How to Clean Your Le Creuset Pots and Pans
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** UPDATE: April 2019 **
In March of 2019, I mentioned that a Reader had passed along a magical cleaning solution that would make your Le Creuset pots and pans sparkle like new. I included the formula, which was a bleach + vinegar combination, in the post but when I thought it deserved its own space, I created this post.
BUT THEN: Upon posting the entry, I immediately received a comment and a link to an article that gave me pause.
What I learned from that article is that combing bleach and vinegar “produces chlorine gas, which even at low levels, can cause coughing, breathing problems, and burning, watery eyes.”
To be sure, I called poison control to confer.
They, too, despite my pleading — Really? I can’t use a teensy tiny bit? Even if I’ve never experienced the adverse side effects? Is a small amount of chlorine gas so terrible? — agreed that bleach and vinegar should not be mixed.
“Ma’am,” they told me. “Don’t do it.”
Ugh. OK. Fine.
How to Clean Your Le Creuset Pots and Pans (Safely)
There are several non-toxic methods for cleaning your Le Creuset cookware. I have had success with numbers 1 and 2 below. The remaining suggestions come from readers who have had success with these methods.
- A solution from Le Creuset itself: Cast Iron Cookware Cleaner. It costs $25, which may feel pricey, but you need a small amount for each job — this bottle will last a long time.
- Water + Bleach: Fill your pot with water and bleach: for every liter of water, use 1 cup of bleach. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Be sure to use regular chlorine bleach as opposed to chlorine-free bleach.
- Magic Eraser.
- Warm Water + Baking Soda + Vinegar or Lemon.
- Warm Water + Baking Soda + Hydrogen Peroxide: Bring it to a boil with lid covered; it comes out pristine once you wipe it with a paper towel.
- Easy-Off Oven Cleaner: You can spray the pot, put it in the oven, and shut the door. You can also spray the oven. All the baked-on gunk wipes off. Clean as usual and you’re on your way!
Friends, how do you clean your enameled cast iron cookware? I’d love to know.
Here’s what is NOT RECOMMENDED: Combining bleach and vinegar.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
80 Comments on “How to Clean Your Le Creuset Pots and Pans”
Thanks for the solution.
I just wanted to say that you should never use bleach on stainless steel cookware. There’s a chemical reaction that will happen and rough up the surface of the pot/pan.
Good to know! Will make a note.
I use a dish washer tablet and a cup of vinegar heated on the stove with a small amount of water
It is common knowledge that you should never mix bleach and vinegar. I would recommend reconsidering if this is something you want to encourage your readers to do, especially implying that it can be mixed in large quantities. There are endless resources online but here is a summary on good housekeeping. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a32773/cleaning-products-never-mix/
Thanks you for sending. Sending the post to draft status till I can do more research. Appreciate you taking the time to write.
I recently bought a Le Creuset white enamel pan and have been using a couple dashes of Bon Ami or Bar Keepers friend. So far, it’s worked like a charm!
Nice! I think if I had been better from the start, Bon Ami or BKF would work well for me, too. Going to try to stay on top of it!
I have found that easy-off oven cleaner works very well. You can spray the pot, put it in the oven, and shut the door. You can also spray the oven 🙂
All that baked on gunk wipes off. Clean as usual and you’re on your way!
Great tip, Thanks! Love that you can clean oven and pot in one go 🙂
What temperature do you put the oven on?
My husband was a pool man at a college. That bleach ammonia mixture can damage the lungs if breathed. In high concentrations it’s deadly. It burns the aveoli in the lungs. 😳
hi there! i’ve been cleaning my Le Creuset with warm water, baking soda and vinegar or lemon! works well and it’s non-toxic! 🙂
Wonderful to hear this! I do want to give some other DIY mixtures a go.
Bar Keepers Friend is available as either a powder or a liquid. Both do an amazing job cleaning enamelled cast iron. I have a big Dutch oven (whiten outside, black in) that I use at very high heat to bake sourdough bread. It gets ugly quickly if it isn’t kept clean between soups, etc and baking bread. I use the Bar Keepers Friend and the pot looks like new after years of heavy use. And it is not $$$$
Thank you for this Cheri! I will have to give my BKF another go … I find I can’t get it to release the brown stains as well as the LC stuff, but maybe I’m not letting it soak enough.
For decades, I’ve been told, I’ve read, I’ve seen on tv, NOT TO MIX BLEACH with certain things. Honestly, didn’t know about vinegar, but, the only time I mix bleach is with laundry detergent or sometimes, I might add a 1/2 to 1 teaspoon full of it when I wash dishes if I feel its warranted to do so, or if it doesn’t said say not to, I’ll mix it with cleaning solutions to whiten and sanitize my bathroom and kitchen floors and cabinents, doors and door knobs. I’ve been gassed a few times to know better and use bleach with caution when mixing it with other stuff. And, I’ll never own a Le Crueset. I’m too poor, sadly.
Try the white “Magic Eraser” pads, they work great, IMO.
Will do!
