I have 30 ounces of it incoming from americanspice.com that I'm going to use to clean my Zojirushi.
Well to be honest I haven't tried it yet but the zoji manual suggests its use for cleaning scale as an alternative to their proprietary stuff. Citric acid actively dissolves calcium and forms calcium citrate which can be easily rinsed out.
the zoji manual suggets dissolving 30g in a glass of water and adding it to about 3L of water for the cleaning cycle, for yixing I would maybe try a little weaker solution.
the zoji manual suggets dissolving 30g in a glass of water and adding it to about 3L of water for the cleaning cycle, for yixing I would maybe try a little weaker solution.
I'm using a brush too, but directly where the lid sits on the pot the deposits form nonetheless. They are small and just at the rim, but they are white and therefore good visible. Maybe I should be more attentive while brewing.MarshalN wrote:That's why people like me use a brush to brush off the water -- or spread it out, at least.
Otherwise the water stay around the rim or whatever joints it finds, and will quickly form deposits.
Using a scrub can be very damaging -- you will rub off the clay itself. Trust me, I've done it before.
Some sort of chemical way of removing it would be best.
Citric acid works very well, they're odorless and non-hazardous.MarshalN wrote:I've heard people using citric acid. How well does it work?
It's a standard and effective water scale (calcium carbonate salts) removal which is sold in every groceries stores in Germany and very affordable. As it's weak acid, it won't destroy the pot, but patina might get affected.
Jul 17th, '08, 02:51
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I have often heard of using (unflavored) denture cleaning tablets, but I don't know if that would work on calcium deposits. I have never used the technique, but I think Hop has.
The ascorbic acid sounds good, but no one here has tried it ... you would be the guinea pig. I wouldn't worry too much about losing the pot's seasoning (if it is seasoned) since that is probably lost to the mineral deposits already.
My impression is that this pot is not of special value or age, so have a go at it in the interests of science. Be sure to report back.
The ascorbic acid sounds good, but no one here has tried it ... you would be the guinea pig. I wouldn't worry too much about losing the pot's seasoning (if it is seasoned) since that is probably lost to the mineral deposits already.
My impression is that this pot is not of special value or age, so have a go at it in the interests of science. Be sure to report back.
Jul 17th, '08, 11:22
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A quick Google turns up the fact that citric acid is often used to remove rust - and iron deposits in general.Bert wrote:Hm.. do you think using citric acid is ok in a tetsubin? Mine's got a lot of sediments..
On the other hand, most tetsubin have a non-iron liner.
On the other other hand, there's often a ring of exposed cast iron at the mouth of the tetsubin. That's usually where rust shows up first.
So the answer is: I don't know, but I'm not sure I'd risk it.
______________________
"Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cosy, doesn't try it on."
- Billy Connolly
"Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cosy, doesn't try it on."
- Billy Connolly
I've no idea about tetsubin, but in general the citric acid works in a different way than bleach. The citric acid is abrasive and oxidative, that means it more like peeling off the sediments and if the sediment is calcium salt, it reacts to form a water soluble salt. They do oxidize anything they in contact with, thus cause rust on iron or carbon steel.Bert wrote:Hm.. do you think using citric acid is ok in a tetsubin? Mine's got a lot of sediments..
In case of yixing pot, the iron is in a micro-cage molecular structure, thus they're stable and not subject to rust even getting contacted with weak acid.
Bleach works by oxidizing anything in a strong manner. It works best with anything organic such as oil, shoe polish
any dirt wich is caused by organic decomposition. But they're non-abrasive.If you decided to use citric acid, heat up the temperature a bit at about 60°C+ to get the best result.
Jul 17th, '08, 14:26
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There's something to be said for that. My go to yixing pot I use the most is stained and looks awful due to differences in the clay used in different parts and various levels of abuse I have subjected it to. But I love it just as it is.heavydoom wrote:i would leave the calcium on the pot, if it does not hinder your pouring out of tea, it adds character to your pot. kinda like a beaten up old leather bag.