How to take care of your donabe

With proper care, your donabe can last for a very long time.

• To clean the donabe, use mild dish soap with lukewarm water. Once cleaned, make sure to dry the bottom of the pot by placing the bottom part upside down to avoid the possible mildew to grow on the pot when it's stored. Also make sure that the bottom is dry before you set your donabe over heat. If the bottom is wet, the moisture can be absorbed and expand in the porous base and cause possible cracking when heated.
• Leftover should not be kept in the donabe overnight. If you have any leftover, transfer it to another container.
• If the inside of the donabe has a small crack(s) only in the bottom, and/or the donabe is leaking, repeat the seasoning procedure (How to season Donabe) again.
• If the donabe has crack that goes to the edge or has any visible damage, stop using it immediately.
• If the food smell stays inside of the donabe, fill the donabe with the water to 80% and a small scoop of green tea leaves and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• If the actual mold has grown in the donabe, you can use a sponge (or a not very abrasive scrub) and dish soap to clean it. Depending on how persistent the mold is, the stain might remain even after cleaning (but it's safe to use). For the moldy smell, fill the donabe with water to about 80% full and a few table spoons of distilled vinegar, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Then, repeat the seasoning procedure (How to season Donabe) again.