The magic eraser pads contain formaldehyde. Please don’t ever use these on food contact surfaces
Magic erasers do not actually contain formaldehyde. The packaging also states that all surfaces coming into contact with food should be cleaned prior to use. I think they are fine to use and work really well for my pots, but everyone gets to make their own choices.
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/erasers-edge/
I love using kosher salt and paper towel for stuck on items!
Have you tried making a paste of baking soda and peroxide? I have used this long term to clean quite a variety of surfaces and have found it to be very effective.
I have not! Will try soon. Thanks!
How about the Magic Erasers?
I should try!
As a starving graduate back in the 60’s, my friend who was the most amazing cook,
said: “Buy a set of Le Creuset cookware and you will never need anything else ever again”.
Almost 60 years later she was correct as I use them all the time to this day. I still have the original boxes they came in as well as the instructions and they say to” boil (at the rate of) one liter of water containing a glass of bleach: then wipe down with vinegar”.
I have used this method without fail for all these years and they all look as new as they did then without having any ill side effects.
Love this! Going to try. Thanks!
this works like a CHARM!! I bought a used, VERY dirty Le Creuset at an estate sale & used this method of water & bleach. WAY before boiled, the pot was clean. I completed the instructions & am very satisfied with the results. THANKS!
Great to hear, Suz! Thanks for writing and sharing. How fun you found a LeCreuset at an estate sale 🎉
What measurement is “a glass of bleach”?
Harvey thank you so much for this comment! I tried so many methods on my enamel cast iron pots and none of them worked. I just bought some second hand le Creuset pans and again came looking online for cleaning methods. This worked brilliantly! I promptly then used it on all my other ones too (a Husqvana dutch oven for example) and they are gleaming now. Can’t thank you enough.
I have purchased this cleaning solution and it did NOTHING to clean my Le Creuset. I have no idea how you got it to work. I spent a good 45 minutes on it and nothing. I did buy it at a Le Creuset outlet store but it cost $25. A total waste.
Oh no! Christa, I’m sorry to hear this. Are you close to the outlet store? I would return it if so. I have used the solution so many times, and it always works. I squirt it into a dry pan, let it sit for 5 minutes or so; then I use sponge (one of these) to scrub, and it works beautifully. If you’re not near the outlet and can’t return it, I would call Le Creuset and see what they can do for you. Sorry for the $$ but I would never encourage anyone to spend money on something if I didn’t think it worked well.
I use baking soda and hydrogen peroxide with water. Bring it to a boil with lid covered, it comes out pristine once you wipe it with a paper towel.
What measurements do you use??
Hiya, Thanks for tips on cleaning the inside. Wondering how we would..clean the outside?
Thanks a lot
The Le Creuset cleaning solution works on the exterior of the pots. Don’t use a super abrasive sponge to scrub it, but something with a little bit of texture will help remove the exterior grime.
One thing you should know which is why irs so hard to clean, is Le Creuset is no longer made in France. Unfortunately, le creuset is also habing their products maee in China. They no longrr wear well and who knows what the Chinese are using, if it’s enamel or some other dangerous products. Also, while they’re still gouging customers they are probably paying pennies on the dollar for the garbage. And after unleashing the virus on the world, no company in any part of the globe should be rewarded for taking away jobs from their own citizens.
Leave politics OUT of kitchen comments pls. No one is interested after the past 5 years.
Besides being political, it is also inaccurate. A quick google search confirms that “All Le Creuset cast iron pieces are still made in the original foundry in France. The non-stick bakeware and cookware are made in China. The stainless steel pieces are made in Portugal. The stoneware pieces are made in China or Thailand.” .Jun 3, 2021
As far as maintenance tips, simmering a little Dawn in water for 10-15 minutes does wonders. Sometimes just letting the water sit in the pot for an hour or so will lift up any stuck on food. An inexpensive nylon pot scraper (Lodge, Progressives, etc.) is super helpful. They are smooth and won’t harm the surface. A little Barkeepers Friend works very well for any remaining baked on food or discoloration. All of these methods are very gentle on the enamel. I have 10+ year old Le Creuset pieces that look new with this routine.
Dawn, Baking Soda, and a sponge leaves my enamel cookware spotless every time.
Amazing! Thank you, Mary.
She’s not referring to this post. She’s referring to the original post where as a “PPS” you casually recommend it. That should be edited out.
That was an oversight! Just edited and deleted that PPS. Thank you!
I am a chemistry teacher and definitely never mix bleach with acidic solution (like vinegar) or basic ones (like ammonia based multipurpose cleaner). I clean my Le crouset pots with diluted bleach ( I believe is what they recommend) on the stove (just to get it warm, no boiling. One needs to be cautious with the black rim that is uncovered cast iron and therefore could rust if it gets in touch with the bleach. For the same reason it has to be really dry before you put it back in the cupboard. I protect it with cooking oil: just dip my finger in it and go around the rim.
Thank you for all of this, Bruna! So helpful. Will try this next time around.
My Instant Pot Precision Dutch Oven will arrive in a few days, I am so excited.. All of this advice helps to make me feel more at ease..
