You must have had to cope with this: I need help!

[Paper Roses]

I bought a beautiful large cobalt bowl at a yard sale. The inside base was a mess but I thought it was dirt from a plant. After a good washing, there is a hard lime residue in the base and up to about 2 inches on the sides. I tried a combination of vinegar and water soak and let it sit for about an hour. No luck. Some lifted and scrubbed away but there is still an accumulation around the base.

Any home remedies I can try to get this stuff off? Don't really want to buy something that might not work.
Love the bowl but not with this stuff stuck to the bottom.
Any ideas would be a great help.
Thanks,
PR

[nykym]

1. Add a little

baking soda to the vinegar and let sit for about an hour.

[ShazamIam]

2. Don't dilute the vinegar and it might take several days of soaking, change the scrub and refresh

the vinegar daily. Another said add baking soda, yes it boosts the vinegar action.




Edit: is to it

[bucolic_frolic]

3. The acid in vinegar dissolves calcium/lime buildup

But it sure takes more than an hour.

[multigraincracker]

4. I have a couple of pounds of BBs

I use to clean the insides of old bottles. They are re-usable too. A little cleaner and water and roll it around.

[gibraltar72]

5. CLR

[KS Toronado]

6. If all above suggestions don't work, use a hammer & chisel.

[Vinca]

7. If it's glass it might be a goner. Once those darn water stains get in a glass vase it's really

hard to bring them back. Pottery is a little easier to deal with. I've been wondering if that toilet cleaner you can buy that's made for lime scale and rust might work if you let it sit overnight. I might try that the next time I've got that problem.