How to Clean A Cast Iron Skillet And Care for It (Or How I Learned To Love Cast Iron)
Have you ever wondered how to clean a cast iron skillet? Or maybe you’ve been curious about how this versatile kitchen tool can replace your nonstick pans. In this guide on cast iron care and cleaning I share my journey and #1 tip from stuck-on food to throwing away my non-stick pans – and how to keep cast iron well-seasoned, too. If you’ve had a love-hate relationship with your cast iron, join me in saying goodbye to rust and stickiness and hello to delicious, evenly cooked dishes!
✩ What readers are saying…
“THAAAAAAAANK YOU!!!! I am one of those who heard how great they were, bought them, got frustrated and put them in the back of the pantry. This post gives me new hope!! Again…. THANK YOU!!!!!!” -Mackenzie
I cannot tell you how excited I am to write about my success with using a cast iron skillet because for many years I was not successful. How many? Twenty years – and I wish I were joking.
I acquired a cast iron pan shortly after I was married- I think it came from Brian’s grandma, or maybe a thrift store, but it had definitely been used. I didn’t grow up using cast iron, but I had heard people tell me all the reasons they loved their pans: they were naturally non-stick, last more than a lifetime, heat evenly, and so on. So I was was looking forward to trying it in my new household.
And try I did. But everything stuck- eggs, meat, you name it. Then I’d shove it to the back of the cupboard, eventually bring it out to try again with the same results, until it got permanently relegated to our little vintage trailer. Perfect for vintage cast iron, right? Plus, that meant there were only a few days each summer that I had to use it- and invariably curse it.
(I know now that when we scrubbed the dickens out of it to get all the stuck things off we were just perpetrating the cycle – hindsight is 20/20, right?)
However, after a number of years of marriage when my third set of non-stick skillets started peeling, I realized I didn’t want to keep buying new pans every few years so I needed to figure this cast iron pan thing out.
How to Clean a Rusty Cast Iron Skillet
By this time my sad, neglected skillet was rusty, but thanks to the internet (not around during my first attempts), I found out how to clean the rust and re-season the pan fairly easily. I basically followed steps similar to this technique:
- Gently scrub off any rust with a steel wool pad (plain, not the kind with cleaners in it).
- Wash and thoroughly dry the skillet – I set it on the stove for a few minutes on medium heat.
- Coat the inside and outside of the pan with your choice of oil/grease (see below!).
- Place the pan upside down in a 350 degree oven for one hour and then let cool in the oven.
- Repeat as needed (I did two rounds of oiling and heating on my rusty pan).
My #1 Tip To Finally Loving Cast Iron
There was one major thing I did differently, though, when it came to coating the pan from what I read online and had done in my previous attempts. I did a lot of research and what I read over and over again was to use this to season the pan:
Not canola or a vegetable oil as I had always used, but bacon grease!
You can also use lard or coconut oil (but NOT olive oil as some sites state, since olive oil has a low smoke point and shouldn’t be used in applications like this). I prefer bacon grease for a simple reason – it’s free after cooking bacon, unlike coconut oil, and lard isn’t easy to come by.
(Oh, and side note that has to be mentioned: the fact that I am using something we regularly used to throw away? You know I love that!)
Why is what you coat cast iron with so important?
The short answer? Industrial oils.
You know that sticky coating that you can feel on old pans, cookie sheets, muffins pans, and other baking pans? This comes from using the industrial vegetable oils (corn, vegetable, canola) that have only been consumed regularly since the 1950’s (and we know cast iron has been around a lot longer than that).
They are called industrial oils because they cannot be made without a factory and machines – think about how you would get oil out of corn in your kitchen. It can’t be done, unlike rendering lard, collecting bacon grease, or even cooking coconut meat to extract the oil.
Thinking about how unnatural these oils are led our family to give up all industrial oils as a part of eating real, healthy foods.
The other thing I discovered was that awful “old oil” smell I had notice was also a direct result of using industrial oils. I have found that I don’t get that smell at all when I use a bit of bacon grease to season our pans.
But won’t food cooked in the pan have a bacon flavor? Does it smell like bacon when heating the pan?
I wondered this too! While it did smell like bacon a bit during the re-seasoning process, I’ve learned it doesn’t smell much like bacon in normal usage and has never made our food taste like bacon.
