Callisto in NC
Washing Up
So, how did it work out?
Cast Iron Teapot Help
- Thread starter GB
- Start date
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OP
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GB
Chief Eating Officer
Well I have not had a chance to do much with it. It is still soaking in vinegar. I looked for a baby bottle brush, but my wife had just recently thrown then all out. I was going to do the chopstick with paper towel method, but the curve of the spout will make that impossible.
I am fairly confident that with a regular sponge I will be able to clean it out well. I do not think anything got up that far into the spout thankfully.
I was just in the tea shop today looking at new pots just in case though
and to buy some delicious looking white tea.
I am fairly confident that with a regular sponge I will be able to clean it out well. I do not think anything got up that far into the spout thankfully.
I was just in the tea shop today looking at new pots just in case though
and to buy some delicious looking white tea.
Callisto in NC
Washing Up
Try string wrapped with a paper towel or aluminum foil wrapped really tight and then the paper towel around it. If you've soaked it this long with the vinegar and it hasn't come clean yet, it's time to add some baking soda.
OP
OP
GB
Chief Eating Officer
Awesome idea Callisto!!! I love the string idea. Brilliant.
You might try pipe cleaners or those pipe cleaner-like things found in the craft store.
OP
OP
GB
Chief Eating Officer
I would be to nervous of that scratching the surface Katie.
OP
OP
GB
Chief Eating Officer
Unfortunately you can not boil water in this pot. You need to boil the water in another pot and then pour it into the pot.
I scrubbed the heck out of it after letting it soak in vinegar. I used a little soap and a lot of paper towels. I am pretty confident it is now ready for use, but I have not tried it yet. I have not had time and also an still a little nervous, but I am sure by Fri I will try it out.
I scrubbed the heck out of it after letting it soak in vinegar. I used a little soap and a lot of paper towels. I am pretty confident it is now ready for use, but I have not tried it yet. I have not had time and also an still a little nervous, but I am sure by Fri I will try it out.
OP
OP
GB
Chief Eating Officer
So interesting that you mentioned a steam cleaner. I have been wanting one for a while. It would be cheaper to just buy a new tea pot though.
kitchenelf
Chef Extraordinaire
I wouldn't worry about it being safe to use, GB. You've had vinegar soaking in it, and then you washed it with soap and water. Think about how you clean a cutting board too large to fit into a dishwasher after cutting raw chicken on it - wash with soap and water and then wipe down with vinegar or a bleach/water solution.
OP
OP
GB
Chief Eating Officer
The part I worry about though Michael is inside the spout where I can't see what is going on. If there are chunks of mold and gunk in there and that gets brewed into the tea, can't that make me sick?
In all honesty, I am fairly confident that i have it very clean and ready to use. I am sure I will use it tomorrow.
In all honesty, I am fairly confident that i have it very clean and ready to use. I am sure I will use it tomorrow.
momerlyn
Cook
I use the baby bottle brush for spouts. As for the vinegar in the dishwasher, I use lemon juice instead. Just empty the bottle into an empty dishwasher, close, and turn on to the rinse cycle. When we first moved into this house, I thought we needed a new dishwasher because there was so much sludge inside it. But the lemon juice made it sparkle! I had to do it two or three times that first time though.
You might try lemon juice in the pot if the vinegar doesn't work.
And if my sister did that... what can I say? I'm not all THAT surprised...
You might try lemon juice in the pot if the vinegar doesn't work.
And if my sister did that... what can I say? I'm not all THAT surprised...
OP
OP
GB
Chief Eating Officer
I like the lemon juice idea. Even if a little remains it will still taste good with a lot of my teas.
Callisto in NC
Washing Up
This is where the baking soda and vinegar works well. We put many a straw through heck with milk left in those pop up straw cups from Disney. We would throw the baking soda down first, follow with vinegar, and the fuzzing will clean out the spout. Hold the put upside down and you can plug the spout and then let the chemical action happen.
heavyG
Assistant Cook
All of those 'old' rules about not cleaning a teapot, seasoning a teapot, and only ever brewing one type of tea in it--- they are only valid with a pot that has an unglazed ceramic interior.
If the inside is glazed (read smooth and shiny) then you can clean it on occasion with soap and water, and brew several types of tea in it. Heck my daily use teapot (glazed on the inside) takes a trip through the dishwasher on occasion.
However my 'Brown Betty' unglazed pot with an incredibly seasoned interior only gets a rinse with hot water before use, and I only brew a loose single estate Ceylon long leaf tea.
New tea videos going up on my site over the next few weeks.
G.
If the inside is glazed (read smooth and shiny) then you can clean it on occasion with soap and water, and brew several types of tea in it. Heck my daily use teapot (glazed on the inside) takes a trip through the dishwasher on occasion.
However my 'Brown Betty' unglazed pot with an incredibly seasoned interior only gets a rinse with hot water before use, and I only brew a loose single estate Ceylon long leaf tea.
New tea videos going up on my site over the next few weeks.
G.
