Keep Your Cast Iron in Good Condition
A cast-iron skillet can last a lifetime—or probably several if it’s passed from generation to generation! Here’s how to clean a cast-iron skillet to keep it in the best possible condition and prevent the loss of that all-important seasoning.
Cast iron isn’t just renowned for its durability; cooking with it also has health benefits. Research has shown that cast iron infuses food with a healthy dose of iron. And take it from me—an anemic gal—cooking on a cast-iron skillet is waaaay better than choking back liquid Geritol. It’s the most forgiving cooking utensil, able to withstand neglect and easily restored when it falls into the right hands. Anemic or not, an inexpensive and indestructible cast-iron skillet deserves a space in every cook’s cabinet.
How to Clean a Cast-Iron Skillet
First and foremost, do NOT use soap on cast-iron pans! The soap will break down the pan’s seasoning, dissolving its natural non-stick layer.
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Instead, if your pan is in good shape, follow these instructions after each use:
- Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel, preferably while it’s still warm, which will make it easier to remove bits of food.
- Using a non-metal brush or non-abrasive scrubber, rinse the pan under hot water (no soap!) and give it a good scrub. Alternatively, use a small handful of coarse salt and scrub with that.
- Dry the skillet thoroughly with a cloth or paper towel—drip drying is a no-no—then heat it on a medium-low burner to evaporate any remaining moisture. (Rust will accumulate if water sits on the pan’s surface.)
- When the pan cools but is still warm to the touch, add a half teaspoon of oil (I use canola).
- Using paper towels, spread the oil around so that the interior is coated. Continue to wipe down the pan with the oiled towels until the entire surface is smooth and there are no pools. Flaxseed oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, and corn oil will also do the trick.
How to Season a Cast-Iron Skillet
Most cast-iron pans come with a factory seasoning that improves with regular use and proper care. Well-seasoned cast-iron skillets naturally become nonstick. Buh-bye chemicals. Basically, the more you use it, the more nonstick it becomes. How does it work? When heated to its smoke point, oil or fat oxidizes and forms a Teflon-like layer that seeps into the pores of the pan, creating a slick surface known as seasoning. With repeated use, the seasoned layer builds, and less oil is needed for cooking.
Sometimes, a pan will need a bit of TLC, especially if it’s gone unused, to bring its seasoning back up to snuff. Here’s how to breathe new life into an old pan:
- Place the skillet over medium-high heat and get it good and hot.
- Using tongs, dip a paper towel in two tablespoons of oil and wipe the interior until it smokes and there’s no residue. Be sure to grasp the handle with a towel or oven glove.
- Repeat the smoking process three times, allowing the pan to cool a little between each application.
Read more about why we love using cast iron for cooking!
Heather Blackmore
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What if soap has been used on your cast iron skillet?
Throw it away and buy a new pan.
Hi, Joyce. The soap will break down the pan’s seasoning and dissolve its non-stick layer. Without knowing how much soap or how often your pan has been washed with soap, it is hard to say. If the pan still has its non-stick abilities, we suggest re-seasoning the pan and not using any more soap.
This is actually more of a question than a comment. My husband found some of his mother's old cast iron that had been stored in an outbuilding for an extended period of time and they are VERY rusty. Is there a way to restore them?
If you have access to a sand blaster, that will remove all the rust. If not, you can remove rust by hand with steel wool. Depending on the accumulation, it might take multiple tries to do so. No soap. No Water. Dry steel wool. Continue repeating this until you've removed all the rust. For stubborn areas, a little cooking oil and steel wool will help. You can also use scotch brite pads (no soap) dry to bring up the finish and final clean. As you repeat this process, wipe out rust with paper towels, or an old towel. When all completed, lukewarm water rinse with steel wool to do a final clean. rinse and wipe dry. Place on burner and heat until very hot. then condition using the cooking oil method shown on almanac site. Keep it clean and dry and conditioned and it will last many lifetimes. No Soap!
My mom taught me how to care for CI - she learned it from her mom and her German born grand mom. My mom said the CI should be clean enough to wipe with a white dish towel - so yes, we always used some soap on our CI and then quickly re-seasoned lightly. Mom had the best CI and nothing ever stuck. I know this goes against what you are saying ... but this is 4 generations of CI use.
My mom taught me how to clean and re-season cast iron skillets. She used a small amount of soap and it was put ona burner or the hot oven to dry. Then it was seasoned with oil or grease. Best nonstick pans for years of use. I am now 79 yrs young. Still use mom’s skillet
I've maintained cast iron cookware this way for years with outstanding results. It keeps the cast iron clean to the metal with no build up and as long as you dry well after cleaning and rinsing and condition with a light oil coat, it's good to go. Cast iron is my #1 go to cooking utensil. I have a set of 5 pans which nestle together. other specialty ones as well. Best and most healthy way to cook. Can't beat cast iron cooking for steak!
Hi, Dr. Priestley. Thank you for chiming in with your family’s experience with cast iron.
I like the flax seed oil method for seasoning cast iron ( you can find this online). Being a drying oil, it binds with the iron and the finish stays nonstick for a good amount of time. The process can be repeated. I use the Lodge stuff bristle brush to clean. Works on old and new pans.
