How to remove stains from a pizza stone

If you are an avid pizza enthusiast, you may have probably tried it all: an inverted baking sheet, cast iron pan, hot grill, pizza pan, and baking steel. Nothing comes close to the crusty, crisp, and delicious pizza made on a pizza stone. But how do your remove stains from a pizza stone once you’re done enjoying your treat?

Avoid using soap, chemical cleansers, and oils to remove stains from your pizza stone as they will be absorbed in the porous material and affect the taste of your pizza. Instead, you will need the following ingredients to clean your pizza stone:

• Distilled white vinegar
• Baking soda
• Plastic Spatula or blunt table knife 
• An old toothbrush or stone brush
• A clean cloth or rag

What is a pizza stone?

A pizza stone helps distribute heat evenly and deliver just the right temperature required to bake the pizza properly. It contains a porous material that draws moisture from the pizza dough as the pizza bakes, giving you a crispier crust. It is like having your very own mobile oven!

This porous ceramic material is highly absorbent, and you need to be very careful while cleaning it. The cleanser you use might affect the flavor, so make sure to clean it with something you wouldn’t mind tasting in your pizza.

Using a stone brush

Using a stone brush to remove stains from a pizza stone is the most recommended method. You will need just a stone brush, a rag and a little water. You don’t need anything else because, as you know by now, a pizza stone is highly porous.

Procedure:

1. Wet the surface with a little hot water. Only use a little water because the pizza stone’s high porosity will lead to it taking a long time to dry if it is heavily dampened.
2. Scrub the affected region with the stone brush gently until the stains disappear.
3. Dampen the cloth and wipe off the remaining residue on the surface of the pizza stone. 
4. Let the pizza stone air dry. 
5. You can opt to store the pizza stone in the oven to prevent the risk of breaking it between uses, but it may take a long time to dry this way.

Using baking powder on your pizza stone

Baking powder is another excellent way of removing stains from a pizza stone. It contains sodium bicarbonate that is good at dissolving dirt and grease in water. When mixed with water it forms a mildly abrasive cleaning agent.

You will need the following:

• A spatula or blunt knife
• 1/2 a cup of baking powder
• 1/2 a cup of water
• An old toothbrush
• A piece of cloth 

Procedure:

1. You will first need to remove remains of food with a spatula or a blunt table knife. However, when using a knife- be careful not to scrape too hard and ruin the surface. You may use a toothbrush if you want to be extra careful with the item.
2. Mix the baking soda and water to form an even milky solution.
3. Sprinkle the solution on the stains and allow to settle for a minute.
4. Using a brush, scrub on the stains until they gradually disappear.
5. Dampen the piece of cloth and use it to clean the affected region.
6. Air dry the stone.

A baking soda and vinegar solution

Baking soda, combined with distilled white vinegar forms a powerful cleansing agent. Baking soda’s bicarbonate properties make it a powerful oxidant when combined with acetic acid in vinegar. This oxidant can is suitable for more stubborn stains, for example, if your pizza stone has developed mold due to too much moisture.

You will require the following:

• 1/2 a cup of white vinegar
• 1/2 a cup of baking powder
• A piece of cloth 
• An old toothbrush

Procedure:

1. Mix the diluted white vinegar and baking powder gradually until it forms a thick paste, be careful as these two react. The mixture will fizz and bubble.
2. Scrub the affected regions with the brush and apply the solution to the stains.
3. Allow the solution to act on the affected region for a few minutes.
4. You can scrub at the stains to clear them.
5. Wipe the stained areas with a piece of cloth.

Video: How to clean grease off a pizza stone

Taking care of your pizza stone

I accidentally washed my pizza stone with soap without knowing. How can I get the soap taste off the pizza stone?

You can use breadcrumbs or flour. Sprinkle the stone with breadcrumbs or flour and bake it like you would a pizza until the soapy smell is gone. You can then try using the pizza stone, and if the soap taste is still there, try cleaning it with one of the methods above. Seasoning regularly will also slowly remove the soapy taste from the pizza stone.

How can I get greasy or oily stains off my pizza stone?

If you use a pizza stone with grease stains on it, it will lead to smoking. To remove oil stains from a pizza stone, try the baking powder method. Apply a baking powder and water solution on the grease stains and scrub using an old toothbrush until the stains disappear.

Can I let the pizza stone self-clean by putting it in the oven and burning the stain residue off?

Yes, this also works, but, must only be considered as a last resort. This is because when the pizza stone is heated fast, it can crack. If not properly handled, you can injure yourself or even start a fire. It is advisable to try out the manual methods before considering this.

Wrapping up

It is natural for your pizza stone to get dark and charred. This is a symbol of a well-used pizza stone, so there is no need to panic when you see marks on the pizza stone. If you want to remove the stains and keep it clean as possible, you can use the above methods.

Always remember it is highly absorbent, so you may want to consider storing it away from items it may pick up unwanted flavors from like soap and fish. Season your pizza stone regularly, and you will be just fine.