c/cast-iron-care

I used to think soap was the enemy until my bacon stuck last Tuesday.

I was always told a little soap ruins the seasoning, but after scrubbing with just salt for months, my pan's surface got gummy. The moment a strip of bacon welded itself to the center, I caved and used a drop of Dawn. It didn't strip anything, it just cleaned off the old grease buildup. Anyone else find their 'no soap' rule was actually causing more problems?

Saw a guy at a yard sale in Tacoma scrubbing his cast iron with a steel wool pad and soap

I was looking at an old pan last weekend and the seller started cleaning it right in front of me. He said, 'I just give it a good scrub with soap and hot water, gets all the grease off.' I had to stop myself from saying anything, but watching him go at that seasoning with a Brillo pad hurt my soul lol. That pan was probably 40 years old and he was stripping it down to bare metal over a few bucks. It made me realize how many people still think cast iron needs to be cleaned like a regular pot. Has anyone else had to bite their tongue seeing someone wreck a good piece like that?

My neighbor saw me scrub my pan with soap and gave me a look.

He said, 'You know that's a myth, right? A bit of dish soap won't hurt your seasoning.' I was always told never to use soap. I tried it the next day, using Dawn to clean off some baked-on grease, and my pan was fine. The seasoning didn't strip at all. Has anyone else made the switch from the no-soap rule?

Showerthought: my brother-in-law saw my pan after washing and said I was stripping the seasoning by using soap every time.

I switched to just hot water and a brush for most washes, and my seasoning has actually gotten a lot darker and stronger over the last month, so has anyone else had this happen after cutting back on soap?

A guy at the Eugene farmers market said my pan was 'too clean'

He saw my skillet and said, 'That shine means you're scrubbing off the good stuff.' I'd been washing it with soap after every use for years. Has anyone else gotten similar advice about leaving a little bit behind?

Heard a guy at the grill store say he never uses soap, just hot water

Tbh, I was picking up a new Lodge 10-inch and this older guy was telling the clerk he just scrubs his pan with hot water and a brush, no soap ever. It made me think, because I always use a tiny bit of Dawn to cut the grease. Does that hot water only method actually get it clean enough, or is it just an old habit?

Question about using a metal spatula versus a plastic one

I used a plastic spatula for years but switched to a thin metal one after reading a forum post. The metal one scrapes the pan surface way better and actually helps build the seasoning over time. Anyone else make this switch and notice a difference?

Why does nobody talk about using a metal spatula on a seasoned pan?

I was convinced it would ruin the finish, but after 3 months of scraping with a fish turner, my seasoning is actually smoother. Anyone else find the 'no metal' rule is overblown?

Showerthought: I spent $45 on a chainmail scrubber and it's been a total waste

Everyone in this group raves about them, but mine just scratches up my seasoning. I used it exactly three times on my main skillet before I noticed fine marks. I switched back to my old method, a stiff nylon brush and hot water, and my pan looks better than ever. Has anyone else had a bad experience with these things?

My buddy said he never uses soap on his cast iron and I'm not sure about that

We were cooking steaks last weekend and I went to wash the pan after. He stopped me and said soap strips the seasoning, so he just uses hot water and a scrub. I've been doing that for a week now, but the pan feels kinda greasy after cooking eggs. I read online that modern dish soap is fine because it doesn't have lye anymore. Has anyone else made the switch to using a little soap and had it work out okay? I don't want to mess up my seasoning.

Remembering the week my grandma taught me to season a pan

I was maybe twelve, visiting her farm in Iowa for a whole week. She pulled out this old, rusty skillet from the barn and said, 'We're gonna make this right again.' We scrubbed it with coarse salt, then baked on five thin layers of Crisco, one each day. The whole kitchen smelled like warm oil for a week, but seeing that black, shiny finish appear was pure magic. Does anyone else have a memory of learning this stuff from a family member?

I used to think soap was a sin for cast iron, but a 90-year-old skillet changed my mind

For years I avoided any soap, just hot water and salt. Then I bought a rusty Griswold from a flea market in Cincinnati. The guy selling it said his grandma washed it with dish soap after every meal for 70 years. I restored it, and now I use a drop of regular Dawn with a soft sponge. The seasoning is rock solid, no metallic taste. It convinced me the 'no soap' rule is for old lye-based soaps, not modern ones. Anyone else make the switch after a similar find?

