Is your beloved Le Creuset dutch oven stained from all the searing, browning, stewing and braising? Let’s bring the sparkling clean interior back with this super easy method! No overnight soaking, no boiling vinegar!
I know, I know. My Dutch oven looks horrific! Can you tell I’ve been braising stews and roasts all winter long?
And it brings such a satisfaction to finally clean it and bring that “naked” look back.
Luckily, it takes very little elbow grease and simple ingredients that you probably have on hand. And for the record, this’s not my everyday cleaning method. I usually thoroughly wash and clean my pot after every use with just a dish soap and sponge.
But every once in a while, I get stains build up over time. And do a deep clean like this maybe in once year or so.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO CLEAN YOUR DUTCH OVEN?
- Baking soda
- Water
- Sponge and/or scrubber
Instructions:
- Now if your stains are light, you can cover the area with a baking soda and add a little water to create a paste.
- Let it sit for 30-60 minutes and wash it with a sponge. Everything will wipe away revealing beautiful clean surface.
However, if your pot has heavy built-on stains, we’ll need an extra step.
- Instead of making a paste, we’ll add about an inch of water. Bring it a boil over medium heat and then simmer for a few minutes. And then turn off the heat and let it cool completely.
- Once cooled, wash it with a sponge.
- If you still have stubborn stain left, sprinkle more baking soda and a bit of water to make a paste and scrub it with a sponge or scrubber.
DISCLAIMER: I know, it’s not advised to use abrasive scrubber, but I’ve used it on my enameled dutch oven about 3 times total in 7 years of owning this pot. And I have no problem whatsoever!
Ta-da! Nice and clean Dutch oven ready to be used again for all the stews and pot roasts!
Got more pans to clean?
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Reader's Reviews
Debz says
How can we remove stains from the outside bottom of a Le Creuset Dutch Oven?
How can we make sheet pans look new again?
Mark Rogozinski says
I use about a cup of baking soda,a cup of white vinegar, a quarter cup of salt and about an inch of water. Bring to a boil, turn it off and let it sit for a half an hour, and it typically wipes completely clean. I use the same method for cleaning my walk before I re-season it.
Rhonda Patrick says
Just use a false teeth cleaner like Polident. Fill soiled part with water and drop in a tablet Whitens it just like teeth….lol
I often just leave it sit overnight and in the morning it is clean. They are not expensive and are also good at removing those tomato sauce stains in your plastic containers.
Lisa Potvin says
Baking soda is my go to cleaner for everything ! I love it ! I buy it in 5lb tubs 😊 the same paste method works for me however I add hydrogen peroxide. I also use this to clean my electric stove top ,which I tend to make a mess on when I cook .
Carlos Castro Barrera says
Well, I never tried these methods. What I usually do is mix together 50% Water and 50% Bleach, live it overnight, and Voila, And to get rid of any chemical residue I mix baking soda, white vinegar, and lime juice (equal parts being to a boil and let simmer for about 3 min. and that’s it.
Thnaks
De says
Bleach is really hard on your lungs. It is what mustard gas is made from. Baking soda will not harm you.
Dianne says
I had to do it twice since my pan was so dirty but it worked and it looks so much better. It does take a bit of effort. I gently boiled the water with baking soda for about 30 minutes.
Lloyd Tabor says
Except that it doesn’t work.
Christine says
I agree…. It doesn’t work.
Liz says
My mother used to clean the pans by boiling rhubarb and water in them