Derek:
> Bottled water is *not* mineral free. If you want water with no minerals,
> you need to buy distilled.

Or deionized, which you can also make at home with a cartridge gadget. Or
rainwater.

> Personally, I'm still struggling with lime scale on our electric tea
> kettle. Unfortunately, it's around the rim, and it's in a very difficult
> place to soak in vinegar.

Sodium salts of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) - for those not
afraid of "chemicals" - are a universal descaling agent that rapidly
chelates polyvalent ions like those in lime deposits. It's cheap at hardware
stores, but wear gloves and keep out of eyes. A spongeload may remove
deposits very quickly, or make a "poultice" in a rag or paper towel and
leave it for a while. Some dishwasher detergents are loaded with that,
zeolites, phosphates and other hard-water ion eaters. When I have crusted
old cookware, I usually just soak it for a few hours in hot water with a
cupful or so of the stuff. Watch out - can eat aluminum and some other
metals.

-DM