# How can I get burned on stuff off my Le Creuset pot? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 24, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-burned-on-stuff-off-my-le-creuset-pot/323262 "2005-09-24T21:43:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-burned-on-stuff-off-my-le-creuset-pot/323262/1 "2005-09-24T21:43:16Z")
I just got a Le Creuset dutch oven and I’ve never cooked with enameled ironware before. I burned a bit of my spaghetti sauce onto the bottom of the pan but good. What’s safe to get it off with? The company website is not super-helpful. I’ve been going at it with a little plastic scrubbie but that may take until the end of my life. What can I use that will get it off but not hurt the enamel? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-burned-on-stuff-off-my-le-creuset-pot/323262/2 "2005-09-24T23:56:59Z")
Try this Add dish washing soap and water. Bring to a boil and let set to soften the burnt on spots+ let set over night Scrub like hell ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-burned-on-stuff-off-my-le-creuset-pot/323262/3 "2005-09-24T23:57:14Z")
Try a paste of baking soda & water. I usually just take the damp pan, dump some dry baking soda in, and scrub with a wet dishrag. With some elbow grease it should come off eventually. I’ve used this to clean my enamel kettle (although, admittedly, only the outside of it) with seemingly no effects. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-burned-on-stuff-off-my-le-creuset-pot/323262/4 "2005-09-25T00:08:17Z")
Fill with boiling water & plenty of washing liquid, leave to soak. Gently scrub the area. Repeat process as necessary. It’s worth doing nothing more vigorous than this, because the alternative is to damage the fabulous cooking surface that you’ve paid for! ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-burned-on-stuff-off-my-le-creuset-pot/323262/5 "2005-09-25T08:13:44Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Try this > Add dish washing soap and water. > Bring to a boil and let set to soften the burnt on spots+ > let set over night > Scrub like hell If you add dishwashing soap to the water and bring it to a boil, wouldn’t it bubble all over the place? ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-burned-on-stuff-off-my-le-creuset-pot/323262/6 "2005-09-25T08:24:58Z")
I add enough water to cover the stain, pour in a teaspoon of baking soda, and simmer for a while. Does wonders for loosening up some very stubborn stains. However, I haven’t used it on a Le Creuset pot - would the baking soda pit the enamel? According to **MikeS** ’ experience with his kettle, maybe you could try applying a little paste on an inconspicuous spot first to make sure it would be safe. But the heat plus the baking soda action work really well together IME. Again, not sure about the safety on the enamel, but I’ve also found that boiling Coke (the drink, natch) in a burnt pan helps loosen stuff. I think I stole that from some cleaning show I watched once, not sure which. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-burned-on-stuff-off-my-le-creuset-pot/323262/7 "2005-09-25T08:26:40Z")
(For some reason, I thought this was in IMHO, so apologies for my totally unfactual answers) ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-burned-on-stuff-off-my-le-creuset-pot/323262/8 "2005-09-25T13:33:30Z")
soaking in coffee or coke will help to loosen the burned on sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-burned-on-stuff-off-my-le-creuset-pot/323262/9 "2005-09-25T13:54:56Z")
> [@Seven](#): > > If you add dishwashing soap to the water and bring it to a boil, wouldn’t it bubble all over the place? Bring to a boil, turn it either off or way down to a simmer and let it go for several hours. No, it won’t become a runaway bubble machine. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-burned-on-stuff-off-my-le-creuset-pot/323262/10 "2005-09-25T15:01:24Z")
Well, it’s currently sitting in a corner thinking about what it’s done. When it’s ready to apologize it can come out and be in polite society again. 🙂 I filled it with water and a bit of soap, boiled, and now I covered it and it’s sitting. It did not become a runaway bubble machine but I was a little concerned that it might be. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2005, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-burned-on-stuff-off-my-le-creuset-pot/323262/11 "2005-09-25T20:43:42Z")
Much improved! Thanks all! There’s still a few little bits on it, but I popped it into the dishwasher and if it still has bits on it I’m sure they’ll come off eventually - they’re just few and little. (Got tired of scrubbing!) ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-burned-on-stuff-off-my-le-creuset-pot/323262/12 "2005-09-26T13:08:47Z")
In the future, Dawn makes this product for baked-on stuff. You spray it on, leav it for a handful of minutes, then scrub (or sometimes even just wipe!) I found it’s really great for getting off things like the overspray from cooking sprays that bake onto pyrex and stick on like discolored glue… now if I could just remember the name of it. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-get-burned-on-stuff-off-my-le-creuset-pot/323262/13 "2005-09-26T17:25:08Z")
That would be Dawn Power Dissolver. It’s not the ultimate power, but it does get a lot of baked on nasties off.