citric acid for steriliser

[magnum]

I've got an Avent steam steriliser and have run out of the citric acid powder that I use to descale it. Does anyone know where you can buy more from? I asked our local chemist and he said I will have trouble finding it. I can't see why as if you have a steam steriliser you need it!

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Thanks, should have thought to try there first!

You can order it from the Avent website (under accessories in the webshop).

Indian grocery stores usually sell it.

I think it would be worthwhile trying another chemist - an independent one, rather than one of the big chains. If not, then you can use vinegar instead of citric acid powder.

Isn't this the same as vitamin C powder? I bought some for my breadmaker in Sainsbury's pharmacy.

I always used lemon juice - a top tip from a friend of mine

Actually if you read the ingredients on the descalers that you get at every supermarket to do your kettle/iron etc., they too are just citric acid (or at least the ones I've used are). Probably cheaper to get those than the avent ones. Or even cheaper, use lemon juice like iota. I might even try it in my kettle.

I used white vinegar on mine saying that i didn't know you had to descale them for months so I think it was beyond help.

Any pharmacy sells it, it's not expensive about 60p a box. They will ask you what you want it for though, I think that you may be able to use a different type of citric acid for baking but not the same one you use for steam steriliser.

Thanks for all your replies. I looked on the Avent website, the citric acid only costs 35p but the postage is something like £3. I will try Boots next time I'm in town or the lemon juice/vinegar sounds good.

Boots no longer do citric acid. They do a steam steriliser descaler than contains lactic acid instead. Only a little more expensive than citric acid, and I couldn't be bothered trailing around the little independent chemists trying to find some. If you have a micro-brewery or a home-brew shop nearby, you should be able to get citric acid from them, because I believe it's used for making beer (or wine?).

boyandgirl, thanks I just need something that will work on the steriliser. You don't realise how much they need it until you see what comes out when you de-scale. I tend to do it every couple of weeks now. I will go to Boots and ask for the lactic acid descaler. Do I need to go to the pharmacy and ask or do you think it will be in the baby section?

magnum, I've just got some from boots. but I had to order it. the pharmacist, who I know which is why she ordered it for me, said that it is no longer much supplied to ordinary punters, because it is commonly used to cut drugs before you inject them!!!!!!!
so those of us with more mundane lives who just want to descale the steriliser have to convince chemists that we aren't addicts....
funny old world

So thats why the chemist gave me a funny look when I asked for it!! I wondered why they said I'd have trouble finding it as I thought it would be available anywhere.

It's so long since I sterilised anything, that I don't remember how or where at Boots I got the stuff.

Hmmm, interesting, PPH, I didn't know that. Reminds me of how it used to be quite difficult for me to get syringes without a prescription, when I needed them for my cake decorating.

White Vinegar should shift limescale, especially if you can leave it overnight. Works wonders on my loo anyway

It does say use vinegar in the Avent literature, but sorry I don't have mine any more!

Tried vinegar and lemon juice both of which worked wonders but stank out my steriliser. Tried mothercare and avent's descaler and they are still the best. Can get lots of stuff on ebay. Avent now sells it for 50p on their online shop.

PPH, I found that out the hard way when I tried every pharmacy near my office a few years ago and couldn't understand why I was getting such a cold shoulder until one kindly pharmacist explained why they didn't stock it.

I worked just off the Tottenham Court Road in London.

mothercare and boots both sell steriliser de-scaler but as mentioned before it has lactic acid rather than citric acid. In mothercare I think it was beside the sterilisers, cant remember where they were in Boots but probably somewhere in the baby section. I hardly ever do mine but we do have nice soft water in Scotland!!

Avent suggests vinegar:
Pour 100ml vinegar mixed with 200ml cold water into steriliser. Allow to stand in the unit until any lime scale has dissolved. Empty the unit and rinse thoroughly.

Hi any time anybody is looking for Citric Acid, it can be bought easily on Ebay, I buy all of mine there and much cheaper than the shops!

Hi I have just bought some citric acid powder to descale but I don't know how much powder to add to how much water?? I have an Avent Steriliser.

Go to boots online, and enter steriliser descaler. You can order this to collect from store and therefore wont have to pay delivery charges.