Problem with our mugs of tea!

[Rory's Dad]

We are very happy here in Norfolk including the all important taste of our tea (Lidl Assam @ 89p for 50 bags) but our mugs look rather unpleasant.

Anglian Water came up with all sorts of suggestions but refused to comment on the advisability of adding a water softener or filter.

What would you suggest??

[Marcus Barlow - Show and Events Co-ordinator]

9 minutes ago, Rory's Dad said:

 

What would you suggest??

Have a coffee :-)

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

Pour you water through a tea strainer.

[Olliebeak]

Follow Guy Martin's lead and NEVER wash your tea mug.

[pistonbroke]

Make an appointment with gypsy rosa lee 

 

 

[Stu Faulkner]

A couple of 'F' bombs in there but its quite funny.

[Captain Colonial]

Move back to Yorkshire.

[John Loudon - Sponsorship Liaison]

Hot water with bleach in it. Leave for 10 minutes then wash normally

 

[Andy Banks]

Powdercoat your mugs.

[Onliest Smeg David]

7 hours ago, Rory's Dad said:

What would you suggest??

Move to LANCASHIRE 

[chris parkin]

scotch brite does wonders for stained mugs!

If you chose to wash it after you've done that is up to you......

[Rory's Dad]

I'm not bothered about CLEANING our mugs - we just don't want to get them STAINED like this in the first place!

So what do we do?  Add a water softener or a filter??  Does anyone know how to prevent this scum from forming in the first place???

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

Here you go.

Copied and pasted.

 

It never fails to amaze me that such seemingly simple questions can be the cause of real scientific controversy. Up to the mid-1990s scientists believed the scum on a cup of tea came from a thin layer of a waxy substance that coated the leaves and helped to waterproof them. When the leaves were put in hot water, the film melted to form a thin oily layer that floated on the surface of the tea. However, in 1994, chemists from Imperial College did some very careful research. They sampled the scum from cups of tea made in different ways and with different types of water, and did detailed chemical analyses to find that a key component of the scum layer is calcium. The scum, or at least 15% of it, is calcium carbonate - the rest being a lot of complex organic chemicals. In other words, it is not oil.

The major finding from this ongoing research is that for the scum to form, the water needs to contain a lot of calcium ions (more prevalent in hard water areas), while the tea leaves supply the organic chemicals.

So the answer to your question is that the scum comes from the combination of the chemicals in the tea with those in the water. To reduce the scum you could use a water softener, add lemon (or any other acid) or move to Manchester!

[Captain Colonial]

Martin, I'm trying to reconcile your self-proclaimed desire for the all-important taste of your tea with the fact you're buying Lidl tea bags for less than 2p a bag.  You don't think using cheapo tea bags might be related to stained mugs?  Surely a multi-millionaire like yourself can stretch to something better like, dare I say it, Yorkshire Tea?  You must feel you're worth it.  I've seen this sort of staining due to no namo tea bags.

[Captain Colonial]

Or, put the tea bag in your mouth and drink boiling water straight from the kettle, sloshing it around the inside of your mouth until the taste is perfect.*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* do not do this unless you're insane