water pot on the stove

[atcomo]

Have one of these porcelain pots on top of my wood burner that
we fill with water during the winter months. Went to use it last
night and it is coated with this thick white stuff (probably the
minerals from the water). Any ideas what I can do to clean it out
and how I can avaid this in the future?

 

[thewoodlands]

Have one of these porcelain pots on top of my wood burner that
we fill with water during the winter months. Went to use it last
night and it is coated with this thick white stuff (probably the
minerals from the water). Any ideas what I can do to clean it out
and how I can avaid this in the future?

(broken link removed)

Zap

 

[Cutter]

I agree with the vinagar. In the furure use rain water instead of tap water.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Yes. Put vinegar in the pan, cover the pan and heat it to a boil. Let it boil for more than a few minutes; take a knife occasionally to see if the stuff is ready to break loose.

Another old method is to put some cheesecloth in the water that you have on the stove, although it doesn't work 100% it takes a lot longer for the stuff to build up.

 

[SteveKG]

You have "hard" water, for sure. If the vinegar idea does not work, try one of the commercially available "lime-away" products for cleaning sinks, tubs, etc. of carbonate etc. deposits. They are in the section of hardware and big box stores where you would find drain cleaner and the like. Here we keep a couple of old tea kettles on the stove top for hot water for dishes and humidification. We don't use them for potable stuff. We used to use rain water here and had to go to a well couple yr. ago [long story about the joys of water in the state of Colorado]. Our well water is hard, so we've begun to have these deposits of minerals for the first time. The lime-away type cleaners work on the stainless tea kettles. I'd test a small amount in yours to make sure it won't ruin it. Since these things are sold to clean up porcelain sinks and tubs and etc. I can't see them messing up your container. Snowmelt and rain are the way to go for you from now on. Unless you want to buy bottled water for the stovetop, which I doubt.

It's been a few months since I cleaned my tea kettles, and I don't recall exactly how long it took but it wasn't fast. One kettle had to sit overnight with the solution in it.

 

[Jags]

My grandmother always through a few shooter marbles in the pot. Not real sure about how effective that was though (hey, I was just a little kid)

 

[LLigetfa]

I use sulfamic acid to descale my distiller.

(broken link removed to http://www.polarbearhealth.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=DESCALER) SMALL

 

[savageactor7]

I got that same problem, got a nice container shaped kind of like a turtle at the Hearth shop. The cover hides the unsightly white scum...btw you might want to put your pot on a trivet so that white stuff doesn't get on the stove.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

My grandmother always through a few shooter marbles in the pot. Not real sure about how effective that was though (hey, I was just a little kid)

That was just to punish you Jags.

It does help a little, but very little (the lime, not the punishment).

 

[Jags]

That was just to punish you Jags.

It does help a little, but very little (the lime, not the punishment).

Big ol'German lady, trust me when I say the punishment was effective. :zip:

 

[billb3]

that's patina, it's supposed to be there.

dried up potpourri hides it somewhat.