Remove calcium from Yixing?

[Grubby]

Is there any way to remove calcium from my (supposedly) Yixing tea pot without destroying it?

[Bert]

Where is it located on your pot?
I am wondering about this topic too. On my yixings deposits are forming where the lid sits on the pot. Until now I rubbed them off gently with my finger nails but maybe it will scratch the pot over time. No better idea until now.

[Grubby]

It is on the inside of the pot, pretty much all over The water here is extremely hard, i filter it now, but i used the teapot maybe 10 times without filtering.

[Zodduska]

It might be tricky to use anything to dissolve the calcium without effecting the seasoning of your yixing due to its absorptive properties. I'm not an expert but you could try some lemon juice mixed with hot water to dissolve the deposits, though this would probably give the yixing a distinct lemon flavor for a while so you may want to hold out for some better advice.

[Geekgirl]

Try this link. It's a technique we used to use on clarinets, which can damage easily if improperly cleaned, or if you use harsh chemicals and abrasives. If it works on this it should be safe for yixing, although I'm sure someone here could tell us if it's safe to use HP on clay.

Actually, I have a pot around here I could sacrifice for the greater good. It's cheap and has poor function (bought before I knew any better.) Gonna go put some HP on it right now and see what happens.

[Victoria]

I have never tired this - but it might be worth a try, since you can't use vinegar.
You would need to modify of course the amount and I would boil distilled water in a glass pot adding the crystals then pouring into your pot and leaving over night, then the boiling rinse. I would start with a small amount first. Also note how the solution smells and tastes. If it too bad, I wouldn't chance it. You don't want a horrible vitamin/mineral taste any more than you would vinegar.


>>I find using Vitamin C crystals (Ascorbic Acid) to be much less troublesome. Add 1/8 of a cup of Vitamin C Crystals or 1/4 cup for heavily scaled kettles and pots - add 4 cups of filtered or distilled water. Boil at a rolling boil for a few minutes and then let sit overnight. In the morning, you should be able to just pour out the contents and see no more lime scale. Rinse the kettle well with warm or hot water several times. Boil some distilled water once more and you're good to go with no vinegar smell or taste. You can buy a huge bottle of Vitamin C crystals at tarder Joes for $11 that will lasy you for years of descaling. <<

[Bert]

Oh ascobirc acid has no aroma, its just sour. It's worth a try for hard cases, but one should regard, that it will surely diminish some of the oily seasoning.

[hop_goblin]

It might be tricky to use anything to dissolve the calcium without effecting the seasoning of your yixing due to its absorptive properties. I'm not an expert but you could try some lemon juice mixed with hot water to dissolve the deposits, though this would probably give the yixing a distinct lemon flavor for a while so you may want to hold out for some better advice.

I agree, anything as stubborn as calcium deposits well need more aggressive measures. Hoewver, and unfortnately they may remove the patina as well.

[tenuki]

Didn't I see someone say they use denture cleaner?

[Victoria]

Didn't I see someone say they use denture cleaner?

It might work, but that was for removing tea stains on porcelain.

[shogun89]

I would put some water on an abrasive sponge (not a house cleaning sponge) but not sandpaper either. you can get them at home depot. Lightly!!! scrub back and forth until its gone. It could take a very long time but the results will be worth it. As long as you use the right strength of abrasive it will not damage it, I use this method to remove any rust from my old military rifles. But as I said, go lightly and be patient.
Hope this helped.

[Grubby]

Thx for the help all.

Shogun you just gave me a crazy idea (which definitely wont damage the teapot):
What if i rubbed the teapot with the wet tea leaves after brewing?
They do have some amount of friction. The only question is if its going to take off enough calcium. Since this seems like the least risky strategy i am going to try this first, and then go for your ideas if it doesn't work

[Grubby]

ok that idea definitely didn't work
on to more extreme measures

[brandon]

To prevent this sort of thing in the future, you should be mindful of draining the pot upside down after rinsing it. Return to storage with lid only after the inside is completely free of water.

[MarshalN]

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.