Cleaning Stoneware

 

 I love Pampered Chef products, but unfortunately I don't have the kind of money to buy them often, so any time I see them at garage sales, I grab them!  I've never had stoneware before, so I was pretty excited to find this one at our local thrift shop for just a dollar.  I checked the bottom, and it said Pampered Chef, so I knew it was good quality.

 

It looked to be in really rough shape (which is probably why they were only charging a dollar for it, when it would normally cost about $35).  So I looked into some cleaning techniques for stoneware.  It seems to be very similar to cast iron, in that it's very porous,  needs to be seasoned, and cannot be washed with soap.  I know that part of the seasoning means that it is supposed to change colours after use, but I'd rather it be my own use than someone else's.

I sprinkled a lot of baking soda on it, as well as a bit of salt.  I poured a bit of water on top and rubbed it with my hands to create a pretty thick paste.  I let it sit for  a few hours, then scrubbed it with my dish brush.  Then I turned the brush over and scraped at the paste with the sharper side of the plastic brush. That seemed to get rid of a lot of the grease and stickiness.

I filled the sink with hot water, and scrubbed a little more at the more difficult spots.  It only took about 10 more minutes to get it all off! 

And look at the result!! I seriously didn't expect it to this clean!  It looks brand new!! Seriously! 

 So excited to try out my new stoneware!