I think it’s because you use very little grease on the pan to maintain the seasoning – less than 1/8 of a teaspoon. It may also be because it’s best to use only the clear part of the grease (which is, in fact, like rendered lard). Whatever the reason, there’s no noticeable smell or flavor.
The ultimate test for me? Scrambled Eggs.
For the first few months after re-seasoning, I cooked only things that were greasy like bacon, or things that don’t stick like sautéed mushrooms in order to build up more of the seasoning to be more “non stick.”
The ultimate test in my book was scrambled eggs – it’s where I had the most trouble before. Finally the weekend came to make scrambled eggs with cheese.
And all I can say is I’m glad there wasn’t a video camera around as I was jumping up and down in front of the stove saying “they’re not sticking!” over and over again. As if I was the first one to discover this, ha!
There were still bits of egg and cheese stuck to the pan in places (see an example below), but it wasn’t much and there wasn’t that full layer of stuck on egg I used to get. (Update: after years of proper use and seasoning, I don’t even have this much egg/cheese stick to the pan anymore – it really is almost non-stick!)
Of course I couldn’t keep this to myself. If you’re like me and have had trouble with cast iron – or think it’s too much work – I want to show you how simple it can be to clean and care for cast iron – and encourage you that it really can become your favorite pans with just a bit of your time and attention!
How to Clean A Cast Iron Skillet: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Remove any cooked on residue. TIP: After serving food, run a bit of water in the pan to sit on the stove until you’re ready to clean it.
Use a plastic scrubber, walnut scrubber, or other non-metallic option (metal can remove the seasoning).
TIP: Some people regularly use coarse salt, but that would be wasting something in my frugal world, ha! However, if you have really stuck-on food, it is a good option- I’ve used it successfully for the residue left after browning meat.
Step 2: Wash the pan with hot water only and no soap. Yes, it’s OK, it is getting clean, I promise (though you can occasionally use a bit of soap if you need). I do use the scrubber side of my sponge (though now I only use a walnut scrubber sponge) and haven’t found that it takes the seasoning off, like some sites warn against. Your call.
Step 3: Dry the pan thoroughly on the stove. Heat it for just a minute or so on medium-high heat – not high and don’t walk away! (Yes, this has happened to my daughter and the pan got almost red with heat, but luckily didn’t ruin it – whew.)
Step 4: Season. Remove the pan from the burner and turn it off. Using a cotton rag (or paper towel, though they can leave paper residue) grab a smear of bacon grease and rub it all over the inside of the warm pan. Occasionally add it to the outside of the pan, whenever it seems to be looking ‘dry’ and like it needs it.
Step 5: Let cool. Set the seasoned pan back on the still warm burner and let the pan cool there before putting away. This helps seal in the seasoning.
That’s it! Yes, it takes a few minutes more than a regular skillet to dry, add the grease, and then let cool, but it’s small potatoes in the big scheme of things, right? Especially it means you won’t have to be replacing skillets in the future!
Here’s a common question I’ve been asked often since first publishing this:
“I just starting using a cast iron skillet and every time I clean it and re-season it with oil, the paper towel is gray and ashy looking. I can’t get it to come clean. Is that normal?”
That is normal – it’s not dirty, that’s the iron (and what causes the food cooked in it to be a good source of iron in our diet!) and also some of the seasoning – you don’t want to rub it all off as that’s what gives the ‘non-stick’ surface.
Tips to Maintain Cast Iron
- Do these same cleaning steps every time you use your skillet and you will keep a nice gleam on the pan that tells you it’s seasoned enough to meet all your non-stick needs.
- It’s also a good idea to regularly cook things in it with more fat, like bacon, browning ground beef, or cooking vegetable fritters or zucchini feta fritters in avocado oil.
- If it seems like the seasoning is wearing off, simply go through the steps to re-season the pan again.
- Remember that acid foods like tomatoes and lemons can remove some of the seasoning, so long cooking of these things (like sauces) should be reserved for a stainless steel pan.
While the steps to clean and care for cast iron may have a few more than non-stick coated pans, it’s well worth it and becomes second nature after awhile. And then you may be like me in saying goodbye to non-stick pans forever!
