Re-deploying a Yixing pot

I've tried that before, using white vinegar (is Heinz's white vinegar considered white enough?), the pot turned out clean, but it still has a hint of vinegar about it. If you perfer that method of cleaning the pot, do go ahead, but I prefer the old method of simmering the pot in clean water. It may take a longer time, but the end result is worth the effort. Why don't you try it for a change, especially if there's a long winter days to spare?

Of course the chemistry compound in garlic, turpentine and white vinegar (or even between vinegars for that matter) are different, I'm illustrating a point (weak though it may) that a sharp smelling agent when in contact with a porous clay will leave its print within the porosity of the clay, and hard to wash out, not conducting a chemistry practical here.

Samar.

Boy, if I only had a menghai cake for every time I tried to reeploy a yixing pot! Your method is not good with foul smelling pots where the smell is due to some molds or bacteria. I guess boiling will kill the living thing but not get rid of residue of smelly substance. Vinegar does that. just simmer it later in water for a day or two. The hint of vinegar you smell is most probably (if you did simmer it in clean water) a physycological one. Ask someone from outside to smell it without telling them about vinegar. Heinz should be white enough, although I use "icy" pure.

Sasha.

Icy pure? I must look up that one! No, it was my teacher who told me my pot smelled of vinegar. Perhaps it's the pot's clay. I inherited an old Duang ni (Yellow Clay) with sesame specks from my grandfather, and thought of cleaning it up. I soaked the pot in white vinegar for about 2 hours and then scrubbed it clean. Then I simmered it in clean water for 2 hours, and in green tea for another 2 hours, and then in white tea for another 2 hours. Couple of days later I brought my pot to class to brew white tea, and at the first sip my teach commented it tasted "rough and sharp, like vinegar". Oh well. Since then, I just simmer "soiled" pots in clean water for a couple of hour, and then scrub out the mold and dirt before treating it with various teas.

garlicky...a

And if you were still worried, a quick rinse with baking soda and water will solve the problem. But I echo Sasha's advice: white vinegar.

Rick.

I think Alex means glacial acetic acid. This is close to 100% acetic acid unlike white vinegar which is about 5% acetic acid.

Cameron

Glacial acetic acid? That stuff's pretty strong. I wouldn't soak anything I valued in it.

By the way, I once had a moldy "yixing" pot (because I accidentally left wet leaves in it for a month) which I restored by scouring it with a scrubby, boiling it for an hour or two, and rinsing it many times. Then I treated it as if it were new (left new leaves in it for a while, etc.). Worked for my dull palate.

Rick.

I id not mean using glacial concentrated vinegar, I just prefer making my vinegar from glacial by diluting it, insted of using off-the shelf grocery store variety. I would also dilute it another 10 times or so for this use.

Sasha.