Never Use Soap: How to Clean a Clay Pot

2026-07-12

There is one rule that matters more than any other when you cook and store in clay: never use soap. Why soap is a problem Unglazed clay is porous on purpose — that is what lets a water pot breathe and keeps curd thick and sweet. But porous also means absorbent. Dish soap and detergent soak straight into the walls of the pot and stay there. Days later that trapped soap works its way back out into your rice, your curd or your drinking water as a faint chemical taste. No amount of rinsing fully removes it. What to use instead Two traditional cleaners do the job beautifully, and both rinse away without leaving a trace: - Rice or starch coarse powder — coarsely ground rice. A gentle abrasive that lifts food residue without scratching the clay. - Ash powder — naturally alkaline, and excellent at cutting through oil and grease. How to clean, step by step 1. Rinse the pot with warm water. Let a hot pot cool a little first — sudden temperature changes can crack clay. 2. Sprinkle a spoonful of rice/starch coarse powder or ash powder onto a soft scrubber, a coconut coir pad, or just your palm. 3. Scrub gently, inside and out. Stubborn spots usually lift with a second pass rather than harder pressure. 4. Rinse thoroughly with plain water. 5. Dry it completely — upside down, in open air or a little sunlight. Storing a damp pot is what causes musty smells. Also worth avoiding - Dishwashers and harsh detergents. - Steel wool and metal scourers, which scar the surface. - Putting the pot away while it is still damp, or sealing it in a closed cupboard. Treated this way, clay does something modern cookware never does: it gets better with age. Each season of use leaves the pot smoother, darker and more seasoned than the day you bought it.