I can hardly believe I did this, but I did and now I need all the help I can get. In the frenzy of throwing things away and ferociously cleaning whatever's left, I decided that my white teapot needed to be soaked in bleach water to remove the tea stains from the inside. I'm happy to report that the inside of my teapot is sparkly white again. But then...I noticed that the spout also had stains inside. So I took some absorbent cotton and soaked it in the bleach water and started poking it around the inside of the spout. And. the. cotton. fell. in. And now there is a wad of cotton stuck in the spout, which is all classically curvy, and it blocks any possibility of pouring liquid through the spout, in either direction.
Any ideas for how to fish this wad of wet cotton out? I think I have to use something kind of rigid, but also bendy and also grippy. (Please avoid scathing comments on my idiocy. I already know what you're thinking.)
11 comments:
This story is the perfect illustration of the French proverb : Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien.
How about some kind of a hook... like the ones you use for fishing?
How about using a pipe cleaner? Can be rigid but also bendable.
Be careful.
Good luck.
A metal coat hanger - the kind you get from the drycleaner. Just cut it and bend it accordingly.
I think a pipe cleaner is a great idea. another option is a q-tip or a plastic straw.
There is a brush store on Herzl across from the new Discount bldg. They have ALL KINDS of interesting brushes. They probably have something like a vase brush that is soft and flexible that will do the trick. If not, the store is worth a trip in itself and the window in front (a brush exhibit!) is begging to be blogged - please photograph for me! Plus is w/i walking distance from your apt.
Claude - Yes, the non-literal translation is "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"
Chancy, Rappy - I'm trying the pipe cleaner, but it's not working. It goes down the curvy spout, but it doesn't snag the cotton.
Moi - If only the dry cleaners in Israel used metal coat hangers! Here it's all plastic.
John - Now I have to add another item to my "to-do" list: visit and photograph the brush store! I'm on my summer heat timetable at the moment: walking only when the sun is down, but that means when many shops are closed. I hope you can wait :-)
Tweezers.
fill spout with water from the spout side until it backs up and "overflows". At this point the cotton will be soaked with water, quickly blow hard into the spout, perhaps will push the cotton back into the pot.
Be careful not to drink any of the water if that cotton ball was soaked in bleach...
Burn it out!
Try compressed air through one of the little holes. Here we can buy it in cans (for blowing the cracker crumbs out of your keyboard). Or take the pot to one of the places where they fix tires.
I bet they have teapot spout brushes in the store that John mentioned. I found such a brush when I Googled your problem.
http://www.fantes.com/cleaners.htm
Post a Comment