How can I clean these brown iron stains in my pot?
I use a big aluminium pot to boil water. I think the water contains iron because after 4-6 months, the inside of the pot is full of brown stains. The colour is just like ferric. There are lots of circular brown areas (1-4mm diameter) in the pot.
- Is this stain caused by the iron in the water? If not, what is the cause?
- How can I remove these stains?
- Can I do anything to prevent these stains in the future?
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Best Answer
If it's rust stains or other kinds of scale build up, CLR will take care of it:
http://www.jelmar.com/CLRbasic.htm
From the pictures (thanks for adding) it looks like sediment from the water (source, pipes, etc) and CLR cleans it easily. Just don't breath the fumes.
Also, you can try commercial coffee pot cleaners such as http://www.urnex.com/ to remove the build up.
Finally, if none of the above is available in your area, try Vinegar first. If that didn't work, wash off and switch to baking soda. you may have to make a paste and let it treat for a while.
There is also this recipe for cleaning rust stains from aluminum pots, though I haven't tried it.
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Quick Answer about "How can I clean these brown iron stains in my pot?"
How do you remove brown stains from pots?
Wet the baking soda just enough to create a thick paste, and cover the stains in it. Wait a few minutes, and wipe it off with a heavy duty steel scrubbing pad. The grease and oil should start to come off. Rubbing the stains with a cloth dipped in undiluted white vinegar can also be effective.How do you remove brown stains from stainless steel pots?
Add a hearty pour of baking soda (about \xbc cup or \xbd cup), and then carefully place your pan in the water. Reduce the water to a gentle boil, and let the pan cook for about 15 to 30 minutes, flipping or rotating it if necessary, so that all the sides are boiled. You should start to see brown residue flaking off.How do you remove iron stains?
Overheating or allowing cookware to boil dry can cause yellow, brown, dark purple, blue or rainbow tints on the stainless steel surface. Although harmless, these tints can spoil the appearance of the pan. To remove this discoloration, use a products like Barkeepers Friend\xae and a non abrasive cleaning pad.DIY How to Clean Burnt Pan Easily-Useful Kitchen Tip-Easiest Way to Clean a Burnt Pan or Pot
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Answer 2
It's hard to say what is causing these stains without more information about exactly how you are using the pot. If you are just using it to boil water and nothing else, then the stains could be a result of the minerals in the water in your area. Also, if you are just using the pot for water, do you wash the pot in between uses? Repeated exposure to moisture can cause an oxidation layer to form on the surface of the metal. Cleaning the pan thoroughly between each use should help prevent oxide buildup.
The stains could also be caused by what you are using to clean the pot. Aluminum is a fairly reactive metal; so any acidic compound or residue that gets left on the material for too long is likely to cause a stain. You can read more about how to take care of your aluminum cookware here:
http://www.jesrestaurantequipment.com/jesrestaurantequipmentblog/cleaning-aluminum-cookware/
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Max Vakhtbovych, Max Vakhtbovych, Andrea Piacquadio, Plato Terentev