Le Creuset Dutch Oven: A Non-Toxic and Effective Way to Remove Stubborn Stains

The Beginning

It happened when I used my Le Creuset dutch oven to make bagels. The inside turned from slight discoloration, to dark stains.

After trial and error, I finally got the clean I wanted without resorting to harsh chemicals. Note that I used these measurements for a 6 3/4 dutch oven.

The Tools

• Water
• Distilled vinegear (4 cups roughly)
• Baking powder (1 1/2 to 2 cups)
• Non abrasive scrub. I used a natural kitchen loofah by Eney.
• A stained dutch oven.

Here’s what I did:

• Add water to your Le Creuset dutch oven, about half-way, and add 3 tbs of baking powder and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
• Remove water while still a bit hot–be careful not to burn yourself. To the hot dutch oven, add distilled vinegar, about 4 cups, and 1/2 cup of baking powder. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
• Remove solution.
• Add 1 tbs of baking powder and scrub with a kitchen loofah. You can try any non-abrasive scrub, but I did not test this method with other options. You should see the stain rubbing away. I kept adding baking powder and scrubbing until I got it this clean. It took about 3 minutes and added a tablespoon of baking soda 3 times.