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 Interactions
Marlys Boll says
In step three: You add about 1 inch of water to the soda that is already in the pot. Simmer 1-3 minutes/cool. Shouldn’t that water/soda be as high as the stain?
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Shinee says
Hi, Marlys. Great question! So I’ve done it both ways, and I was able to clean the sides even when I didn’t cover it with water. That being said, in my pot, the sides didn’t have as much stain as the bottom, so that may have made it easier.
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Amy says
I’ve used this on two of my Dutch ovens and it worked. I did have to do it twice on my older one because I had never tried to deep clean.
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Shinee says
I’m glad you tried this method and it worked for you. You’re right, some older stains may need a little extra help. Thank you for your feedback, Amy!
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Lisa Sharpe says
I have also found that a magic eraser works beautifully!
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bimla kumar says
I have one Juicer there is plastic container has white spots hard to clean . what to do .
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Heather says
Fantastic
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Shelby says
I am amazed at how well this worked! This well help with my future cleaning tremendously.
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Darlene Bray says
A spray of oven cleaner works a charm, been using if for years to bring back pans that have been neglected.
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Thomas Clemmer says
79 years old and remember the pet name for rhubarb was “pot cleaner” in our house loved comeing home to “pot cleaner pie”
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Cheri B says
Boil rhubarb in water for ten minutes and it will clean like new and not harm the enamel.
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sally says
I too tried this method.
and as with other readers experienced
it didn’t work. Perhaps time to remove the post so others don’t waste precious time with it.
I will try the suggestions other readers provided.Reply
Theresa says
Can you still use your Dutch oven if it has a crack in the coating
Thank you
TheresaReply
Shinee says
I have no idea, Theresa. I’d reach out to the manufacturer.
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sandy halliburton says
i did this today on a pot that looks just like this one. did the “heavy cleaning and it did not do a thing! not. one. thing.
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Vin says
This may sound crazy to some but I just do a light spray of bleach. Let it sit for a minute and then wash with soapy water. Does the trick. No scrubbing, no damage to the enamel.
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Dianna says
I tried the baking soda cleaning method and it didn’t work. Save yourself the headache and use hydrogen peroxide and 2 tsp. Baking soda. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes. Let the water cool and wash pot with soap and water. My Dutch oven looks like new!
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Donna says
So you’re using water and peroxide and baking soda? Or just peroxide and baking soda??
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Deborah says
This is great information on how to clean your stained Dutch oven.
Now I can clean mine in bad shape.
Thanks for this inspirationReply
sandy halliburton says
i hope you’re not as disappointed as i was!
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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?Reply
karin says
I use Barkeepers friend to keep my sheet pans and other stainless steel pots shiny and clean.
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Annie Cox says
Put your sheet pans in the oven face down next time you clean your oven. They come out like new!
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LouT says
I use oven cleaner to clean the outside of all my Le Creuset pots and the look like I just bought them and I’ve had them for over 30 years!
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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.
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Michael L. LaBerge says
BAKING SODA CANCELS OUT VINEGAR SO YOU END UP WITH SOMETHING SIMILAR TO PLAIN WATER.
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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.Reply
Marianne says
If you wash you plastic containers in cold soapy water first then dump and wash in hot water. They’re clean and many won’t have that red stain but if they do put them outside in the sun and that takes care of it.
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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 .
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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
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De says
Bleach is really hard on your lungs. It is what mustard gas is made from. Baking soda will not harm you.
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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.
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Lloyd Tabor says
Except that it doesn’t work.
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Christine says
I agree…. It doesn’t work.
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Liz says
My mother used to clean the pans by boiling rhubarb and water in them
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