Reader Raves
“You are far from alone! I have two cast iron pans that are currently sitting in my pantry shelf. I have baked/caked on who knows what and rusted yuk on mine. This has given me the gumption to drag them out clean them up and season them! Thanks for the quick tips and I also never gave the bacon grease thing a thought! Makes a ton of sense! Wish me luck! Thanks again for the great info!” -Sue
“I am totally with you. I started off many years ago, trying to season and use a cast iron pan, but with no luck. I gave up and switched to non stick, but now, after reading your blog, i’m going to give it a try again.” -Erika
“Ha! My husband wanted to season our cast iron skillet with bacon grease much to my dismay. ‘Won’t that make it sticky? Surely we can use something else?’ He insisted and now it’s amazing! Clean up is a breeze and nothing sticks!” -Kylie
Have you ever had issues with cast iron (tell me I’m not alone!)? Do you use it or want to use it? Leave a comment and let me know!
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How to Clean and Maintain Cast Iron
Materials
- Any type of cast iron skillet, pot, or pan
- 1 rubber scraper or any other non-metallic scraper
- sponge or dish cloth
- 1/8 teaspoon bacon grease or lard, or coconut oil
- small cotton rag or paper towel
Instructions
- Step 1: Remove any cooked on residue. Use a plastic scrubber, walnut scrubber, or other non-metallic option (metal can remove the seasoning). TIP: After serving food, run a bit of water in the pan to sit on the stove until you're ready to clean it.
- TIP: Use coarse salt, rubbed all over with a sponge or dish cloth if you have really stuck-on food, like after browning meat.
- Step 2: Wash the pan with hot water only and no soap, preferably. You can use a bit of soap every now and then, but detergent is harsh and may remove the seasoning.
- Step 3: Dry the pan thoroughly on the stove. Heat it for just a minute or so on medium-high heat – not high and don't walk away! TIP: set a timer.
- Step 4: Season: Remove the pan from the burner and turn it off. Using a rag (or paper towel) grab a smear of bacon grease and rub it all over the inside of the warm pan. Occasionally add it to the outside of the pan, whenever it seems to be looking 'dry' and like it needs it.
- Step 5: Let cool: Set the seasoned pan back on the still warm burner and let the pan cool there before putting away.
To Maintain Cast Iron
- Do these same cleaning steps every time you use your skillet and you will keep a nice gleam on the pan that tells you it's seasoned enough to meet all your non-stick needs.
- Regularly cook things in it with more fat and avoid long simmering acid foods like tomatoes and lemons.
- If it seems like the seasoning is wearing off, simply go through the steps to re-season the pan again.
To Re-Season (and remove rust, if needed):
- Gently scrub off any rust with a steel wool pad (plain, not the kind with cleaners in it).
- Wash and thoroughly dry the skillet – I set it on the stove for a few minutes on medium heat.
- Coat the inside and outside of the pan with bacon grease, coconut oil, or lard.
- Place the pan upside down in a 350 degree oven for one hour and then let cool in the oven.
- Repeat as needed.
More Reader Tips
Note: This article was originally published in March of 2011 and became one of my first viral posts. For me, it was simply a matter of sharing my excitement over finally figuring out how to use my cast iron pans so I could throw out the non-stick pans for good. I just had to overlook the fact that thousands of people were seeing my dirty egg pan, lol!
Here are just a few other tips readers have shared in the 100+ comments:
- To renew an old, rusted cast iron pan:
Option 1. “Just spray the piece all over, inside, outside and handle with oven cleaner. I usually do this outside. Close it up in a trash bag, place it outside in the sun, let it sit for 24 hrs. Rinse with the hose. Repeat if necessary. Bring it inside, wash with hot water, rinse with straight white vinegar, (to neutralize the oven cleaner) rinse with hot water, season. Voila. Like new. Every single time.”
