A Step-By-Step Guide to Cleaning a Pizza Stone

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The key to making the perfect homemade pizza is using a pizza stone. And now that you have one, you eventually need to clean it. Our guide explains how to clean a pizza stone—what you should and shouldn’t use—and provides a few other helpful tips.

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Should Pizza Stones Be Cleaned?

A pizza stone is an excellent tool in the kitchen that can last for a long time if you learn the right way to use a pizza stone and care for it properly. Pizza stones require special care; you can’t just put them in the washer and hope for the best. And you can’t just leave them to soak overnight in water and soap and expect the stones to be unaffected.

Cleaning a pizza stone is essential, but not in the traditional sense. Pizza stones are made from such porous materials as ceramic, stone, or cast iron, absorbing moisture and other substances you put on them. They can also withstand extreme heat—so most germs are killed off in the oven. But if you don’t want a soggy pizza, you need to clean the stone after usage to get that crispy crust.

Pizza Stone Cleaning Don’ts

When cleaning your stone, you need to remember what you shouldn’t put on it. Your stone will absorb the scent and flavour of whatever you apply to it, and everything you bake in the future will absorb that essence.

Water—only in small quantities—is the only liquid you should apply to your stone. The following list includes items you should never put on your stone.

❌ Soap

❌ Cleaning chemicals

❌ Parchment paper

❌ Oil

❌ Any type of seasoning

When learning how to clean your pizza stone, remember that if you use any of the above products, you’ll taste these in the next pizza you make. You also need to be careful not to use certain products around your stone, as many are poisonous when ingested.

DID YOU KNOW? Pizza stones can be used for many things besides baking and reheating a pizza. They’re excellent for reheating leftover food and baking meat and vegetables.

Key Takeaways

Pizza stones are made from porous materials and require special care and careful cleaning.
A pizza stone shouldn’t be submerged in water or cleansed with soap or other chemicals.
Scrapers, spatulas, and brushes can be used to clean pizza stones.
Using the proper method, stains, burnt spots, and mould can be removed from a pizza stone.

How to Clean a Pizza Stone Properly

The following section addresses what to use to clean your stone and how to clean dirty, mouldy, burnt, or damaged pizza stones.

What to Use to Clean a Pizza Stone

The tools you can use to clean a pizza stone are typically found in any household. But to lift baked-on food, the utensil needs to be thin enough to slide between the residue and stone. Other ways of cleaning your stone can include the following items.

  • Scraper
  • Plastic or metal spatula
  • Toothbrush
  • Blunt knife
  • Stone brush
  • Scouring pad
  • Soft sandpaper

Knowing how to clean a pizza stone sold on UK markets is essential. When you decide to use one of these tools, remember that most can scratch the stone’s surface. But even if they do, it’s a better option than using soap or cleaning chemicals that will seep into the stone’s texture and stay forever.

DID YOU KNOW? Choosing the right cheese for pizza is one of the essential steps of pizza preparation. So why not combine several kinds of cheeses for the perfect pizza?

Cleaning a Pizza Stone: A Step-By-Step Guide

When cleaning your stone, don’t rush the process. Follow our step-by-step instructions for a gleaming clean pizza stone.

#1 Wet the Surface of the Stone

Wet the surface of your stone with hot water, but use as little water as possible. A small stream of water across the stone or a damp cloth will suffice.

#2 Use a Tool

How to clean a pizza oven stone includes using the tools we’ve already listed. We recommend either a scraper or a toothbrush to start brushing the stone. More abrasive tools, such as stone brushes or sandpaper, should be used only in extreme cases because they scratch the stone’s surface.

#3 Wipe With a Damp Cloth

You must remove all leftover food particles from the stone using a damp cloth. Any food remnants will stick to the fabric, and the stone will be immaculate.

#4 Dry the Stone

The question of how do you clean a pizza stone also includes the last step of drying the stone. You can use a clean, dry towel to dry it off, but it’s best if you let it air dry for at least 24 hours before using it again.

DID YOU KNOW? Most store their pizza stones in the oven, which is quite practical, as you don’t need to find storage for it in your kitchen. It’s also less likely to break since you won’t be lugging it around your kitchen.

How to Clean a Stained Pizza Stone

Over time, stains will begin to appear on your stone. Fortunately, cleaning a pizza stone with baking soda can help remove the stains and give your stone its old shine back. Take the following steps to clean your stone with baking soda.

  1. Scrape all leftover food from the stone.
  2. Make a paste of equal parts with water and baking soda (e.g., one tablespoon each).
  3. Using a brush, gently scrub the paste onto the stains.
  4. Scrub in circles until the stains benign to fade.
  5. Wipe the paste off with a damp cloth.
  6. Let the stone dry.

