Realized I was ruining my cast iron skillet for 2 years

I always scrubbed my cast iron with soap and water, then dried it on high heat. Last month a buddy who works in a restaurant kitchen saw me doing it and just laughed. He told me to stop using soap and just scrape it clean with a metal spatula under hot water. Tried it once and the seasoning actually stuck after that. Anyone else been cleaning their cast iron wrong this whole time?

2 comments

2 Comments

sethr116d ago

My grandmother used soap on her cast iron for 50 years (and I mean the same skillet) and it's still going strong with a seasoning like glass. I think the whole "no soap" thing is overblown for home cooks, you know? Like, unless you're scraping it down to bare metal every time, a little mild soap isn't going to strip years of seasoning. Seems like a lot of internet fear-mongering about something that's basically a hunk of iron.

david7016d ago

Exactly this. Mild soap is fine, just dry it on the stove after.