Just realized those fancy chainmail scrubbers are a total waste of money

Honestly, I bought a $25 one from that cooking store in the mall thinking it would be my forever cleaning tool. Ngl, it scratched up my seasoning worse than my old plastic scraper ever did. Has anyone found a good scrubber that actually works without messing up the pan?

Warning: I heard a guy at the diner say he uses soap on his cast iron every day

He was telling his buddy it's the only way to get it clean, and that the seasoning is 'bulletproof'. In my experience, a little dish soap is fine, but scrubbing with coarse salt and hot water works just as well without risking the polymerized oil layer. Has anyone else had a pan that could actually handle daily soap without losing its non-stick feel?

My sister-in-law said she never washes her cast iron with soap, and I had to ask why.

We were making breakfast at her place in Austin, and she just rinsed her pan with hot water and a stiff brush. She said her grandma taught her that soap strips the seasoning, a rule she's followed for 15 years. I always used a tiny bit of mild soap myself, so it made me look it up. Turns out, modern dish soap doesn't have lye like the old stuff, so it's actually fine to use. Now I'm curious, what's the one old rule you were taught about cast iron that you've since changed your mind on?

My neighbor's comment about his grandmother's skillet made me think about how we treat our pans.

He said, 'She just cooked with it, never babied it, and it was perfect.' I realized I was spending more time worrying about the seasoning than actually cooking. I used to scrub it with salt for 10 minutes after every use, but now I just give it a quick rinse and a light oil. Has anyone else moved from being overly careful to a simpler routine?

After 3 months of using only my 12-inch skillet, I finally decided to try cooking a small pizza in my 8-inch one instead of ordering out.

The crust got perfectly crispy without burning, and now I'm wondering what other single-serving meals work best in a smaller pan?

Tried the potato skin and salt scrub thing my grandma mentioned

I cut up a russet potato, covered the pan in coarse salt, and went to town. After ten minutes of scrubbing, the salt just made a huge mess and the potato turned to mush. It did not get the baked on cheese off my 10 inch skillet at all. I ended up just using my normal chain mail scrubber with hot water. Has anyone else had a family trick totally flop on them?

My uncle swore by using a metal spatula on his cast iron, and I thought he was nuts.

For years, I only used those soft silicone or plastic scrapers on my 12-inch Lodge skillet, thinking I was protecting the seasoning. My uncle, who's been cooking on the same pan since the 80s, would just shake his head and say, 'You're babying it. A good flat metal spatula is your best friend.' I finally gave in about three months ago when I had a stubborn crust of cheese from some fajitas. I grabbed a basic metal spatula from the drawer and went at it. Not only did it scrape the gunk off way easier, but it actually made the cooking surface smoother over time. It seems like it levels out the seasoning as it builds. I feel like I wasted so much time being gentle. Has anyone else made the switch to metal tools and noticed a real difference?

Finally got my 12-inch skillet to a perfect non-stick finish after three months of messing up the seasoning.

Appreciation post: I see a lot of people scrubbing their pan with soap and water right after cooking, then putting it away wet.

My grandfather taught me to do a quick re-season every single time. After I wash it, I put it back on the burner on low for a minute to dry it completely. Then I wipe a tiny bit of oil on it while it's still warm. It takes maybe 90 seconds total. My 10-inch skillet from 2018 looks and works better than my friend's brand new one because he just air-dries his. Has anyone else's family passed down a simple step like this?

Rant: My neighbor saw me using my pan and gave me the wildest advice

He told me to never wash it, just wipe it out and put it away, because his grandpa in Tulsa did that for 50 years. Has anyone actually had that work without it getting gross?

I finally gave up on using soap to clean my cast iron after my grandma in Omaha said she's used a drop for 60 years.

I chose to try her method on my 10-inch skillet last week, and it came out perfectly clean with no damage to the seasoning at all, so has anyone else had a good experience with using a tiny bit of mild soap?

I stopped using soap to clean my pan for a full month

Everyone says a little soap is fine now, but I wanted to test the old way. I just used hot water and a stiff brush for every clean. After 30 days, the seasoning felt thicker and cooking eggs got easier. Has anyone else tried a long no-soap run and seen a difference?

Pro tip: My friend in Denver thought you had to scrub a cast iron pan with soap after each use

I saw him take a brillo pad to his 10 inch skillet last weekend, which strips off the seasoning you work so hard to build. I showed him my method of just using hot water and a stiff brush, then drying it on the stove. Does anyone else have a friend who does this?