Would you believe me if I told you that hot water, a scribe brush, and some baking soda are everything you need to keep your enameled cast iron Dutch oven clean?
I'll keep this post short and to the point since you're likely already wearing your cleaning gloves and can't wait to get rid of all the stains on your cast iron Dutch oven!
With before, during, and after pictures + a video, you'll know exactly what to do in no time!
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What to Watch Out For?
I have a cast iron Dutch oven with enamel coating from Lodge and since I use it so much, it gets dirty; from stuck-on food on the bottom of the pot to slight stains all the way up on the sides. And let's not forget about some burnt areas.
If you're like me and refuse to use toxic cleaners to remove stubborn stains, you'll love this method!
How to Clean Lodge Enameled Dutch Oven
Cleaning enameled cast iron cookware can be tough: you don't want to scratch your enameled cast iron pots and damage enamel coating, but tough stains definitely need more than a soft sponge and cold water.
Luckily, baking soda is excellent at getting rid of persistent stains (especially brown stains!) while being nice to your enameled cookware.
Put your Dutch oven on a cooking surface and fill it with 2 cups of water. Add 4 tablespoons of baking soda.
Turn on the high heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then turn off the heat. Wait until the water reaches a temperature you are comfortable to work in.
Use a scrub brush to tackle the stains.
Get rid of the baking soda water (which is probably very dirty at this point) and fill it with warm soapy water. Clean off any remaining stains with a nylon scrubbing pad or non-abrasive sponge - just stay away from pads with metal wires or anything too abrasive.
Hint: avoid the thermal shock by never washing your enamel Dutch oven with cold water when it is still very hot. I know I was guilty of doing that often back in the day when I didn't know about the dangers of it. Essentially, when you expose your enamel coating to sudden drastic temperature changes, the material shrinks and expands quickly, which can cause cracks in the enamel finish!
More Tips and Tricks
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
The "Recipe"
How to Clean Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Equipment
- 1 scrub brush
- 1 non-abrasive sponge
Materials
- 4 tablespoons baking soda
Instructions
- Put your Dutch oven on a cooking surface and fill it with 2 cups of water. Add 4 tablespoons of baking soda.
- Turn on the high heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then turn off the heat. Wait until the water reaches a temperature you are comfortable to work in.
- Use a scrub brush to tackle the stains.
- Get rid of the baking soda water (which is probably very dirty at this point) and fill it with warm soapy water. Clean off any remaining stains with a nylon scrubbing pad or non-abrasive sponge - just stay away from pads with metal wires or anything too abrasive.
Video
Notes
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Kristine Beard says
Wow! You make it look so easy. I struggle with the stains when I make sourdough bread in there. I’m definitely going to try your baking soda instructions!
Tina says
Hi Kristine,
the stains on my Dutch oven are almost exclusively from baking sourdough, and those are the easiest to get off with baking soda! So definitely try it =D