Yixing cleaning question, grease/gunk

Well, I decided to undertake a general cleaning of some of my more forgotten Yixing. Since moving, about two years ago, a number of my teapots found a new home on a shelf in the kitchen near the stove. I have been working on either building or buying a storage/display case for all of my teapots but it finds its way to the lower priority list every time... So anyhow, I can see a slight coating of most likely grease and dust from cooking and sitting in the open. It is just on the tops/lids and not terrible or pronounced.

I have used baking soda and a toothbrush before to do some minor spot cleaning, but I'm not sure what my best plan of attack is on these. I want to fully clean them both inside and out. I know of people using vinegar, but I have never done it. I figure some gentle cleaning with something that cuts grease/oil on the outside and a basic baking soda cleaning all over, and then boil them as if seasoning a new pot.

My question is what to use for the grease/oil cutting, and if anyone has any tricks or suggestions that I am unaware of. They have just been soaking in hot water for a couple hours so far, and I tried a gentle wiping with a towel but it isn't doing it.

Thanks all,

- Dominic

Reply to
Dominic T.
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Here are three possible approaches: dissolution, emulsification, destruction.

Actual solution of the gunk is possible, though that kind of stuff sometimes polymerizes into an insoluble gum. Boiling in white vinegar

*might* work. "Real" organic solvents, unless you have access to reagent grade chemicals, almost always contain traces of heavier molecules that will persist for a long time and smell awful. A rare exception is MEK, which is available at the usual hardware stores, is essentially non-toxic and lower in odor than many organics, and dissolves almost anything.

Emulsification requires an emulsifier, like soap or lecithin. They all taste, AFAIK.

Destruction is very practical for kitchen-type oils, essentially all of which contain esters. Boiling in sodium carbonate/baking powder (not bicarb/soda; probably not alkaline enough) for a few minutes should do it, w/o harming the clay. A few minutes in a warm solution of household lye (a few %) should work too. I'd then rinse a lot, and not worry about residues - anything left in the pores will react instantly with tea. I haven't tried it on teaware, but plenty of other stuff stored too long in the kitchen gets gummed up with oil and plasticizer (from PVC) vapors.

-DM

Reply to
DogMa

Great, thank you for the reply... gotta love science. If only Don Herbert were still alive, but second to my personal hero is DogMa thanks for taking the time to reply. I am going to try the Baking Powder. The buildup is not very severe in reality, just to me. I don't like to see that happen to any of my Yixing. I'm hoping that will do the trick and if not I may move into the vinegar area but that will be a last resort as it kind of scares me. Any idea of how much or any particular type to use? I'm guessing any plain white household vinegar would be OK. I do work for a university so I could probably come by way of just about any chemical if you have any suggestions.

I have also read about using ultrasonic jewelery cleaners and this may be an option for me too if all else fails, anyone have any experience with that?

Thanks again,

- Dominic

Reply to
Dominic T.

Yeah - pays the bills, and is even fun sometimes.

I shouldn't admit it in public, but that kind of residue really grosses me out. Don't know why; I've handled so many more intractable, toxic and nasty-looking messes professionally. Guess it's different when it's food-ware. I've certainly learned the hard way to keep anything like Yixing pots away from the stove, sink, and large concentrations of plasticized PVC (like some bags and even cookware). It seems that just a bit of oils and phthalates can cement together an astonishing amount of dust, spiderwebs, insect droppings, whatever, into something horrible.

Exactly: white, distilled cider vinegar is pretty near pure aqueous acetic acid. Since it's distilled, there's no residue after a good wash and oven-bake. I'd use it straight.

I suggested alkali (like carbonate; should have mentioned TSP as well) because it can chemically chop up the gunk by ester hydrolysis. Vinegar would be acting mainly as a solvent. 6% acetic acid isn't a very good one for that kind of thing, so I'd lean hard on the alkali first.

For solvents, MEK really is good - dissolves or softens most organics, volatile with no residue, nearly non-toxic, cheap and available. If you want to get more serious, chloroform will dissolve almost any kind of grease. Could take some baking to get the sweet smell out, and many people are worried (needlessly, IMO) about possibly mutagenicity. heck, us oldsters (and anyone who's treated a cough in Europe) knows what chloroform tastes like. Sodium carbonate or TSP are excellent cleaning agents as well. Can only do much better by getting into dangerous mixes like sulfuric peroxide. These "piranha solutions" essentially burn organics just like fire.

The home ones don't have much oomph; I have two and only use them for friends' jewelry and fountain pens. If you have lab access, a half-gallon Branson with warm water and a little detergent should rip the gunk off in a few seconds. Awesome to watch. Throw in your watch-band, too - you'll have nightmares about all the yuck that was hiding in there!

-DM

Reply to
DogMa

Successful degreasing needs a good organic solvent. I've not tried this on hallowed tea pots but it works on other delicate items. Vodka

- as strong as you can find - with a couple of drops of industrial detergent per 100ml. Over here we still can get a perfume free industrial detergent named 'Teepol' - it leaves no aroma or residue and gives the vodka a cutting edge. Don't smoke while using this mixture!!

Nigel at Teacraft

Reply to
Nigel

Update: OK with a ton of elbow grease and baking powder as well as a nice nylon bristle diswashing brush, scalding hot water, and time I have success!

Basically I filled one side of my sink to about 2-3" of the hottest water I could stand (probably too hot for the average bear) I placed one of my teapots in and gave it a good scrub with the brush. Then I poured some baking powder onto it all over the top/lid and let it fizz and sit for a bit. Then scrubbed again. Then I poured some more baking powder on and rubbed it very thoroughly with just my hands and even edge of fingernail to really get it clean. Then scrubbed again with the brush.

They came out like new. No smells/scents involved and they are totally clean. I am now going to boil them as if they were new and they are ready to go. I was about to go to the vinegar route but just never needed to.

Thanks to all for the help and suggestions!

- Dominic

Reply to
Dominic T.

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