If you’re cleaning grease stains, allow the baking soda paste to sit a few minutes after applying it, and then scrub and wipe it off.

When cleaning a pizza stone, remember that it’s natural for the stone to stain, and you shouldn’t over-clean it, as this can cause permanent damage. The darker the stone, the more seasoned it is—your pizza won’t likely stick to the surface.

DID YOU KNOW? Unlike pots and pans, when you buy a new pizza stone, to avoid sticking in the future, it’s best to season it naturally by baking, for example, cookies or other buttery baked goods, which will melt just enough grease to season the stone.

How to Clean a Pizza Stone That Is Burnt

How to clean a pizza stone that is black and burnt is a concern for many. If none of the cleaning methods we’ve listed works, you can try a different approach. You can take the following steps to deep-clean the stone at a high temperature in your oven.

  1. Put the stone in an unheated oven on the top rack.
  2. Heat the oven to at least 260°C.
  3. Bake the stone for at least one hour.
  4. Once grease bubbles stop forming, start the auto-clean cycle to clean the pizza stone.
  5. Bits of leftover food will burn, so don’t be surprised if you see smoke.
  6. Once the cycle has finished, let the oven cool down.
  7. Remove the cooled stone from the oven and wipe it down with a clean towel.

You shouldn’t skip any of the above steps to remove the burnt spots on your stone. But if this doesn’t work, you can try scrubbing the burnt areas with some soft sandpaper.

DID YOU KNOW? Baking a pizza on a pizza stone in the oven is quicker than baking it on a metal pan. With a stone, you only need to bake the pizza for approximately 10 minutes before it’s ready to eat.

Cleaning a Pizza Stone With Mould

Although it doesn’t happen often, a pizza stone may develop mould from exposure to too much moisture. If you have such a problem, you must know how to clean the pizza oven stone to remove the mould or mildew without damaging it.

Many substances remove mould or mildew (hydrogen peroxide, bleach, etc.) but shouldn’t be applied to the stone because it will absorb the chemicals in them. We recommend the following steps.

  1. Mix a teaspoon of baking soda with a bit of vinegar.
  2. Apply the paste to a brush and scrub the mould.
  3. Clean off the paste with a damp cloth.

If this pizza stone cleaning method proves ineffective against the mould, you should throw the stone away. Mould or mildew is dangerous if ingested. (To stop mould from forming in the first place, make sure your stone is dry before storing it.)

DID YOU KNOW? Pizza stones (or baking stones) have been used for 20,000 years. There’s evidence that cave dwellers made their baking stones from wheat germ and water and placed them over a fire to cook their food.

How to Dry a Pizza Stone

As mentioned, drying your pizza stone is essential. After thoroughly cleaning it, you need to wipe it down effectively with a dry towel, but this isn’t enough. You also need to let the stone air-dry to ensure all the moisture has evaporated.

Cleaning your pizza stone and drying it properly is key to the stone’s longevity and taste. It’s best if you prop up the stone or put it on a baking rack so that airflow around it is uninterrupted. Allow the stone to dry for at least two hours. But some professional bakers recommend letting it dry for 24 hours before using it again.

DID YOU KNOW? Moisture build-up in a stone or placing a cool one in a hot oven can cause your pizza stone to crack. Avoiding these two things will enable you to use your stone for a long time.

Conclusion

We hope that our detailed guide has helped you learn how to clean your pizza stone and manage problems that may arise with it. Remember that some staining and blackening are expected when you’ve used your stone for a while. But with proper care and cleaning, your pizza stone can last for years.

FAQ

What happens if you use soap on a pizza stone?

When you use soap on a pizza stone, the stone will absorb the soap, and anything you cook on the stone afterwards will take the taste and smell of soap. So using soap on a pizza stone is a big NO.

How do you take care of a pizza stone?

Taking care of a pizza stone involves cleaning and drying it properly and not permitting chemicals or moisture to come in contact with it. You should also keep it in the oven to lower the risk of breaking.

How do you clean a pizza stone before first use?

How to clean a pizza stone before using it is a common question. First, wipe it down with a damp cloth and leave it to air-dry. Once the stone is dry, feel free to use it for your first stone-baked pizza.

ABOUT AUTHOR

I am a curiosity-driven creature searching for answers — and questions — in the digital realm. From marketing through online business creation to software tools — I am fascinated by everything that can make life easier. When not looking for meaning, yoga and good food keep me grounded.

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