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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?

Artisan sourdough bread in a dutch oven.

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!

Artisan sourdough bread on a cooling rack.

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.

The bottom of enameled cast iron Dutch oven, full of stains.

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.

A gloved hand scrubbing the bottom of enameled Dutch oven.

Use a scrub brush to tackle the stains.

A gloved hand wiping the bottom of enameled dutch oven.

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!

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