What Is The Best Way To Clean Cast Iron Pans

What is the best way to clean a cast iron skillet after use?

In this article, we break down, in our opinion, what is the best way to clean cast iron pans and skillets after cooking your favorite meals.

The best way to clean a cast iron skillet is immediately after cooking while the cast iron is still warm.

But, what usually happens is we finish cooking and are so hungry that we sit down to eat our meal and forget about the dirty cast iron skillet.

At least that has happened more than once around here!

But, even if you don’t get to clean it immediately after cooking while it is still warm, you can run the skillet under hot water and scrub it with a stiff bristle brush and then rinse it out.

If it is baked on or burnt on pretty bad and doesn’t want to come out that easily, I use a chainmail scrubber, which does a great job.

Plus, it will not harm your cast iron!

Can you use soap on cast iron?

Why can’t you wash cast iron with soap?

I know this is a very controversial topic, and I understand both sides of the argument.

Some cast iron users believe you can NEVER use soap to clean any cast iron.

The reason behind this idea is that years ago, lye was used to make all soap.

And lye, a caustic material, had a very detrimental effect on cast iron seasoning.

All the old timers were adamant that you never use soap on cast iron.

And most of us heard this from our mothers or grandmothers, passed down from generation to generation.

Today, though, this is not the case.

Very little, if any, soap contains lye unless it is homemade soap.

Soaps manufactured today are mainly mild detergents.

Dawn Dish Soap is an excellent product that works great for cleaning dirty cast iron.

So, how do you clean cast iron skillets?

According to Lodge Cast Iron, the oldest remaining manufacturer in the United States, it is ok to use a little soap to clean cast iron.

Can you wash cast iron with soap?

Should you use soap on cast iron?

I certainly don’t see a problem if you don’t let it sit and soak for long periods.

How to clean cast iron with salt

Since soap is not all that bad, what about cleaning cast iron with salt?

Salt is a cheaper product that works very well to clean a cast iron skillet.

There are two ways I suggest using salt to clean cast iron.

One method of using salt to clean cast iron is with salt and hot water, demonstrated in the video below:

Another method of using salt to clean cast iron is using a little cooking oil and salt.

The best way to use salt and oil is by heating the cast iron on the stovetop and adding a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil.

After adding the cooking oil, the next step is to add a generous amount of kosher salt or sea salt.

These two salts work the best because they are more coarse than the ordinary table salt we use for seasoning our food.

Once we have added the salt and the skillet is heating up, you will begin to see the salt turn brownish.

The salt is turning brownish because the salt combined with the oil is starting to draw the baked-on or burnt impurities out of the cast iron.

As the salt and oil get hotter and you see it start to turn brown, I take a wad of paper towels or a soft cloth and rub the salt mixture all around in the skillet.

Once I am satisfied that all the curb is lifting from the cast iron, I remove the excess salt and oil mixture.

After completing this step, I take the hot cast iron to the sink and run hot water to rinse any remaining food particles and salt mixture.

PRO TIP! Never run cold water into a hot skillet, as this can damage your cast iron!

You always want to run hot water into a hot skillet.

Be careful, though, as this will cause steam to rise up

What should you not clean cast iron with?

Washing your cast iron immediately after cooking while the cast iron is still warm is the best!

And as we mentioned above, cleaning cast iron with salt is another excellent way.

But, a method I don’t recommend you ever to try is to clean a cast iron pan in a dishwasher!

Can you put cast iron in the dishwasher?

Yes, you can.

But, this is what happens when you do:

FAQ

What is the best way to clean a cast iron skillet after use?

Once we have cooked our favorite meal in a cast iron skillet, we have to clean it.

The best way I have found to clean a dirty cast iron skillet is while the cast iron is still warm.

All that is needed to clean the cast iron pan at this point is to run some hot water in the skillet and scrub with a stiff bristle brush.

Rinse it out and completely dry and oil as usual.

How do I get the crusty stuff off my cast iron pan?

The best way I’ve found to get the crusty stuff off my cast iron pan is to use salt.

Salt is perfect for cleaning cast iron.

The best salt is kosher or sea salt because it is coarser than regular table salt and more abrasive.

Another way is to use a chainmail scrubber.

How do you clean a cast iron skillet without destroying it?

The best way to clean a cast iron skillet without destroying it is never to use harsh chemicals.

I don’t recommend using steel wool unless it is like a Brillo pad.

Another thing you can use is scouring pads.

What should you not clean cast iron with?

The main thing I recommend that you don’t clean cast iron with is lye.

I only use lye when I am entirely stripping all the OLD seasoning off of a cast iron skillet or dutch oven.

When you are seasoning a cast iron skillet, this is a great way to get it down to the bare metal.

If I am cleaning and seasoning a NEW cast iron skillet, this is how we do that.

What Is The Best Way To Clean Cast Iron Pans

In conclusion:

What is the best way to clean cast iron pans

Wash them out with hot water immediately after cooking while they are still warm.

Using a little soap as in a mild detergent will not destroy the seasoning on your cast iron.

Sea salt and kosher salt are great for cleaning cast iron too.

Cleaning cast iron is not all that complicated, but as seen in this article, there are some good and bad ways to go about it.

Let us know if you agree or disagree with any of this, and be sure to tell us how you clean your cast iron!

1 thought on “What Is The Best Way To Clean Cast Iron Pans”

  1. Pingback: Can Cast Iron Go In Dishwashers? - Mr. Cast Iron

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