Kristina McGuirk is a Milwaukee-based freelance writer and editor who covers kitchens, bathrooms, home improvement, decorating, and more for BHG.com. Previously, she worked for five Better Homes & Gardens special interest magazines over seven years. During her final year of undergraduate studies at Drake University, she began working on product-focused stories for titles including Renovation Style and Kitchen + Bath Makeovers and later added feature articles focusing on homeowner and designer stories to her workload. She joined the staff of Better Homes & Gardens special interest media as part of the kitchen and bath magazine portfolio, where she wrote, edited, and produced content around style, how-to, advice, and trends. She also coordinated budget-friendly kitchen and bath makeovers to be featured in the magazines, working with corporate sponsors and DIY homeowners to design hardworking and stylish updates to meet their needs. Bolstering her connections in the home design industry, she attended trade shows, product launches, press junkets, and manufacturing tours. She left the editorial staff for graduate school, and after earning her degrees and keeping with the industry, she's back to writing for the brand and covering a variety of home-related topics.
In addition to holding degrees in journalism and English, Kristina is an educated information professional with training in research practices and evaluating information sources. She looks for a variety of experiences to provide relatable, reliable, and diverse insight and advice in her writings.
You might not want to hear this, but your pizza stone isn't going to look brand-new again after cooking, regardless of how often you clean it. High heats, oily ingredients, and a porous surface result in stains and discoloration that are simply unavoidable. But with a little time and patience, and a few cleaning tools you likely have on hand, you can tackle baked-on surface residue so your pizza stone lasts for years.
The most important thing to know is that the best way to clean a pizza stone does not involve soap and water. Common pizza stone materials, like ceramics and cordierite stone, are naturally porous, meaning soap could become a permanent part of your pizza flavoring if absorbed into the pizza stone. Similarly, you shouldn't soak a pizza stone in water; the porous material will absorb the moisture, ultimately negating the crust-crisping characteristics of the pizza stone.
Let's assume you've just made a delicious pizza with the perfect crust thanks to the help of a pizza stone. Here's how you can tackle the cheese, dough, and toppings that get left behind.
Once you've eaten the pizza and given the stone a bit of time to cool down, brush off what you can of left-behind ingredients before they dry and stick to the stone.
Before attempting any additional cleaning, completely cool the stone. Sudden temperature changes can shock and crack a pizza stone. Plus, letting your pizza stone cool saves your fingertips from any discomfort. The longer the wait, the less heat the stone will retain; consider letting it sit overnight.
Removing baked-on cheese, crust, and toppings is the bulk of the work when it comes to cleaning a pizza stone. Scrape these superficial remnants with silicone and nylon scrapers or rubber spatulas; avoid metals and sharp objects that might scratch the surface of the stone. You can try gently prying stuck-on chunks with a bench scraper or dull butter knife, but you may need to move on to the grease-and-burn fighting methods below to avoid possible abrasions to the surface.
Ideally, scraping will do the trick for routinely cleaning a pizza stone. After that, a quick wipe with a damp cloth (remember: you don't want water soaking in) can remove pesky crumbs. Then, let the pizza stone dry and place back into storage. If you need to tackle greasy or burned bits, read on for our grease-fighting cleaning technique.
Stains are a normal part of using a pizza stone. But if something is sticky, tacky, or seems to sit on the surface, try cleaning the pizza stone with baking soda. This natural cleaner won't leave a bad taste lingering inside the stone.
Related: Make Homemade Cleaners with Ingredients from Your Pantry
The key to cleaning a pizza stone with baking soda is to create a thick paste; add water to baking soda slowly and cautiously to avoid a liquid mixture. Apply the paste to the greasy area and gently scrub with something non-metallic, like a toothbrush, vegetable brush, or scouring pad. Don't apply too much pressure; just allow the paste to provide friction against the stain. Wipe away with a damp cloth. Repeat a few times if the spot lingers, but know that it might not entirely come out.
Whenever you use water to clean a pizza stone, help dry it out in a hot oven afterward.
Some tough, baked-on bits need to be burned off. Bake the stone, sans pizza, at a high temperature (most sources recommend 500°F for about an hour). Be aware that it could cause the stone to smoke or drip inside the oven. When done, allow the stone to cool and dry completely before storing it again.
Related: How to Clean Burnt Pots and Pans So They Shine Like New
Wondering how to clean a ceramic pizza stone that says it's dishwasher safe? Some pizza stones are glazed or coated to protect the porous materials below. These often come with recommendations to use soap and water or even a dishwasher to clean the stone. Never assume you can wash a pizza stone this way, but it's safe to do if you have the manufacturer's product manual for confirmation.
Related: 5 Easy Ways to Clean Baking Sheets So They Look Brand New
Pizza stones and pans made of steel or cast iron are also available. Stainless-steel pizza pans can stand up to more rigorous cleaning tools and solutions, but the baking soda method is often still most effective. General cast-iron care and maintenance will also work for pizza pans.