Mortar Maintenance?
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Naudia Threng
- Banned Member
- Posts: 387
- Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2014 7:26 pm
- Gender: Female
- Location: New Hampshire, USA
Mortar Maintenance?
Greetings! I recently dug an old mortar and pestle out of my basement. It's made out of some kind of green stone. But its quite dirty. How kight a clean? I've already tried soap and water. But the pestle has this weird dry yellow/white/orange stuff on it. Some of it did come out with the soap and water, but not all. How do I get the rest off?
O Goddes, all praise to you. Ta em hotep, anekh hrak. Lady Isis, I adore you. Nebet aset, tu a atu.
Re: Mortar Maintenance?
Try leaving it overnight in hot water with 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
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HopefulChild
- Posts: 274
- Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 10:10 pm
Re: Mortar Maintenance?
Fill it to the tip top with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and let it sit like that for 7-8 Days.
I clean roman era coins and the first thing they get is a "de-mineral" bath in a heavy zip lock bag of EVOO. Your Mortar and Pestle is made from Soapstone, and calcium and other mineral deposits have build up on it from being exposed to moist mineral rich air.
The olive oil will penetrate the mineral layers but not the soapstone.
I clean roman era coins and the first thing they get is a "de-mineral" bath in a heavy zip lock bag of EVOO. Your Mortar and Pestle is made from Soapstone, and calcium and other mineral deposits have build up on it from being exposed to moist mineral rich air.
The olive oil will penetrate the mineral layers but not the soapstone.