How to Wash a Cast Iron Pot

Cast iron pots are a great tool to have in your kitchen to make soups, stews, or pasta. Enamel cast iron pots have a coating that makes them more resilient, while cast iron skillets are simply made of cast iron. Caring for each cookware with their needs in mind helps to extend their life and keep them around much longer. You can clean off baked-on pieces and stains with a little elbow grease to keep making delicious meals in your cast iron pot for years to come.

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Cleaning Cast Iron Skillets after Cooking

1. Wash your skillet while it is still warm. Cast iron skillets don’t need to cool down before you start cleaning them. Move your skillet directly from the stovetop or the oven to your sink to start cleaning.^[1]
   
2. Scrub your skillet with warm water and mild dish soap. Set your dirty pot in the sink. Run some warm water into the pot and put 1 to 2 drops of mild dish soap into the water. Scrub the bottom and sides of the pot with a plastic scrubber.^[2]
   
   
   • Never use a metal scrub brush to clean your cast iron pot. This could scratch the enamel coating.
   • Don’t let your skillet sit too long in the water or it might rust.
   • If there is any rust on your skillet, use a non-metal scrubber to scrape the rust off entirely.^[3]
3. Rinse your skillet well to remove all soap residue. Dump out the soapy water from the bottom of your pot. Rinse the pot with warm water and make sure all the soap runs out of the bottom. Tip your pot over a few times to make sure it is really clean.^[4]
   
   • Soap residue can cause streaking on the bottom of your pan that is hard to clean off.
4. Dry your skillet with a clean towel. Dump out all the excess water from the bottom of your pot. Use a clean towel to wipe down the interior and exterior of your pot. Make sure it is totally dry so that it doesn’t rust.^[5]
   
   
   • Avoid using paper towels so that you don’t accidentally scratch the surface of your pot.
5. Apply vegetable oil with a paper towel to re-season your skillet. Dab a few drops of vegetable oil onto a paper towel. Rub the paper towel over the bottom and sides of your skillet to re-season it and add some flavor back in after washing.^[6]
   
   
   • Use regular vegetable oil from the grocery store.
6. Store your skillet in a cool, dry place. Place your cast iron pot on a shelf in your kitchen where it will stay dry and at room temperature. Don’t store wet pots and pans on top of it.^[7]
   

[Edit]Scrubbing Baked-On Food off Enamel Cast Iron Pots

1. Sprinkle baking soda into the bottom of your pot. Use enough baking soda to cover the bottom of your pot, or about (15 g). Concentrate the baking soda on the areas that have a lot of food baked onto them.^[8]
   
   
   • Baking soda is mildly abrasive, so it will scrub your pot without scratching it.
2. Add some warm water to the bottom of your pot. Pour some warm water into your pot so that it covers the bottom. Swirl the baking soda and the water together just slightly so that they create a runny mixture.^[9]
   
   
3. Simmer the water and baking soda for 5 minutes. Place your pot onto the stovetop on medium heat. Allow the water and baking soda to simmer, but not boil, for about 5 minutes.^[10]
   
   
   • If your water starts to boil, turn the heat down slightly until the large bubbles go away.
4. Scrub the bottom of your pot with a wooden spoon. Carefully use a wooden spoon or spatula to gently nudge the baked-on pieces off of the bottom of your pot. Use caution so that you don’t spill hot water and baking soda on your stovetop.^[11]
   
   
   • Wooden utensils won’t scratch the surface of your cast iron pot.
5. Rinse out your pot with warm water. Remove your pot from the stove top and dump out the water and baking soda. Rinse it out with warm water to get rid of all the baking soda residue.^[12]
   
   

[Edit]Removing Stains from Enamel Cast Iron Pots

1. Mix a 3:1 ratio of baking soda and water to create a paste. Use a bowl to mix together 3 parts baking soda and 1 part water. Create a thick paste that is not runny or powdery that you can pick up in clumps.^[13]
   
   
2. Dab the paste onto the stained parts with your fingers. Pick up small globs of the baking soda paste with your hands. Spread the paste onto the stained areas of your pot with your fingers. Pay special attention to areas that are deeply stained or have been discolored for a long time.^[14]
   
   
   • You can use this paste on the outside of the pot as well if you need to.
3. Let the paste sit on the pot overnight. Put a lid on your pot to keep it protected and let it sit for about 8 hours, or overnight. Give the baking soda paste time to break down the stains on your pot.^[15]
   
4. Scrub the stains with a plastic scrub brush. Use a plastic scrubbing brush to rub the baking soda into the bottom of your pot. Add a little bit of warm water to your pot if you need to make the paste easier to scrub.^[16]
   
   
   • You can also use a wooden spoon instead of a plastic scrub brush.
5. Rinse out your pot with warm water. Dump the baking soda paste down your drain. Rinse the bottom of your pot out with warm water to remove all of the baking soda residue.^[17]
   
   
   • Baking soda won’t clog your drains.

[Edit]Warnings

• Never put your cast iron pot in the dishwasher. The water gets too hot and could damage the enamel coating.

[Edit]Things You’ll Need

[Edit]Cleaning Cast Iron Skillets after Cooking

• Mild dish soap
• Plastic scrub brush
• Towel

[Edit]Scrubbing Baked-On Food off Enamel Cast Iron Pots

• Baking soda
• Wooden spoon or spatula

[Edit]Removing Stains from Enamel Cast Iron Pots

• Baking soda
• Plastic scrub brush or wooden spoon

[Edit]References

1. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-a-cast-iron-skillet-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-107747
2. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-a-cast-iron-skillet-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-107747
3. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/a46707/how-to-clean-cast-iron/
4. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-a-cast-iron-skillet-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-107747
5. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/a46707/how-to-clean-cast-iron/
6. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/a46707/how-to-clean-cast-iron/
7. ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/a46707/how-to-clean-cast-iron/
8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9rorkvclUc&feature=youtu.be&t=99
9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9rorkvclUc&feature=youtu.be&t=115
10. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9rorkvclUc&feature=youtu.be&t=137
11. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-burnt-stains-off-enameled-cookware-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-217457
12. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-burnt-stains-off-enameled-cookware-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-217457
13. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-a-dutch-oven-253882
14. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-a-dutch-oven-253882
15. ↑ https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-clean-stained-enameled-cast-iron-pot-article
16. ↑ https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-clean-stained-enameled-cast-iron-pot-article
17. ↑ https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/how-to-clean-stained-enameled-cast-iron-pot-article