La Chamba pot

Thanks RG!

re the lid, no. you want to let it slowly evaporate without the lid on. It probably would take days if the lid is a good fit.
re the glazed pot, it couldn't hurt to soak it overnight before you use it again, but it shouldn't smell. You can use soap.
With unglazed pots, like the chamba, sometimes you can get sort of a white film on the inside. I stated wiping a light coat of olive oil on a paper towel over it. I don't know if this makes science sense but intuitively I think it's fine.

RanchoGordo's instructions are excellent. I do it slightly differently but close enough. Cooking in earthenware is awesome, especially after the clay is seasoned from regular use. Unlike castiron it "breathes".

Rinse it out without soap and then fill about 3/4 full with cold water. Add a smashed garlic clove and then put it on the range on low. Slowly let the liquid evaporate and when it's almost dry, you are done. This can take a while if you have a narrow mouth on the pot, but you don't have to fuss with it.
After that, if you haven't used it for over a year, you may want to soak it overnight in water before using it.
I have many (and dozens more of other kinds of pots) and knock wood, the only time there are problems are when friends offer to help with the dishes and they drop and break them. Otherwise, clay is pretty great.