I don't think you can get it cleaned but I don't think you have to get it out. I have used baking stones for about 20 years and am only on my 2nd one. I keep mine in the oven all the time on one of the lower racks. I tend to put alot of stuff on it to bake. Anyway the stone will get black stained in spots with normal use. I just brush off or scrape what I can and occasionally wash it if it gets any greasy stains.

I've never really washed mine. Worst case was light scrape and rinse.

The cheese and stuff even after a semi heavy scouring on the green side of the pad still leaves remnents...It's soaking now, hopefully softening up those bits

Scrape with a plastic scraper: do NOt use soap, ever. The directions with mine say that if you have sticky residue, use baking soda.

I also leave mine on the bottom rack of the oven all the time.

A baking stone should never be soaked or washed with anything except clear running water and only scrubbed with its own exclusive use scrub pad.

If it has debris stuck to it bake it in the oven a few times until it burns away and can be wiped off .

My stone is ugly and stained, and is even cracked in half...But it works great. I sure don't worry about keeping it pristine. Like others, I scrape it with a spatula or just let things bake til they're crispy and can be wiped or knocked off.

Please be very careful and let it dry all the way through before you put it back in the oven. If you get in a hurry, let it dry out slowly in a warm oven before you crank the heat up. The moisture inside can expand from the heat and crack your stone or worse.

I agree with the others -- you just scrape what you can, let it bake off, scrape again later if you need to. There isn't a baking stone that has met a decent pizza and that hasn't gotten some cheese and sauce baked into it. Didn't your instructions tell you that the darker and more stained your stone is, the better it is? ;-)

I leave my baking stone in the oven while running the self-clean cycle - comes out as good as new.

No, it's not ruined and stones are sposed to be grungy look...err, 'seasoned', I'm just sure. :)

That's the word I was looking for last night -- seasoned, not stained. Stained = seasoned. ;-)

My stone is fifteen years old, and has never cooked better. It is completely black now ans has seen its share on stuck on food over the years. A good scraping and a good soaking every once in a while has helped. I make sure it isn't soaked with soap, as soap can penetrate the stone. Also, as someone else said, be sure it is dry before putting it in a hot oven.

Okay, I'll bite. What's a baking stone?

Ooohhhh, neesie...I believe everyone needs a baking stone (lol). They're great for baking pizza and cookies and anything "flat" basically. They even make my daughter's stupid-box-of-organic-chiken-nuggets taste good!

I have Pampered Chef stones...I'm sure there are other brands but I love these.

Here is a link that might be useful: Stoneware

This would be a good place for someone who knows what the stone's properties should be to comment. For example, I would be interested in whether quiet soapstone (generally impervious to heat, non-absorbent, slick etc., would be suitable, or unsuitable because a baking stone needs porosity or some other property soapstone lacks.

kas

My soapstone guy offered to make me a pizza stone, so clearly it will work. Of course, I haven't taken him up on it because I also love my Pampered Chef baking stone. No affiliation, just a happy camper.