Hi all, the inner pot of my rice cooker, I think aluminum (looks like stainless steel) has turned white on the bottom and one-third of the way up the sides of it. Actually, the whole pot seems like it's gradually starting to turn white.

Is it the hard water in my area? I tried soaking it with CLR, but that did not help. Does anyone know what is causing this and is it safe to cook rice in it?

Marion