Option 2. “You can also just leave it in a self cleaning oven. That will turn everything to ash! Then, re-season.” - Using only oil to clean:
“Once pan is seasoned, you do not have to use water to clean it in many instances. I use olive oil for my cooking, don’t let it burn. After cooking scrambled eggs, put a bit of olive oil (Jami here: please don’t use olive oil – it has a low smoke point!) in pan to wet the surfaces, use little spatula or paper towel – I use spatula to rub paper towel around not my fingers. After that, if anything still sticks, I may put a bit of hot water, but never leave it soaking with water.” - Not using oil each time:
“I don’t find that I need to oil my pan every time though, maybe because I use plenty of butter to cook my eggs, and it’s so well seasoned the surface shines. I have a small ancient cast iron pan and nothing sticks to it.” - Tip for more non-stick:
“…one thing you should ALL be doing is PREHEAT THOSE PANS!!!! This gets the old seasoning in shape for new oil to be added and fill in all those micro grooves that are what makes food stick! There are few things–other than maybe warming a tortilla or such–that don’t need SOME oil to cook (even in a non-stick!!!) and cast iron has more little grooves and spots than other material by it’s nature. Don’t put it on HIGH and wander off; just use a low or medium flame to get to temp and THEN add your oil.”
I don’t use my cast iron regularly, but saw your post and pulled out my 4 skillets washed them and seasoned them with the bacon grease. 3 of my 4 handles feel sticky. Is this from using oil previously? Also, 2 have some kind of layered gunk on them (a thin film) that I can’t get off. Ideas anyone?
I have found with my pans (all cast iron, no wood handles) that at low temps you get that tackiness. What I do to fix that tackiness is to put them in the oven at 500 degrees for an hour…it gets rid of that tackiness people feel when the oil isn’t quite all the way converted over into hard seasoning and there is several layers of it. Run your stove fan on high and you may want to disable the smoke detector temp cause there is smoke involved. I even put a fan by a door or window to suck the smoke out and I manage. It’s not the most pleasant thing but it can be dealt with. After that (assuming the outside is seasoned well enough) I don’t put any more layers on the outside, just on the inside surface. That will feel slightly oily if you rub your hands in there but not overly awful and the rest is dry as a bone and pleasant to handle.
By the way I used generic safeway shortening and to get a very smooth finish I actually started from scratch and did thin layers, cook in the oven at 325 for an hour, let cool a bit then rub on more(which will melt on contact with the very warm pan) and repeat. I did that several times till I had a decent brownish color going. THEN I took each piece and heated it on the stovetop on med and hand applied a coat with a rag, waited till the heat made it look kind of dried out and then did it again…over and over and over while the pan was really hot on the outside (till it was seasoned nicely) and on the inside- maybe for an hour just standing there. I have to wonder if the rag wiping over it doesn’t help create that slick surface by polishing and molding the oil substance before it’s fully dry. This is hot work and there is, again, alot of smoke and you have to be careful of your fingers but the surface I got in the first day was SO worth it. Then when I am tired of it, feels it has enough for the moment…whatever then I let it cook good on the stove for a bit, then into the oven for the 500 degree treatment to make sure it’s all dry and hardened up. Then of course maintain the seasoning properly and after each use might want to use that rag full of shortening/oil…to wipe the inside of the pan down.
I’ll be continuing the stovetop work on these as I have time/feel like it, followed by the oven to help build up an awesome seasoning.. Already they are beautiful, black, glossy and while not stopping the sticking altogether, we’re not having alot of problems as long as we make sure to grease it nicely right beforehand with butter/oil.
That is what I have done anyway and my pans are looking and performing amazingly for just being newly seasoned.
Jami – This is a *fabulous* post!
I can’t even tell you how much trouble I’ve had with my cast iron. I really want to be able to cook well in it – eggs, etc – but I couldn’t figure out how to do that. Even my bacon stuck when I cooked it in my cast iron. *sigh*
So I’ll definitely try your bacon grease trick! And every good southern cook has a jar in her cabinet anyway, right?! 😉 (I’m in NC)
Super informative. Thanks! Stumbled it 🙂
-Lauren
Shannon- Lucky you! My grandmother’s pans were all aluminum. 🙁
If the food is not sticking for you, then I would not worry about the oven re-seasoning- try using the grease after each use and see if that works. If not, then do the seasoning in the oven.
And, yes, definitely rub it down after each use and dry it on the stove- that’s what it needs to keep it’s lovely patina!
