layers of leftover tea

See that orange flask over on the right there? Got back last weekend from several weeks on the road, and that flask served me well. Quite well.

There was a patina left over from all that tea, and I was faced with a dilemma. Many people believe you never clean a teapot. That the caked on remains of earlier tea supposedly enhances your newly brewed tea. Ok, I'm still undecided on this, but that's a teapot. What about a thermos? Is it the same thing?

I've used different products on the German market and good old vinegar is sometimes the most effective at taking away the old tea. But once again, is cleaning my teapot or my flask actually hurting the taste of my tea?

Do you clean your teapot? With what?

How to clean a teapot?

So, it's almost Good Friday and I'm going to try something a bit different here today.

I'm going to bring up a #tea topic, and ask for advice. Because I live with a very fastidious German woman, I have my opinions based on her very strong views. But I want to hear new ideas. Your ideas.

How do you clean your tea paraphernalia? Your pot, your cups and saucers?

What tips or tricks do you have to wash away the tea residue that makes me sometimes wonder, "Are my insides also becoming this dark brown colour?"