article. Sarro is the Spanish word for tartar (the stuff on your teeth you have to get scraped off), and the Chilean word for hard water buildup.
Most Chilean households, including yours I suspect, have an electric kettle in the kitchen. What with two daily meals that encourage the consumption of hot beverages (breakfast and once), and Chile’s 4,000 km of mountains dumping all kinds of minerals into the water supply, the heating element in those kettles is subjected to lots of pretty hard water. So after a few weeks, it begins to accumulate an ugly white crust. When flakes of this crust are being visibly released into your tea water, you’re going to want to clean your electric kettle. But put away that old toothbrush; it’s actually quite easy.
You just need one thing: white vinegar. White vinegar isn’t as ubiquitous here as it is in other countries, but you can find it. Traverso makes vinagre de alcohol, which I’ve seen at Líder supermarkets, labeled with the store brand. (If you can’t find it, white wine vinegar is the next best thing, but not as effective.)
- Fill your electric water boiler with just enough water to cover the heating element completely.
- Add a few good squirts of white vinegar (for a total of around 1/4 cup).
- Turn the boiler on. After the boil cycle is finished, let it sit with the vinegar and water mixture for a good while; how long you leave it will depend on how long it has been since you last cleaned it.* If this is your first cleaning in a long while (or ever), you may need a second cycle with a fresh batch of water and vinegar.
Ta-da!
* If you’re going to leave it until it cools, for example, I suggest placing an object or note on top of the boiler as a warning to other household members against consuming its contents.