What is enameled cast iron?

Enameled cast iron is cast iron covered with a layer of glass-like enamel fused to the metal at high heat. The coating keeps the iron from rusting and gives a smooth, colored surface that cleans with warm soapy water. It can chip and scratch, though, so clean it with a soft sponge or brush and keep metal scouring pads away from it.

What removes stains from enamel?

A paste of baking soda and a few drops of water lifts most stains from enamel. Spread it on, leave it for about ten minutes, then work it with a non-abrasive sponge and rinse. For a stubborn stain, repeat the paste instead of scrubbing harder, because abrasion takes the gloss off and makes the next stain cling faster.

How do you clean powder coated surfaces?

Warm water, a drop of mild dish soap and a soft cloth are all a powder-coated surface needs. Rinse, then dry it straight away, paying attention to welds and joints where water collects. Skip solvents, scouring pads and bleach: they dull the coating, and once it is scratched through, the metal underneath can start to rust.

What should you avoid using on coated and nonstick kitchen surfaces?

Avoid steel wool, wire brushes, scouring pads, abrasive powders and metal scrapers; they do the most damage to coated and nonstick surfaces. Oven cleaner and chlorine bleach can strip color from enamel. Use a soft brush, sponge or microfiber cloth instead, cook with wooden or nylon utensils, and dry the surface when you are done.

Copco Bath & Cleaning: Brushes, Squeegees & Enamel Care

Bath & Cleaning Tools from Copco

Copco bath and cleaning tools handle the small jobs that come back every day: crumbs on the counter, water on shower glass, dust on a frame, soap at the sink. The range is short — beechwood brushes, a feather duster, a squeegee, a sink strainer, touchless soap dispensers and a toilet brush. Below the tools: how to clean enamel, powder coat and nonstick without scratching them, and what to do once something has burnt on.

How to clean coated surfaces without scratching them

Enamel, powder coat and nonstick share one weakness: the finish is thinner than it looks. Every tool on this page is soft at the working end for that reason.

Soft bristles instead of abrasive pads

For daily dust and crumbs, a soft brush or the soft side of a sponge is enough. Wipe with a damp cloth, then dry, so water spots don't settle.

Enamel and powder-coated finishes

Enameled cast iron and enamel sinks take warm water and mild dish soap without complaint. Powder-coated racks need the same, plus a dry towel along the welds and joints, where water sits longest.

Burnt-on and stained enamel: what actually works

Let the pot cool, fill it with warm water and a drop of dish soap, and leave it for 15 to 20 minutes.
Wipe with the soft side of a sponge. Most residue comes off here.
Mix baking soda with a few drops of water into a paste, spread it over what's left and wait ten minutes.
Work it with a non-abrasive sponge, rinse, and repeat the paste rather than pressing harder.
Clean the outside of the pot the same way, then dry it completely.

What to keep off coated and nonstick surfaces

Steel wool and wire brushes: they cut through a finish in one pass.
Scouring pads and abrasive powders: fine scratches that dull the gloss.
Knives and metal scrapers for stuck food; soak it instead.
Chlorine bleach and oven cleaner on colored enamel or powder coat.

Three cleaning myths worth dropping

“Soap ruins enamel.” It doesn't. Mild dish soap is the everyday cleaner for an enamel surface.
“Harder scrubbing cleans better.” On a coating, pressure only adds scratches. Time and the paste do the work.
“A stain means the coating is gone.” Most stains sit on top and lift with baking soda. A chip is a different matter.

Preventing scratches before they happen

Most scratches come from cooking and storage, not from washing. Wooden and nylon spoons and spatulas are kind to enamel and nonstick; metal whisks and tongs are not.

Stack coated pans with a cloth between them, so no metal edge rests on a finish.

When a chipped coating means stop using it

A chip on the cooking surface that shows bare metal means that pot is finished for cooking: the edge keeps flaking into food. A chip on the outside rim is cosmetic.

How to choose: three common situations

Shower glass and tile

The squeegee, top to bottom, after every shower; its flexible edge stays on curved doors. Grout lines go to the beechwood hand brush, whose soft bristles won't scratch tile.

Sink and drain

The Pro sink strainer, 4.5 x 4.5 x 2 inches, catches scraps and then goes in the dishwasher. A touchless dispenser keeps dough and grease off the pump.

Dust on shelves and decor

Feathers for frames and lamps, the brush and dustpan for flat shelves and the floor, bathroom vanity included.

Touchless soap dispensers: what to check before you buy

Both read your hand with an infrared sensor and run on four AAA batteries, not included. They differ in size, dose and finish.

Detail	White dispenser	Stainless dispenser
Capacity	9.46 fl oz	Not listed
Size	7 in tall, 3.5 in across	Not listed
Dose	Not listed	Three settings
Level check	Clear front window	Semi-transparent panel
Soap	Liquid hand, dish and foaming soap	Liquid hand soap
Finish	White, wipe clean	Brushed stainless, wipe clean

Taking care of the tools themselves

Beechwood doesn't like soaking: wipe the handles with a damp cloth and let them air-dry. Hang the brush and dustpan by their leather loops so the bristles keep their shape.

The sink strainer is the one tool here that goes in the dishwasher. The duster needs a shake outdoors.

Bath & Cleaning Tools from Copco

What’s in this section

Shop Copco cleaning tools

Brushes and dusters

Squeegee and sink tools

Soap dispensers

Toilet and floor

Pro Sink Strainer, 4.5 x 4.5 x 2 in

Beechwood Hand Brush and Iron Dustpan Set

Beechwood Hand Brush

Basics Shower Squeegee — Gray

Feather Duster with Beechwood Handle

Touchless Soap Dispenser, 9.46 oz — White

Toilet Brush with Caddy — White

Touchless Soap Dispenser — Stainless Steel