--- slug: how_to_clean_an_enameled_dutch_oven category_path: home_kitchen/kitchen_dining/cookware/dutch_ovens title: "How to Clean an Enameled Dutch Oven" lead: "Let it cool, then wash enameled cast iron with warm soapy water and a soft sponge or nylon brush — the enamel takes soap, unlike bare cast iron. For brown stains or stuck food, simmer water with a few spoons of baking soda and wipe; skip steel wool, which scratches the enamel." recommendation: name: "Cool it, then soap-and-water wash; simmer baking soda for stains — no steel wool, no thermal shock, no bare-cast-iron rules" reason: "Enameled cast iron (unlike bare cast iron) has a glass coating, so it needs no seasoning and does take dish soap — but that same enamel chips and stains, which is what cleaning is about. Let the pot cool before washing, since plunging hot enamel into cold water can crack it, then wash with warm soapy water and a soft sponge or nylon brush. For the brown film that builds on light interiors, or stuck-on food, fill the pot with enough water to cover it, add a few tablespoons of baking soda, and simmer 10-15 minutes, then cool and wipe the loosened residue away; a baking-soda paste works on spots. Avoid steel wool, scouring powders, and metal utensils, which scratch and dull the enamel — use wood or silicone. Dry it well and leave the lid ajar in storage so no moisture sits inside. It's the same pot our enamel-vs-bare guide covers, just cleaned by the enamel's rules, not cast iron's." published: 2026-07-08 updated: 2026-07-08 ---