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Thread: Citric Acid

  1. #1
    Boolit Grand Master


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    Citric Acid

    I’ve used citric acid for a long time to clean brass. After buying small quantities at high prices I bought six kilos for almost nothing. Besides brass, I use it to help remove light rust deposits sometimes.

    I drink green tea every morning with a lot of fresh lemon squeezed into it. Once when I was out of lemons, I decided to try adding some citric acid. It says food grade on the container. It worked great. Not exactly the taste of fresh lemon, but pretty darn close. I now use it often when we are out of fresh lemons. It would probably be good in iced tea too. If someone were pack packing, it weighs a lot less then lemons.

  2. #2
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    You can use it to clean your coffee maker too. Just add a teaspoon to a full water reservoir and run it thru then rinse with clean water.
    Steve,

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    Quote Originally Posted by Minerat View Post
    You can use it to clean your coffee maker too. Just add a teaspoon to a full water reservoir and run it thru then rinse with clean water.
    Seems like a waste when white vinegar does the same thing cheaper. Save it for brass.


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  4. #4
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    The vitamin C in your lemon is ascorbic acid, not citric acid. The citric acid won't hurt you and might ease the tea stains on your teeth. In my house, we use a lot of citric acid for both cleaning brass and food preservation.

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    A friends is responsible for cleaning the coffeepots on airplains and they use it to clean and disinfect them. It is a beverage safety thing, and I get free citric acid to clean brass when I need it.
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  6. #6
    Boolit Master

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    So where do we get cheap citric acid?


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    Boolit Grand Master bedbugbilly's Avatar
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    Same question - where is there a source for larger quantities of citric acid in bulk? Thanks.

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
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    I've bought it on Ebay,,shop around for the best bulk price.

  9. #9
    Boolit Master

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    Citric acid isn’t good for your tooth enamel. That’s why the dentists recommend brushing your teeth after eating citrus.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by fiberoptik View Post
    Seems like a waste when white vinegar does the same thing cheaper. Save it for brass.
    I do same but with cider vinegar when I need to deep clean dirty brass (rare).

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by fiberoptik View Post
    So where do we get cheap citric acid?


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    Quote Originally Posted by bedbugbilly View Post
    Same question - where is there a source for larger quantities of citric acid in bulk? Thanks.
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    google foo it. Looks like typical cost is 35 dollars for 5#'s. Amazon has 4000+ listing.
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  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by jaysouth View Post
    The vitamin C in your lemon is ascorbic acid, not citric acid. The citric acid won't hurt you and might ease the tea stains on your teeth. In my house, we use a lot of citric acid for both cleaning brass and food preservation.
    I’m not looking for vitamin C. I get plenty from supplements. I just add it to my tea for the taste.

  15. #15
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    I use Citric Acid instead of Acetic Acid for B&W Photographic Stop Bath.

    Citric Acid is more concentrated than vinegar which is Acetic Acid. It takes a gallon of vinegar to do what a few spoonfuls of Citric Acid will do.
    Mal

    Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.

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  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by GregLaROCHE View Post
    I’ve used citric acid for a long time to clean brass. After buying small quantities at high prices I bought six kilos for almost nothing. Besides brass, I use it to help remove light rust deposits sometimes.

    I drink green tea every morning with a lot of fresh lemon squeezed into it. Once when I was out of lemons, I decided to try adding some citric acid. It says food grade on the container. It worked great. Not exactly the taste of fresh lemon, but pretty darn close. I now use it often when we are out of fresh lemons. It would probably be good in iced tea too. If someone were pack packing, it weighs a lot less then lemons.
    Add a bit of ascorbic acid, too, and you'll probably get a bit closer to the lemon flavor. Vitamin C.

    Bill

  18. #18
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    I use it to clean my tankless hot water heater.
    1/4 cup in 1 1/2 gal. water, pump it thru for and hour then pump clean water

    works good
    Calamity Jake

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    Shoot straight, keepem in the ten ring.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    I only use citric acid for my brass. The coffee pot gets white vinegar for cleaning.
    Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me."

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    or anyone interested, there is a "Sticky" in the Cast Boolits sub-forum on Citric Acid that has 46 pages for your edification. Have fun!
    R.D.M.

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