How to Clean Your Cast Iron Skillet or Pot After Daily Use

Most people know how to season cast iron, but this article will help everyone out when it comes to cleaning your cast iron after daily use.

Steps

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    Use the pan. It must get dirty before you can clean it, or start with a dirty pan.[1]
  2. Image titled Clean Your Cast Iron Skillet or Pot After Daily Use Step 2
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    Put the skillet back on the heat and pour off all excess fat with the exception of about 2 tablespoons (30 ml). If no fat is left, add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of oil. You need some fat/oil to help clean one way or another.
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    Let the skillet get pretty hot, so that drops of water will flash away when sprinkled on the surface. Make sure that the oil isn’t smoking. Nothing bad will happen if the oil smokes, the pan is just too hot to handle at that point.[2]
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    Add approximately 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of salt and, with a paper towel bunched up and held in some tongs (Caution Hot Iron), use the paper towel and the salt to scour the bottom and sides of the pan, until the brown bits are gone (the salt will be dirty).[3]
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    Rinse out with some hot water (Caution Hot Steam) and return to the heat. Add about 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) of vegetable oil and after about 30-45 seconds use a paper towel to spread the oil around and coat the bottom and sides of the skillet, and let cool. Now it’s ready for using again![4]
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    Finished.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    Should I use really hot water?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Hot water is most effective, but it doesn't have to be any hotter than it would be for your other dishes. If you are having difficulty, you should try soaking the skillet/pot before you wash it.
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Warnings

  • Please be careful when dealing with hot cast iron. Don’t grab a hot handle, or walk away with the skillet on high heat, it’s just a bad idea.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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Things You'll Need

  • Cast Iron Skillet
  • Burner (Electric/Gas)
  • Sink w/running water
  • Vegetable Oil (preferably something with a high smoke point like peanut oil)
  • Salt (preferably kosher)

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References

  1. ↑ https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/381-how-to-clean-a-cast-iron-pan
  2. ↑ https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/inside-our-kitchen/article/how-to-wash-your-cast-iron-skillet
  3. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-a-cast-iron-skillet-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-107747
  4. ↑ https://www.allrecipes.com/article/how-to-season-clean-cast-iron/
  5. ↑ https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-season-a-cast-iron-skillet-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-107614
  6. https://www.food.com/how-to/clean-cast-iron-skillet-119

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 15 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 235,159 times.
57 votes - 95%
Co-authors: 15
Updated: January 31, 2023
Views: 235,159
Categories: Cast Iron Cookware
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