Pizza stones cleaning

[RAEdollasign]

Looking for the best way to clean pizza stones without damaging them, do you recommend using special brushes or particular cleaning solutions? I have also had an issue with mold developing on a pizza stone that was stored unused for a long time, which forced me to throw it out. Has anyone else experienced this? What are some effective tips for preventing mold and keeping pizza stones in good condition during storage?

 

[im-frm-chicago0201]

Never use soap or cleaning solutions because the porous cordierite will absorb them and ruin the flavor of your food. The absolute best way to clean and sanitize a stone from mold is with heat via pyrolysis. Just scrape any debris off and bake the stone at your oven's max temperature for an hour to incinerate everything. For storage, the key is ensuring zero moisture so do you keep your stone inside the oven or out in a more humid space?

 

[RAEdollasign]

Never use soap or cleaning solutions because the porous cordierite will absorb them and ruin the flavor of your food. The absolute best way to clean and sanitize a stone from mold is with heat via pyrolysis. Just scrape any debris off and bake the stone at your oven's max temperature for an hour to incinerate everything. For storage, the key is ensuring zero moisture so do you keep your stone inside the oven or out in a more humid space?

Thanks for the tip, that makes a lot of sense especially about avoiding soap. I didnt realize how much heat alone could sanitize it so thoroughly. I usually store my stone outside the oven, but now I'm wondering if that's been causing moisture issues. Do you find it better to just leave it in the oven fulltime, even when not using it?

 

[lecroj]

I would recommend getting a cheap 1/4" thick pizza steel off ebay or etsy (don't need a branded one for more $). They don't break (went through lots of stones before learning about steel), cook better and are easier to clean. Just brush them off and flake off any stuck burnt stuff. You can but the steel in almost any size square or rectangle.

 

[im-frm-chicago0201]

Thanks for the tip, that makes a lot of sense especially about avoiding soap. I didnt realize how much heat alone could sanitize it so thoroughly. I usually store my stone outside the oven, but now I'm wondering if that's been causing moisture issues. Do you find it better to just leave it in the oven fulltime, even when not using it?

Yeah, I leave mine in the oven all the time, even when I'm not baking. It stays bone dry and avoids any chance of mold or weird smells. Just make sure it's not blocking airflow or heating elements if your oven has convection. Curious, was the mold you had before just surface-level or did it go deeper into the stone? Might help figure out if it was a storage issue or something else.