Baking soda in teapots

[Muadeeb]

I put the lid back on a not-quite dry teapot last week and when I went to use it a few days later, I noticed a couple black mold spots on the bottom. No problem, TeaChat to the rescue! A couple searches later and I found some tips on here. I made a thick and pasty mix of baking soda and water and applied it to the affected areas and let it sit overnight. As long as I was at it, I did the same to a Wing Hop Fung pot that I've been trying to get some smells out of before I start brewing with it.

The next day, I saw baking soda covering the outside of the pots and knew I acheived good penetration. After some rinsing the spots were faint, but still visible. I rinsed the pots a few more times, but every time they dried, more baking soda would leach out and rise to the outer surface. I've boiled these pots a few times, probably 3-4 hours total, and I still can't get all the baking soda out of them. Am I doing something wrong? How do make these things usable again?

[tingjunkie]

Try letting them soak completely submerged in a 1/10 bleach solution for a few days, then rinsing and boiling a couple times again.

[victoria3]

I recommend slow boiling the pot with a little white vinegar and baking soda. Some nice fizzing occurs. Place items very carefully in pot so they don't rub up against each other. Vinegar and baking soda do not leave any smell behind. I do this whenever I buy pre-used pottery to clean them. Thoroughly dry in sun for several days or until offending odor or mold is gone.

Edit: in your case to get rid of baking soda, just slow boil the pot in water and a little white vinegar for a while. Dry for several days in sun.

[Chip]

O_O

[Muadeeb]

O_O

Chip's right, if only life had a rewind button.

[Chip]

O_O

Chip's right, if only life had a rewind button.

Sorry, as I was reading the fixes needed to fix the fix, my mind just went kaput.

My gosh, baking soda, bleach, vinegar ... oh my.

[Muadeeb]

Sorry, as I was reading the fixes needed to fix the fix, my mind just went kaput.

Ti Guan Yinception....

[David R.]

Maybe you should have boiled the pot using baking soda in the first place.

[Muadeeb]

If I had done that, I wouldn't have seen all those soda stalagtites growing out of the pots like this the next morning- http://yourthighstouch.blogspot.com/201 ... ke-ca.html

It might have been a good idea, but thick 'n pasty sounded so much more effective. I just didn't realize it would get lodged in the clay so much. They're boiling right now. When I added about 1/2 cup of vinegar to the pot, I got a nice alka-seltzer effect. I hope that denatures the baking soda somehow and loosens its grip on the pots. My 120ml green oolong pot is in there and I'm craving it so hard these days. My 50ml pot is not keeping up with demand. ..

[Poohblah]

When I added about 1/2 cup of vinegar to the pot, I got a nice alka-seltzer effect. I hope that denatures the baking soda somehow and loosens its grip on the pots.

Vinegar is an acid, while baking soda dissolved in water is a base/alkaline. Mix an acid and a base, and you will get water and a salt. Acid/base reactions are one of the first things taught in high school chemistry. Mixing baking soda and vinegar is the basis for many elementary school science projects

[Muadeeb]

Oh yeah, that's right. Saturday mornings with no tea and I can't think straight.