Like any kitchen utensil, a saucepan has its drawbacks. During cooking, it gets scratched, darkens, but is more often subject to scale formation. Hard deposits on the walls of the dishes are an unpleasant problem that is quite difficult to avoid. The risk of sediment formation increases when using hard water. The harder it is, the more often you have to deal with scale.
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Causes of scale formation on pots made of different materials
White coating on the inner walls of the pan appears as a result of sediment accumulation. The thickness of the solid deposit depends on the amount of microelements contained in the liquid (mainly magnesium, potassium, metal ions). The incoming elements are difficult to remove even after filtering the water.
During the heating process, all components are activated and enter into a chemical reaction. As a result, carbon dioxide and sediment are formed. Interacting with each other, they penetrate the coating of the dishes. The harder the water, the thicker the layer of accumulated plaque. With each boiling, the thickness of the sediment becomes greater. It spoils not only the appearance of the dishes, but also has a detrimental effect on health.
Aluminum saucepan
Aluminum is a delicate material. Regular boiling of hard water in an aluminum pan spoils the original appearance. The metal is capricious to chemical compounds, darkens over time and oxidizes under the influence of salts from tap water.
Before removing scale, you should familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the material:
- Cleaning with a metal brush or sandpaper is not allowed;
- You cannot scrub the walls with soda, sand or abrasives;
- It is prohibited to use household chemicals containing chlorine.
Important! Special detergents intended for dishwashers are not suitable for cleaning aluminum. The metal easily enters into a chemical compound with them.
Enameled saucepan
An enamel saucepan is beautiful, convenient and the most common among kitchen utensils. But frequent boiling leads to the formation of limescale. Even having a water filtration system in the house does not help to avoid hard deposits.
At the beginning of use, salts precipitate, creating a loose base. Over time, it becomes denser and thicker, which spoils not only the performance characteristics, but also the appearance of enamelware. When the enamel is severely damaged, scale accumulates in microchips and cracks. Removing such contamination is quite difficult.
Stainless steel saucepan
Stainless steel cookware is durable, strong and does not release harmful substances into the water. It is easy to maintain, but the only problem is the formation of scale.
If you do not clean the scale in time, it will take longer to heat the water, since solid salts insulate heat well.
A special feature of stainless steel is the presence of an oxide film, which reduces the negative impact of hard water. The material can withstand strong household chemicals, but care must be taken during operation.
How to descale a saucepan at home
There are several ways to solve the problem of how to clean a saucepan from scale at home. This includes both store-bought products and improvised components that can be found in every home. Before cleaning, it is important to make sure that the chosen method is safe for the coating.
We clean with sour apples or rhubarb
To clean a saucepan using this method, natural acidic products are placed in the dirty utensil, put on the fire and brought to a boil. After 30 minutes of boiling, the container is washed under running water. The contamination is easily removed due to the effect of acid and high temperature.
How to remove limescale with table vinegar
Vinegar is one of the best anti-scale agents. The removal of sediment is based on the reaction of splitting magnesium and calcium salts. Vinegar easily eliminates this problem even in small concentrations (6% and 9%). The only downside is the unpleasant smell, but it quickly evaporates after several rinsings with water.
Table vinegar is carefully applied to the inner surface of the pan and left for some time (2 hours is enough). Then the walls and bottom of the dish are washed under running water using a dishwashing detergent.
For reference! Table vinegar can be replaced with a slice of lemon or citric acid powder.
How to Clean a Pan with Baking Soda
Soda is a soft alkali, the chemical composition of which is capable of softening hard deposits. The substance has a slight abrasive effect, so it is suitable even for sensitive surfaces.
To remove the stain, dissolve ½ a package of soda in 5 liters of water. Place the stained pan in the resulting mixture. Then boil it for several hours.
Constant monitoring of the liquid level is necessary. The solution should completely cover the inner surface of the container. If necessary, add water. After the procedure, the kitchen utensils along with the liquid are cooled and washed with a regular detergent.
For reference! Regular soda can be replaced with calcined soda. It removes scale better, but is less safe.
We use carbonated drinks
You can clean the scale that has formed using regular soda. The limescale is removed thanks to the citric acid and carbon dioxide contained in the drink. When heated, carbon dioxide interacts with the sediment. A chemical reaction with calcium carbonate begins, resulting in the formation of calcium bicarbonate (a salt soluble in water).
To get rid of the accumulated deposits, just fill the pan with carbonated water, boil it and leave it to settle for a while (10 hours is enough). During this period, the components of the soda will react and destroy the sediment.
How to remove limescale with potato peelings
Potato peels contain acid, which helps remove impurities from water with high levels of calcium and magnesium salts.
Place the peelings in a container, add water and boil over moderate heat for half an hour. If the coating is thick, the procedure is repeated several times.
Cleaning with a mixture of peroxide and soda
A combination of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda makes an excellent remedy for fighting limescale. To remove scale, add 100 g of soda to a container with water and bring to a boil. Then add 4 teaspoons of peroxide. After boiling, rinse the pan under regular water.
How to Remove Limescale Using a Cleaning Pen
You can deal with scale not only with folk remedies, but also with specialized ones. One of these is a special pencil for effective cleaning of any pots. This is a hard rod shaped like a long candle. It consists of a large number of thin metal hairs connected into a tight bundle.
Before use, the colored shell of the pencil is cut to release the hairs. After that, it is moistened with water and the plaque is removed.
For reference! The film should not be removed from the pencil all at once, but gradually.
Maintenance and prevention of scale
Instead of looking for ways to get rid of contamination, it is recommended to study preventive measures to reduce the likelihood of the limescale problem.
The most effective method is to soften the water by installing a filtration system that improves the condition of the water.
It is also recommended to wash the dishes more thoroughly after each cooking process. As a result, the top layer of plaque will be easier to remove.
Conclusion
The scale spoils not only the appearance of the dishes, their main functions, but also harms health. It is important to study all the methods of how to quickly get rid of the formed scale at home. It is necessary to clean the sediment immediately after the first signs of its appearance, since at the initial stages it will be much faster. For this, improvised and inexpensive means are suitable, distinguished by their effectiveness.
