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Yixing cleaning question, grease/gunk

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Dominic T.

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Jan 19, 2008, 4:48:23 PM1/19/08
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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

DogMa

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Jan 21, 2008, 7:35:04 AM1/21/08
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Dominic T. wrote:
> ... So anyhow, I can see a slight coating of most likely
> grease and dust from cooking and sitting in the open. ...

> 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.

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

Dominic T.

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Jan 21, 2008, 10:11:19 AM1/21/08
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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

DogMa

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Jan 21, 2008, 11:10:54 AM1/21/08
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> ... gotta love science.

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

> 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 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.

> I am going to try the Baking Powder. 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.

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.

> I do work for a university so I could probably
> come by way of just about any chemical if you have any suggestions.

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.

> 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?

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

Nigel

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Jan 22, 2008, 10:33:42 AM1/22/08
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On 19 Jan, 21:48, "Dominic T." <dominictibe...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Well, I decided to undertake a general cleaning of some of my more
> forgotten Yixing.
> 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.

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

Dominic T.

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Jan 22, 2008, 11:35:46 AM1/22/08
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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

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