Wash your cast iron cookware by hand. You can use a small amount of soap. If needed, use a pan scraper for stuck on food. For stubborn, stuck-on food, simmer a little water for 3-5 minutes, then use the scraper after the pan has cooled.
Dish Soap -- Even the revered cast-iron manufacturer Lodge says using soap is okay! The trick is to not use any abrasive cleaners here -- keep the Bon Ami/Caulmet/abrasive powders and steel wool or metal scrapers on the no-no list.
You know what's cast iron is NOT good at cooking? Anything liquid, and anything with acid. Liquid can cause rust. Acid strips the seasoning, and as previously mentioned, that should be avoided. This means no vinegar and no citrus, but it also means no tomatoes. I know. It's unfortunate.
🤔 Myth: You can't use soap to clean cast iron. 🤯 Fact: You can use mild dish soap to clean cast iron. The seasoning on our cast iron is fairly resilient and can withstand a little bit of soap, water, and a good scrub with a brush.
Common cooking oils like olive oil will gradually produce seasoning, but won't be as effective as grapeseed oil. Canola, other vegetable oils, and shortening are a little better.
Seasoning a cast-iron skillet has nothing to do with herbs and spices; it's all about using oil to build up a nonstick surface and prevent rusting. While you should clean the skillet after each use, seasoning is only necessary occasionally, usually when you see signs the seasoning is wearing thin.
If that happens, your cast iron may end up *gasp* with some rust. For a small amount of rust, just scour it with a scrubber and water like normal and rub with oil. But if you've got a bigger problem, luckily, a little white vinegar and elbow grease are usually enough to whip that pan back into shape.
You should only need to fully re-season your cast-iron cookware one to two times a year, but you may also want to give it some extra seasoning love anytime you cook something that requires a heavy-duty cleaning.
No! We recommend using a pan scraper or the Lodge Chainmail Scrubber to remove any stuck-on residue. We only recommend using steel wool or a metal scrubber to remove rust before reseasoning.
It's important to not use anything too aggressive such as steel wool, sponges or other abrasive cleaning methods as these will strip your seasoning. For particularly difficult to clean messes, fill your pan halfway full with water and heat over the stove.
Baking Soda & Water: Mix 1 tablespoon of water with 2 tablespoons of baking soda until it forms a paste. Using a rubber spatula or a clean towel, apply the paste to the iron soleplate. Wipe the iron clean with a damp cloth.
Yes, you can absolutely use soap on cast iron. But before you go squeezing out a deluge of Dawn, you should know a few things about using soap on cast iron.
To clean, just use mild dish soap (that's right, it's okay to use a little soap!) and a scouring pad or a cast iron pan cleaning brush. Wash it, scrub it, rinse it, then wipe it out well and season it with a few drops of oil and store with a paper towel covering the cooking surface.
Cooking with a cast iron pan that has a little bit of surface rust on it isn't likely to hurt you. If your pan is seriously rusty or has visible rust flakes, you shouldn't cook with it until the rust is removed and the pan is washed and re-seasoned.
Use a fine grade steel wool pad and scrub the pan surface, inside and out, to remove rust and debris. Wash the residue with hot water and mild soap if needed. Once you have cleaned all the residue off the cast iron skillet, wash and dry your skillet as noted.
Wash while it's still warm.
The water should be warm too, as you never want to shock cast iron with a sudden and drastic temperature change from cold water, since this could cause warping and even cracking. Wash with something that will scour but not scratch.
You can generally use whatever oil you prefer, as long as the cooking temperature is below the smoke point of the oil. Olive oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, and grapeseed oil are all great multipurpose cooking oils—you can use them for everything from sautéing to baking.
The more you use a rusted pan, the more iron you'll consume in your food. It's best to avoid cooking with a rusty cast iron pan. If it's reached the point of corrosion or deep rust, throw it away rather than risk your and your family's health.