Here’s how to remove pesky calcium deposits from your stainless steel cookware once and for all.

Stainless steel pans are virtually indestructible, but they come with their own fair share of care requirements. One of the stainless-specific care features to be aware of is calcium deposits (or hard water stains), which looks like blooming white, chalky residue on the cooking surface.

The good news is this is both completely removable and preventable. Read on for more information on how to remove these stains and prevent them from happening altogether.

Table of Contents

1. What Causes Calcium Deposits?
2. How to Remove Calcium Deposits
3. How to Prevent Calcium Deposits on Stainless Steel
4. Ready to Cook?

What Causes Calcium Deposits?

Calcium deposits are also called scale, limescale, hard water stains, or mineral deposits. They’re caused by buildup from “hard” tap water that contains a high amount of calcium or mineral sulfates, which occurs when water flows through deposits of hard minerals like gypsum, chalk, or limestone.

While calcium deposits aren’t harmful to you or your cookware, a buildup over a long period of time can cause bacterial growth, so it’s best to act quickly when you spot this happening.

How to Remove Calcium Deposits

If elbow grease, soap and water, or Stainless Steel Cleaner isn’t getting the residue all the way off, here’s what we recommend. Follow along with our video, or read on for step-by-step instructions.