I was surprised no one mentioned Dawn Powerwash! Because of it’s huge acceptance by the public, has anyone tried using the product on their Dutch Oven? Just wondering….
I baked bread (the same NYT recipe that the entire world downloaded during lockdown) in my LC. My oven is spotless (I’m not bragging, it’s a fact. I don’t cook in the oven very often) so imagine my dismay when I pulled my LC out of the said oven (when bread was done) to find dark brown mark streaks all on one side of the enamel. The only thing I can think of is that the remnants of the LC label caused it? (I only purchased this 2 wks ago and getting that label off required some oil to get the last bits off.)
I tried baking soda/water paste. Didn’t work.
I tried vinegar. Didn’t work.
I tried plain soap and water. Didn’t work.
The streaks literally looked like it was a part of the enamel. I couldn’t even feel the difference between the stain and the enamel.
I read some comments on this post and decided to try Magic Eraser bc well, at this point, what have I got to lose and I know we have some laying around.
IT WORKED. Ladies and gents, I HIGHLY recommend keeping some Magic Eraser around if you have tough stains for LC. I just followed the instructions on the package for the Magic Eraser (just wet it, squeeze out excess water). I then started scrubbing away at it. Didn’t damage the enamel. FYI–I made sure the enamel was completely washed, clean and dry. Some parts required more elbow grease than others but it ALL came off.
Hope this helps.
So great to hear this, Angela! I will give this a try next time around.
So. I just decided to dive in here. Took my absolutely black bottomed, 30-year old Dutch oven to the stove, poured in a liter of water and a cup of bleach and let ‘er boil for about ten minutes. No vinegar or ANYTHING else. And after years of trying everything I could think of And lots of wasted elbow grease —- VOILA! She’s like new! Just soaped her up and dried her off.
Amy!! This is amazing! Thanks so much for writing. Bleach is amazing. Can’t wait to try.
I’d like to try and rescue Amy Laughhun’s advice from any misunderstanding in your response to her, Alexandra. After 5-other concocted methods that did very little, I just tried her simple suggestion (liter of water and cup of bleach, 10-min. boil) on a similar 27y/o Dutch oven with an almost black bottom and sides on the inside. Utterly awesome. Forget every other stinky, messy method. This pot is totally renewed! I don’t mean just cleaned… the inside now looks the same as my brand new one. No hyperbole!
Alexandra.. you responded to her, “Vinegar is amazing.” Surely just a misread but I didn’t want this great method of using just bleach and water to get lost. It really does work!! (ps.. it has to be regular chlorine bleach, not chlorine free. No worry, minimal smell, no ‘fumes’.)
Thanks..
Lawrence! Thank you SO much for writing … I just edited my reply to Amy … I totally meant to write bleach. My brain sometimes. And thank you for the tip regarding regular chlorine bleach. I am going to give this method a try ASAP.
This is a longshot but I was trying to think of something that would be gentle and safe. I wonder if any of your readers had tried to use a denture tablet, like Efferdent.
I hadn’t tried it yet, but wanted to see if any of your readership had.
It doesn’t release chlorine gas. It produces a mild piranha solution (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piranha_solution) using acetic acid (vinegar). A piranha solution is a highly oxidant mix that burns (oxidizes) everything on the surface of the metal.
Barkeeper’s Friend and a little rubbing with a paper towel
When using the liter of water + 1 cup bleach, do you allow the solution to soak in the pan after it has come to a boil?
Cleaning Le Creuset
I’m not a chemist, but am worried about the organization of the vinegar and bleach story and why it’s the first thing to show up. People often read only the very beginning of a post because that’s where important info is usually located. They may also scan for main points. Your post would be absolutely fine and perfectly clear without it.
If you really want to include the story, as a cautionary tale, you could post it at the end. Maybe with some red flags or skull-and-crossbones to avoid any confusion.
That’s fair! Just edited the post.
Good recs. BTW bleach should NEVER be mixed with vinegar. Learned this from MY mother. This is a real thing; don’t mess with it.
What about if the colored enamel like the pink in your photo gets burnt stains, can you still do the same?
It takes a little bit more elbow grease, but yes, you can do the same.
Your recommendation (bleach and water) successfully removed the stains in a Dutch oven I inherited. But the enamel on the bottom feels gritty, not smooth, possibly from hard water. The enamel isn’t scratched or chipped. Does anyone have a recommendation on how to restor the smooth texture to the enamel finish?
After doing the water and baking soda boil, baking soda paste and blue scrubbie sponge.With very minimal results, I tried the peroxide and baking soda, for stains from cooking black beans. Unbelievable! And easy! Peroxide in the pan, boil, turn off heat, add some baking soda, cover, let sit to cool off a while. Pour it out, rinse, wash, tah-dah! Shiny clean like new! No damage. Thanks so much for this!
Great to hear Victoria! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes 🙂 🙂 🙂
Cast-iron pots and pans are quite heavy to lift or flip. That’s why I use the dishwasher to clean it, as rubbing the surface with one hand while holding the handle with another requires more energy.