This is so timely. I inherited a cast iron skillet from my grandmother. And I do like using it.I recently noticed that it appears I have scrubbed off some of the black part by using the scrubber side of the sponge. I have not seasoned it after each use but have not used soap. Should I work on seasoning it again and after each use? Thanks for your insight! (I haven’t done any Internet searching yet and then saw this post.)
Southbel & Becky- I wish I could use my thrift store cast iron griddle I rehabilitated a few months ago in the house, but our stove is electric and it discolors the stove top in between the burners. I’m looking forward to using it camping, though.
Anonymous- I don’t think it matters if it’s face up or down- I think I did it face up. Mine was old, so it had some seasoning already and I did the oven seasoning twice, so I would think a brand new one (that wasn’t preseasoned) would take a few more times. THEN I cooked a lot of greasy things in it before trying the eggs. 🙂 Don’t give up!
Wondering if you put your skillet face up or face down in the oven. I have seen instructions for both ways and not sure which is correct. I guess it takes a couple of times to get the seasoning. I followed directions of Lodge cast iron site with Crisco shortening but it didn’t come out well. I’ll try bacon grease next as I have a jar of solid bacon grease in the fridge.
Agreeing with Southbel above about pancakes in a cast iron skillet. Nothing like it! Also, cornbread just belongs in a cast iron skillet. It’s just wrong not to cook it that way. 🙂 And yes, cast iron is handed down from generation to generation down here.
When we bought our house years ago, I found a rusted cast iron skillet in the back of a low cupboard and jumped for joy! It’s my most used pan. And once we scored a cast iron scone/wedge pan at a dirty santa christmas party that we couldn’t believe no one wanted! (shaking head)
I tend to use lard to season mine or shortening in a pinch. Love doing fried chicken in it and my favorite is my griddle for pancakes. Quite frankly, the best pancakes you’ll ever have are those made on a cast iron griddle. You get this yummy crust that is to die for! Course, here in the South, we consider cast iron pans a family heirloom and a staple in the kitchen. 🙂
I bought one many years ago but got so frustrated with it (the same egg issues as you) that I gave it to Goodwill. Now I wish I had hung on to it. Thanks for the great tips. I may have to give the cast iron skillet another go.
I have an enameled cast iron dutch oven and LOVE it!
I love my cast iron pan too! I use it every day! It came from my husband’s grandmother. I love that we have a family heirloom that we are not going to ruin by using.
Gina
Gina, follow my suggestions, and it will keep it in better condition than not using it. Not being used, it will dry out over time and become brittle. Like a muscle, you gotta use it or lose it. 😉 My favourite, most used piece is an 1835 Griswold. Black as midnight and glossy!
Wow – what a timely post. I was just given a 12″ skillet for Christmas this year and I’m in the process of seasoning it. I’m currently battling rust underneath. I know we’ll get it since I managed to season a griddle a few years ago.
We are totally into whole food and non-chemical cooking, so cast iron just makes sense for us. In fact, I’m saving for a 15″ skillet right now.
We also have a dutch oven that has rust, but that is a little heavy for even me!
Thanks for this post – I’m looking forward to getting my cast iron collection underway.
I have started using my cast iron skillet a lot more lately. I also love my dutch oven and use it all the time. Thanks for the tips…I may use it more AND it will save me some money because my next step was to break down and buy All Clad.
We are trying to switch over to the natural/whole foods/organic way of life. I really do not like the chemicals in the non stick pans. I don’t have cast iron yet but I have been saving up my swagbucks for Amazon cards to buy a few pieces. When I looked before some of the pieces were part of the 4 for 3 promotion, can’t beat that! I also love that the regular Lodge (not enameled) are made in the USA. Thank you for the tips! They will come in handy when I get my pans. 🙂
they make the best fried tators and onions…yummmmmmy
My dear husband purchased cast iron pot last month. He was determined to “season” it for me. He promptly covered it in oil and put it in the warm oven. We soon had a smoke filled house that drove us to open the windows in the 34 degree weather. It was a funny disaster. He is still looking to get his pot started right and I will have him look at your entry today for some tips. I think it was the vegetable oil he used. Thanks for the info.
Mmm- you all have the best suggestions for what to cook in it- and yes, Charlene, I totally forgot to mention cornbread and baking with it- like Dutch Babies- is the best!
