Cleaning Enameled Cast Iron With Vinegar: How To Do It! - Smart Living Idea (2023)

It goes without saying that using cast iron cookware helps to bring out some of the best flavors. In addition to being well known for this use, cast iron is also well known for being somewhat difficult to maintain, at least with conventional cast iron.

To begin with, seasoning is never necessary for maintaining enameled cast iron. Using dish soap, lukewarm, and a nylon scrub brush, you can wash it by hand or in the dishwasher, along with other kitchenware and dishes.

Enameled Cast Iron Cleaning Materials

Added excellent news is coming your way! To effortlessly remove stuck-on food residue from enamel-coated cookware, you don’t need to don those long rubber gloves or use harsh chemicals. You merely need these items for cleaning:

• One and a half cups of Vinegar
• Half a cup Arm and Hammer Borax and Soda

Just keep in mind to use around 1 part baking soda to 4 parts vinegar if you need to change these quantities depending on the size of your cookware or the amount of mess.

How To Clean Enameled Cast Iron With Vinegar?

Let me remind you once more that you should always let the cookware sit overnight, or at least reach room temperature, before washing it. Thermal stress can come from accidentally using chilled liquid on a hot skillet and can force the enameled exterior to shatter. However, it’s time to go to work after your pan has thoroughly cooled.

Method 1

Make a paste by combining baking soda and water. To remove minor stains, use 1 tablespoon of the paste; to remove more difficult stains and spots, use 3–5 tablespoons. Spread the paste within, then leave it to soak for a few hours or overnight. After the soak, you can scrape off the food remnants using a cloth or wooden spatula. An even better choice is to clean the spots using a toothbrush, ideally an electric toothbrush.

Use household vinegar as a spray to treat tougher stains and marks that weren’t entirely gone. After some time, use a brush, towel, or spatula to clean it. Once finished, clean the Dutch oven well in water to remove any remaining vinegar and baking soda stains. Repeat this process as necessary until the outcome.

Method 2

The cleaning supplies and scrub brush should be gathered first. The Vinegar and baking soda should be measured correctly.

• Place the baking soda on top of the Vinegar after you’ve added it to the unclean pan.
• After ten minutes, you can take the pan from the heat and let the Vinegar and baking soda mixture do.
• With a nylon household scrub brush, remove the filth next. When done cleaning, safely dispose of the used cleaning solution.
• Lastly, clean the enameled kitchenware with a damp cloth or warm, soapy water.
• Next, put the pan away after drying it with a napkin or paper towel.

Guidelines For Cleaning Enameled Cast Iron

• When cleaning enameled cookware, never use metal utensils or scrubbers. The porcelain enamel will be damaged by metal or maybe chip. For weekly cleaning, using warm water, liquid soap, and a nylon brush or sponge is the most acceptable method for weekly mild cleaning. Prior to storing, make sure you thoroughly dry the cookware with a towel or paper towel.
• Commit to utilizing nylon pads or scrubbers to remove challenging food residue whenever you need greater scrub strength for complex problems.
• Cookware made of cast iron takes more time to heat up and cool down than other cookware. Choose to use cooking oil or spritz on the pan and gradually preheat it over medium heat to help avoid food from initially adhering to it.
• Avoid flipping food before it is genuinely ready when it’s time to turn to cook food. Continue cooking the food until it releases readily if it seems to stick to the pan’s surface.
• Avoid citrus juices, citrus-based cleaning products, and dishwasher cleansers to prevent numbing the enamel sheen. Although it won’t hurt the enamel, it will lose some of its lovely, sparkling luster.
• If you use enameled cast iron frequently for cooking, staining may develop spontaneously. Consider using an enamel cookware cleanser to remove tough food stains.

Using Bleach And Water On Enameled Cast Iron

According to some recommendations, you should only wash your cookware with water and bleach once or twice a year. This is the most harmful option on the list, even though this method is perfect for removing stains and spots. Use caution and only implement this strategy if the above mentioned alternatives are unsuccessful.

Many hours or overnight should be spent soaking the inside with 1 teaspoon of bleach to 1 pint of water. Clean up with a sponge or cloth. The bleach plus water mixture should not be heated and should not be used straight or in a 50/50 blend.

Other Ways To Clean Enameled Cast Iron

Le Creuset Cookware Detergent

As mentioned above, the time has come to introduce some cleaning chemicals if the method fails. Le Creuset’s cast-iron enamel cleanseris the most frequently suggested cleaning agent. While keeping the interior of your LC as glossy and new as possible, it is not as abrasive as other cleaning methods. As a result of it not being as severe, it could not remove stubborn burnt-on stains immediately. Before using it, carefully review the guidelines and directions.

In addition to Bon Ami, Bar Keepers Friend, and Efferdent, there are three other more potent cleaning agents that you should use with caution. These are a lot rougher than the cleaner for Le Creuset. Use it gently to avoid dulling the luster and scratching the enamel. You shouldn’t use a brush or pad when using Bon Amior Bar Keepers. It’s preferable to use a sponge or cloth.

How Is Enamel Cast Iron Cleaned Of Stains?

Using items like Bar Keepers Friend or baking powder is one of the most acceptable ways to get stains off of enamel cast iron (a pantry standard). However, for more difficult stains, use a cleaning solution of 3 tablespoons per quart of water and let the mixture sit for two to three hours.

How to Take Care of Enamel Cast Iron

The mixture use, cleaning, storing, and restoration of these attractive pots and pans are all part of caring for enameled cast iron.

Avoiding using metal utensils when utilizing these is one of the critical care strategies. If you utilize metal, you’ll notice that the surface has been compromised and has these gray stains.

Avoiding intense flames is another option. Your pan outside may become scorched from exposure to intense flames. You can find it challenging to recover it to its former brilliance.

Is Cast Iron Enamel Safe For Vinegar Use?

On enamel cast iron, Vinegar can be used to clean it. Still, it might not be able to remove some tarnished spots that are particularly difficult to remove.

Is Baking Soda Bad For Enameled Cast Iron?

Cast iron does fine with baking soda. For all types of cookware, it serves as a universal cleaner. To optimize the efficiency and to prevent rust while still being stored with cast iron, it is crucial to re-season the pan after applying baking soda.

Maintaining Enameled Cast Iron

If you don’t keep them correctly, you risk peeling the enamel and revealing the black cast iron underneath. Resist heaping the pots and pans, but if there isn’t much room, use pan protectors to avoid excessive stains and chips.

What Causes Stains On Enameled Cast Iron?

Using a dishwasher, abrasive cleansers, or metal utensils frequently can cause the enamel heating area of enameled cast iron to fade and become dull over time. Porousness develops on the surface.

The cookware’s once-lustrous gloss becomes stained by carbon buildup or food coloring deposits in the micro pores. After washing, any oils and fats left on the exterior will be burned by heat; therefore, it’s crucial to wash and dry items carefully to eliminate any leftover material.

Final Thoughts

There are benefits to using cast iron instead of other cookware materials in your kitchen. Cookware made of enameled cast iron doesn’t require seasoning like cookware made of traditional cast iron. Most people choose Dutch ovens when it comes to enameled cookware.

These tips will lead you to take better care of your cookware. They will stain, and even though this won’t affect how well they work, you might want to get the stain out for aesthetic reasons. Many home cooks find a creamy interior more appealing than one that is dark and stained.