by GuitarPhotog » Fri Feb 07, 2014 8:50 pm
If you are looking for a safe, cheap acid for household cleaning, including cleaning mineral deposits off stainless, use distilled white vinegar. True, hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid) is more concentrated but it's also easier to hurt yourself with.
Distilled white vinegar is for all intents and purposes sterile and is food safe. It doesn't require rinsing even if you are using it straight.
I have used it to clean the stainless steel in my brewery for years. Safe and cheap.
<Chas>