I'm trying to figure out how to get come calcium deposits off a "jet boil" (camping pot). All of the calcium cleaners I see at the hardware store say not to use on aluminum.
Hi C., there's a cleaner called "Bar Keepers Friend" it cleans all surfaces and gets the job done on all metals. It's like ajax or comet but alot milder. It gets stains off of counter tops etc. You won't want to live with out it after you have tried it.
S.
If it's brushed aluminum, you can use scotch brite pads or a scrubby sponge with baking soda.
Fill the pot with water, add about half a cup of apple cider vinegar, and put on the stove. Bring to a boil and let boil for about ten minutes. Pour the water out and rinse immediately. You should see most of the calcium deposits pour out of the pan with the water. If they are really bad, it might take two or three more times of doing this to get them all out. We used to do this regularly with aluminum pots when I was a kid. That was the days when we used an old wood burning cookstove and kept several large teakettles of water on the stove all the time to have our hot water. The calcium would build up in them and we'd have to boil it out every couple of months.
I get calcium off with apple cider vinegar. Never done so on aluminum though. Vinegar breaks down the calcium.
