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?

3 comments

3 Comments

knight.xena3mo ago

My cast iron gets washed with a good scrub and dish soap after every use. The seasoning is polymerized oil, it's basically plastic. Modern dish soap doesn't have lye, it can't strip that off. A darker pan might just mean you're building up a layer of carbonized food gunk instead of clean seasoning. I'd rather have a clean, properly seasoned pan than a dark one that's just dirty.

brian_jackson3mo ago

Wait, so the black stuff isn't all good? That kinda changes everything. I've been scared of soap for years.

andrew9169d ago

Tbh my cast iron is so dark at this point I could probably use it as a mirror at a goth club. I've been scared of soap for years too, but turns out I was just building up a really gross science project instead of seasoning. Honestly, learning the difference between clean seasoning and carbonized gunk made me realize my pan has been wearing a dirty sweater this whole time.