---
slug: how_to_clean_a_pizza_stone
category_path: home_kitchen/kitchen_dining/bakeware/pizza_stones
type: informational
title: "How to Clean a Pizza Stone"
lead: "Let it cool completely, scrape off stuck food with a bench scraper, and wipe with a barely-damp cloth — never soap and never a soak, because the porous stone drinks both in. Dark stains and scorch marks are normal seasoning; leave them."
recommendation:
  name: "Cool it, scrape, wipe with a barely-damp cloth — no soap, no soaking; burn off the rest in the oven"
  reason: "A pizza stone is porous, so soap soaks in and taints the next crust, and plunging a hot stone into water (or a cold stone into a hot oven) can crack it from thermal shock — the two mistakes to avoid above all. After it cools, scrape stuck-on bits away with a metal bench scraper or spatula, then wipe with a cloth wrung out almost dry; for a stubborn patch, scrub with a paste of baking soda and a little water and wipe clean. Grease that stays behind simply burns off the next time you run the oven hot, and the browning and dark blotches that build up are harmless — a well-used stone is supposed to look stained. Dry it fully before storing so it doesn't grow musty."
published: 2026-07-08
updated: 2026-07-08
---


<ComparisonTable
  columns={["Step / method", "Do", "Don't"]}
  rows={[
    ["Everyday", "Cool fully, scrape, wipe barely-damp", "No soap; no soaking"],
    ["Stubborn spots", "Baking-soda paste, scrub, wipe", "No steel wool gouging"],
    ["Leftover grease", "Burn it off next hot bake", "Don't scrub for hours"],
    ["Stains / darkening", "Leave them — normal seasoning", "Don't bleach or sand"],
  ]}
/>