Whether you’re partial to pepperoni or enjoy a freshly made Margherita, there’s nothing quite like a warm slice of pizza. While grabbing a pie at your local pizzeria is always fun, there’s something so satisfying about making your own at home. That’s where a good pizza stone comes in. The right pizza stone will distribute heat evenly and keep the dough moist while the pie bakes to perfection.
Keep in mind that pizza stones are very different from regular pizza sheets, though, and require special care to perform well. Unlike metal pizza sheets, dish soap is a no-go with pizza stones and it’s best to avoid soaking them in water at all costs.
To keep your pizza stone in top-notch condition, we checked in with Carolyn Forté, the executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, for her top tips to keep pesky stains at bay and ensure that every pizza you make tastes delicious.
How to clean a pizza stone, step by step
Whether you use a pizza stone weekly or monthly, this unique kitchen accessory requires special care to keep it in tip-top shape. Your pizza stone might look clean on the surface, but because it’s porous, ingredients like sauce, oil and cheese can seep in and get stuck over time.
Depending on how long you wait between cleanings, this can affect the taste of your pizzas. To maintain the quality of your pizza stone, we recommend repeating this process every time it’s used, and when in doubt, consult the instruction manual.
What you’ll need:
- Nylon cleaning brush
- Dishcloths
- Silicone pan scraper
- Baking soda
- Drying rack
Instructions:
- Before cleaning the pizza stone, wait two to three hours for it to cool down.
- Do an initial scrub with a nylon brush to remove food particles.
- Remove any cheese or cooked-on residue with the silicone scraper.
- Wipe away any remaining residue with a damp microfiber cloth.
- Air-dry the pizza stone on a drying rack and wipe off any remaining crumbs.
How to remove stains from a pizza stone
While you’ll never be able to completely remove all the stains your pizza stone accumulates with regular use, it’s still important to keep it as clean as possible. The best approach? Baking soda, which will quickly become your new best friend.
When you combine water and baking soda into a paste, it can help remove those dreaded tomato stains. And no matter how stubborn the stain, always hand-wash your pizza stone and allow it to cool before applying the paste.
Instructions:
- Mix baking soda and water in a separate bowl until it turns into a paste.
- Put the paste onto the stone and let it sit for 10 minutes, then wipe with a damp cloth and let it air dry.
Cailey Lindberg (she/her) is a writer and editor with over a decade of experience covering products, lifestyle, entertainment and food. Before joining Good Housekeeping in 2022, she was a staff writer at USA Today’s shopping network, Reviewed.com.
Carolyn Forté brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Using deep analytical testing and writing expertise in appliances, cleaning, textiles and organizational products, she produces cleaning and home care advice for GH, has authored numerous books and bookazines for the brand and partners with the American Cleaning Institute to co-produce the Discover Cleaning Summits. She holds a bachelor’s degree in family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York.
