Remove Calcium Deposits from Cookware

Ask yourself how many times this has happened to you: You open your dishwasher expecting to find perfectly clean stainless steel pots and pans. Instead, you end up finding pots that have little white spots all over the place. Often this is because of calcium buildup or other mineral deposits on the cooking gear. Removing calcium deposits is a fairly simple matter. Here are some of the best ways that you can remove calcium deposits from your cookware.

• Vinegar and water. The perennial cleaning solution, white vinegar and water can clean just about everything under the sun. Pour a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water into the afflicted pot or pan. You want to use white vinegar because it is going to stink a whole lot less than other kinds of vinegar. Slowly heat up the vinegar and water until it starts to gently boil. Allow it to simmer for about fifteen minutes, and then remove from the heat and let the mixture cool. Once at room temperature, pour out a majority of the mixture and wipe away the spots if they haven't lifted off already. Once you have cleaned the white spots off of the pot or pan, wash again as normal before you use it for cooking.
• Tang. One of the easiest ways to clean off these white spots is to use a little bit of Tang fruit drink mix like dishwashing detergent in your dishwasher. The reason that this works so well is that Tang is high in ascorbic acid and that acid can eat away the calcium deposits. Also, since Tang is a powder it will work just find in most dishwashers.
• Soft cloth or sponge. When cleaning stainless steel you don't want to use any harsh abrasives, as this is going to leave scratches in the metal. Scratched stainless steel is susceptible to stains, regardless of its name. Instead, try using a soft cloth or sponge and gently "scrub" the deposits away.

These methods work well for most types of calcium deposits. However, there is a time when this won't work. In those situations it is because the metal has become pitted from use. There isn't a whole lot that a person can do to restore a damaged stainless steel pot or pan once it has become physically damaged. The best way to handle this is to prevent it from happening in the first place. You do this by being careful when using salt in your cooking. Only add salt to water after it has stopped boiling. Believe it or not, this is going to greatly reduce the chances of having a pot or pan that becomes pitted.