Chemistry or metal reaction question

[dian57]

Hi, again, everyone! I'm back with another who-do-I-know-that-can-answer-this question.

I have a very large stock pot given to me by my mother. I believe it's aluminum. We have pictures taken over the years of each grandchild sitting inside it at around 9 months old. I have great memories of soup simmering on the stove when I came home from school. But I digress.

Last year in a triumph of CRS, I left 3 inches of stew simmering in it and LEFT THE HOUSE. Yes, actually forgot I had it cooking, locked up and left. As luck (or divine intervention) would have it, several Jehovah Witnesses came to call, heard the smoke alarm sounding, saw a living room full of smoke and didn't hear my dog whining with the doorbell. They called the number on my husband's work truck and my sister came right over, saved the dog from her cage, turned off the stove, opened all the windows and turned on the attic fan. My husband, needless to say, was not amused by any of this.

Fast forward to now. I have this heavily scorched stock pot I want to keep. I've soaked it, cleaned it with Cascade and boiling water, Brillo and elbow grease. Better, but not nearly good enough. Now here's where I think I got stupid (well, stupider if you're still holding a grudge about the initial almost burning the house down thing. Like my husband.)

Figuring I had nothing to lose, I sprayed oven cleaner on the bottom. This time almost everything came off but it's still got black spots and feels rough to the touch. And the non-scorched areas are very dull, almost white where the cleaner was.

So, is the pot ruined? Is there any way I'll ever get it clean again? If I do get it clean again, will it be safe to cook food in ever again? Or is it now just a prop for baby pictures?

Thanks, Dianne

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[Mike2]

Hi Diane, welcome back. :wave:

I'd take it to a local Radiator Shop. Not some national chain store thingy but an old time shop that's been in business for years. They have special chemicals and processes for cleaning aluminum radiators, heat exchangers ,and other engine parts. They batch stuff up before firing up the "cooker" so plan to wait a few weeks.

Assuming all that's successful, final food safe cleaning using the following receipe:

Aluminum Cleaner
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
1 quart water
To clean aluminum cookware, combine ingredients in cookware. Bring solution to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Wash and dry as usual.


:)

[flatfloor]

Hi Diane, where the hell you been? We've had people losing fingers, toes and other assorted body parts left and right. Please leave an emergency number.

Take a look at this, I googled it up.
http://autorepair.about.com/library/products/aafpr012303.htm

[dian57]

Losing body parts? What the heck goes on here? You men go feral so quickly when unsupervised. Sigh.

Thanks for the two suggestions. My husband thinks the only old-time radiator shop around here is in the bowels of Newburgh, which is not a great area for a nurse with a big, scorched pot. Or, more specifically, me. I'll see if he's willing to drop it off for me, although he shakes his head every time I try and clean it.

I checked out the English cleaning polish. Sounds interesting, but I'm not really looking to put so much actual work on my part into it if the radiator shop can do it. Let's call that Plan B.

How's Kathleen since the bypass, Jim? Still on clear fluids? Give her my best and email if you have any questions.

Sonny still around?

[Steven Hauser]

Hi Dian,

No word from Sonny in a while,...

One thing to consider is the surface itself is pitted for lack of a better description. I wish it was easy for me to say it will be a fine soup pot again, but I fear it won't from the perspective of whether or not small particles of aluminum could be digested when heated. My concern are the as yet unsubstantiated positive links between aluminum and memory crippling diseases.

I would retire it for photos just to be on the absolute safe side.

Best wishes,

Steven

[cx]

Hi, Nurse Diane. Welcome back. :)

Nope, don't nobody I know heard from Da Poet for some years now. But you never know. Hell, sometimes it's that long we don't hear from our nurse. :D

[flatfloor]

Diane, thanks for asking, she's doing fine. Just starting to come off clear liquids.

Steven, aluminum affects your memory? I must have eaten an entire set of Wearever pots then. :D

[dian57]

I've only recently started to have any interest in home improvement projects after my god of wind mosaic debacle.

So nice that it's an ENORMOUS and PERMANENT disaster. At least it's in the backyard. Keeps me humble.

I think I'll go with my gut feeling and do exactly as Steven suggests--get it cleaned and just take photos in it. It really is a cool pot. If it cleans up nicely, I'll get the grandson in it and post.

Glad to see everyone again,
Dianne

[jjwq8]

Reprise.
Large Aluminium Stock Pot.
Pictures of 9 month old babies sitting it.
A lame and contrived alibi.
Blackened bits stuck to inside base.


Send the damn thing to CSI!

Then take your punishment like a MAN!

[tileguytodd]

:yipee: Deeeeeee's Back!!!!! :wave: long time no see.

Trade that Aluminum stew pot in for a good ol Well Seasoned Cast Iron Dutch Oven.........Makes way better cookware than Aloo mini um ( Thats how the rest of the world pronounces it.......all except us americanswho rewrote the English dictionary to suit :D )

Makes way better cookware.....If you dont have tendinitus that is..... ;)

Good to see you!!!!

[dian57]

JJ, are you insinuating that my burned bits are cooked babies?! I can produce all the babies (now grown with kids of their own) at a moment's notice.

Now, if you suspected it was the charred remains of my son's MIL, we might have something to discuss.

I always take my punishment like a man, it tends to be the easier way out and involves less whining.