Users who are accustomed to making tea in purple clay teapots may encounter the problem of tea scale accumulation in the teapot. From the perspective of maintaining hygiene, cleaning the tea stains in the teapot is a basic action in teapot maintenance and cannot be ignored. But how can we clean out the tea stain? Let’s take a look at some teapot cleaning tips!
How is tea scale formed?
Tea scale is actually made of the oxidized polymers of tea polyphenols in tea soup and minerals in the water. Generally, tea scale will adhere to the mouth, spout, inner wall of the pot body and other places that are often in contact with the tea soup. If you neglect to clean the entire pot when using the pot daily, tea scale will easily occur. Severe tea scale will even affect the taste of the tea soup.
There are two opinions on whether tea scale is serious. The first one is that tea scale contains heavy metal substances. If it is not cleaned up in time, harmful substances will be soaked into the tea when making tea and enter the human body. Another theory is that tea scale does contain metal oxides, but there are no heavy metal elements. As long as the water quality and tea quality are good, there is no reason to be harmful to the human body. No matter which theory is used, the accumulation of tea scale is easy to produce bacteria, which is not only unhygienic but also bad for the human body. Therefore, the pot needs to be cleaned in time after daily use.
(Image source: Tea Talks about Pot Journey)
Slight tea stain
- Wipe with warm water and brush gently with a soft-bristled brush
In case of slight tea stains, users can first wipe the tea stains with warm water to remove the tea stains. Another way is to prepare a pot of boiling water and boil the purple clay pot for 5 to 10 minutes. After the tea stains are slightly dissolved, use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently brush away the tea stains. It should be noted that do not rub the purple clay pot with a wire brush or sandpaper. These two materials can easily scrape away the mud on the surface of the purple clay pot and also scratch the pot body.
(Image source: Tea Talks about Pot Journey)
Severe tea stain
- Boil hot water, add baking soda and soak
If the accumulation of tea stains is large and thick and cannot be solved by wiping with warm water alone, you can try to dissolve the tea stains with baking soda. After boiling hot water at home, turn off the heat, soak the purple clay pot in the water, then add 1-2 tablespoons of baking soda according to the amount of boiling water and soak for a while. Baking soda has good cleaning power. If you are afraid that the slurry on the pot body will be cleaned off, you can warm the pot with hot water and add a small amount of baking soda into the pot, shake it gently, and use a soft-bristled toothbrush to brush away the tea stains.
(Image source: China Times Electronic News)
Never use chemicals to clean the pot!
In addition to never using rough tools to clean purple clay teapots, you must never use chemical cleaners to clean teapots. The clay material of the purple clay teapot has the function of absorbing taste. If you use detergent to clean the teapot, the purple clay teapot will absorb the smell, so there is a high chance that the entire purple clay teapot cannot be used again. Some chemical cleaners contain micro-particles, which can easily clog the pores of the teapot and affect its breathability. So never use chemical cleaners to clean your teapot!
Daily teapot care tips
In order to prevent the accumulation of tea scale, you should clean the tea leaves and remaining tea soup immediately after making tea in a purple clay pot. Do not leave it in the pot for a long time. Pour hot water several times and clean the inside and outside of the purple clay pot carefully. After cleaning, you can dry the surface of the purple clay pot with a towel and place it in a ventilated place until it is completely dry. You can also use a soft-bristled toothbrush to gently brush areas where tea stains tend to accumulate, so that tea stains are less likely to accumulate.
The above are some tips for cleaning tea stains. After all, purple clay teapots are tea making utensils and should be kept hygienic. As long as the purple clay teapot is carefully cared for after daily use, tea stains will not accumulate easily, and the purple clay teapot will become more moist and beautiful.
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