I used one of my aluminum stock pots on the woodstove to put some moisture back into the air (got very dry in the house). Now, there is hard water deposits baked onto the inside of the pot. I've tried metal cleaners, brillo, etc. to no avail. The water in our area is very hard and the iron and hard water deposits are baked on there pretty bad. Any suggestions? Is this pot trash now?

-- Lisa (tepeeclan@nidlink.com), March 04, 2000

Answers

Try a fairly weak water and vinegar solution. The acetic acid should dissolve the minerals just as it prevents water marks on jars when you can in an aluminum pressure canner. It may take several treatments. I use white vinegar for such cleaning and also use it to get the milkstone off my milking equipment and jars.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), March 04, 2000.

Lisa, I have the same problem here. I use vinegar to cut the residue. Just mix a Tblsp. or so in with a cup of water. Swish it around and maybe let it set for awhile. Kinda like cleaning the coffee maker.

-- Stephanie Masters (ajsd@gateway.net), March 04, 2000.

You might also try some of the commercial mineral removers like Lime Away.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), March 05, 2000.

I'm on the vinegar side. Since white vinegar is what you want (it's usually 5%), and pretty cheap, I'd use it full strength. I'll bet it will work. Good luck! Brad

-- Brad (homefixer@mix-net.net), March 05, 2000.

I forgot to mention that you should keep an eye on it - don't let it go too long. Acids, including the weak vinegar, will deteroriate aluminum if left in contact too long. Good Luck! Brad

-- Brad (homefixer@mix-net.net), March 05, 2000.

Hi Lisa, If nothing else works you might try to disolve a few packs of denture cleaners in water in the pot. I use this to clean the hard water stains off of vases and have even had good luck using them in the tolit. It is a trick I learned a long time ago on a very nice cut glass vase that had water left in it too long. There was no way I could use anything that would scratch, so I tried the denture cleaner that works like Alka Seltzer.

Lots of luck Beth

-- Beth (craig@icu2.net), March 05, 2000.

Thanks everyone! I tried a really strong white vinegar solution and it only took off a little on the bottom of the pan. I'm going to try it a few more times though along with some of the other suggestions before I totally give up. Well, I've learned my lesson. Next time, I'll get an old pot at a garage sale instead!

-- Lisa (tepeeclan@nidlink.com), March 07, 2000.

My advice is to get rid of any cooking pans that will come in contact with food. Aluminum is not good for you, and these posts reinforce what my sister told me about her aluminum pans. She says she cleans thme by just boiling tomatoes, or maybe it was rhubarb. Don't remember for sure. But the point is, the acid foods clean the aluminum NOT by dissolving the food on the aluminum, but by dissolving the aluminum itself.

If you absolutely insist on cooking food in aluminum pans, at least make sure that the pH of the food you cook never gets below 7.

-- jumpoff joe (jumpoff@echoweb.net), March 08, 2000.

I'm with jumpoff joe! The use of aluminum cookwear has been positively linked with the early onset of alzhimer's. I got rid of all that I had except for my pressure canner which I do not use for food preparation. I only use it for canning as the food does not come into direct contact with the aluminum. You are adding a metal to you diet whenever you cook in aluminum.

-- cathy hancock (cathysposter@yahoo.com), March 11, 2000.