And thanks, Judi, for reminding me of coconut oil (I’m going to add it into the post!). I do have it, but it’s so expensive I use it only “where it counts.” 🙂 But it would be a good substitute for those that don’t eat pork (or are vegetarians).
buy the coconut oil at Costco. Huge container and a lot cheaper then health food stores
thanks for sharing the tips…we love our cast iron skillet. it does take a bit to get accustomed to seasoning / cooking / cleaning with it but it’s so worth it. we don’t use teflon or non-stick pans anymore…don’t like that chemical stuff coming off into our food.
we use coconut oil for our cooking- a much healthier alternative to lard, vegetable or canola oils. you can find it at most grocery stores that have a health food section…or online.
what’s for dinner, now i’m hungry?!
judi
Judi, you’ll want to smear lard all over the pan to get rid of the rust. Set it in your oven at low temp, with a cookie sheet underneath, on the next lowest rack to catch melted lard (or bacon fat). Put the pan, covered all over, bottom, handle, everything, on the middle rack upside down, with the cookie sheet on the rack underneath. It’s important to have pan on its own rack so it gets hot all around each surface. Turn your oven on to 200 F or so, and leave it for the night. In the morning you’ll have a perfectly seasoned pan.
And pot roast, and fried chicken, and chili, and steak (if you don’t want to heat up the grill. and pineapple upside-down cake! Cast iron is wonderful. There’s a reason it’s been around so long 🙂
I have a family member that doesn’t eat pork, so bacon grease is out for me, but I find that solid vegetable shortening (like Crisco) works well–and doesn’t give that “old oil” smell that vegetable oil gives.
I love my iron skillet, but not just on top of the stove–it makes the best cornbread, and is great for baking biscuits, too.
I have been trying to love my cast iron skillet but I am still having issues. Two days ago I cooked hamburgers and cleaned the pan in much the same way you recommend. Then today I used it for scrambled eggs and noticed a brownish tinge to the eggs, not like I had browned them but like some of the hamburger was still lingering in the pan. Sometimes I will get black flecks on the eggs or the smell of old food when I cook with the skillet. I use coconut oil or bacon grease as needed. I would appreciate your thoughts.
Hmmm, it seems you need to clean it (gently) a bit more, Beth. Do you have one of those square, plastic scrapers? I don’t even know where you buy them – mine came with a pizza stone from Pampered Chef years ago, ha! Anyway, it’s the BEST thing to get all the surface debris off the pan without losing the seasoning. Some people also recommend salt – rubbing it with a cloth or paper towel, though I haven’t tried it myself. The pan should look smooth and shiny when it’s clean and reseasoned with fat. Sure hope this helps some!!
What I do is, when I’m thru cooking, I pour a generous amount of cheap table salt (We don’t eat table salt — just use it for scouring cast iron) all over the inside of the pan. The salt soaks the grease somewhat. I have a special scrubby dedicated only to cast iron, so it’s never seen soap. Everytime we get new scrubbies, the 1st one off the top lives in the CI cupboard. I found I was wasting too many paper towels, and that chapped my cheap Scottish butt. Anyway, I scrub it with salt and residual cooking grease, and it’s so seasoned, it comes with a gentle scrub. I then swish it out with very hot water and the CI scrubby. When the scrubby is rinsed and wrung out, it goes back in the cast iron cupboard so it never gets soap by mistake. I set the pan on a burner turned on medium low and keep an eye on it. Turn it off when it’s dry and let it cool. I never add extra oil, cos it holds the oil that salt and hot water drove into its pores. I haven’t seasoned but once when it was new 20 yrs ago. That’s all it took. My method maintains very well. Beautiful sheen, and scrambled eggs don’t stick, even a little. The best darn nonstick surface ever. I find works better than coarse salt, plus it’s 40 cents a box. Hope this helps. 😉
Great tips, Katherine – thanks!
Beth, you may use flaxseed oil instead. It works SO well on cast iron. Season it 6 times in the oven with flax oil…be sure to use a thin layer of oil each time. It works beautiful. Another tip is to get yourself a dedicated small piece of cloth to rub the oil on the cast iron.
My only issue is they’re so heavy (my 12″ anyway), but my handsome husband cleans it, so I’m lucky!!