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 always set the oven timer when I put mine on the burner to dry, so that I don’t forget! I’ve burned all the seasoning off by accident before.
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. I think the newer ones are harder to use, they have a textured surface whereas my old frying pan is smooth. I just wash with hot water, dry on the burner and store.
I also read somewhere that it’s important to let the pan get hot before you add the butter or grease. I don’t quite understand why, but it does seem to make a difference.
Such a good tip, Dorothy! I do, too, but sometimes my other family members don’t, ha!
I think you’re right about the newer pans – they never seem to be as smooth as older pans. And I’ve read that “hot pan, cold oil, food won’t stick” before, but have also read that it’s not quite true because the oil heats up almost immediately. So any way you add your oil or butter is okay (though I do add butter at end, since it likes to burn quickly…).
Thanks for the tip about using bacon grease!
You’re welcome – it’s a game-changer!
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!
That’s great – he obviously knew what he was talking about!
Would you try this on a cast iron that has rusted? I have a small perfect size for us pan that I put out side to put iron in my flower bed!, your probably cry over this! But I had been thinking about using it. would you?
Yes, that is a bit sad, Sue! I’m glad you’re wanting to use it. 🙂 Unless the rust has produced a pitted and pock-marked surface, you should be able to clean it. I found a good article on how to do this: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-restore-a-rusty-cast-iron-skillet-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-203086
I love my cast iron pans but have to admit I can be a bit intimidated by them. I have a fry pan, oval pan and Dutch oven that belonged to my husbands uncle and a dutch oven that was my grandparents. I also have a chicken fryer that I found at a yard sale. I also have a couple griddles but they need to be restored and I am not sure how best to do that. The one griddle is pretty large (I found it in the upper peninsula of Michigan for 4 dollars!). It’s pretty rough but will be great when it’s ready to go. The other is a small round griddle and has a lot of surface rust. I’ve read how to restore them but I’m afraid I will ruin them so I’ve procrastinated. I do use my other pans from time to time but not as much as I could. I’m not sure why as they are easy to clean. Still a bit intimidated I guess.
I totally feel your pain, Pam – it is a bit intimidating. 🙂 The Kitchn has a really good series of articles on cast iron – one in particular about rust that I just referenced in another comment: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-restore-a-rusty-cast-iron-skillet-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-203086 – that might help you be able to use the other items you have!
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!
I do, Sue – here’s to you falling in love with your cast iron!
I’m a cast iron fanatic! My favorites are three antiques that I got at Goodwill: a Griswold and two Wagner Ware…all three have a finish that is smooth as a baby butt!! Lodge is great, and I love that they are USA made, but they are WAY too pitted. I have, right now, over 30 pieces, I think!(I Just added a cast iron tortilla press)
I have a special brush only for Cast iron, and it never sees soap, only hot water. I brush a thin layer of coconut oil after each use and use a silicon pastry brush to spread it. The Lodge, I have to season several times to take care of the pitting, but it still works after several rounds of seasoning.
Thanks for the great post.
Oh, you are lucky to have found those at Goodwill, Carol! I’ve mostly found China-made versions which are always pitted, except for 2 made in USA, but unnamed.
We use a cast iron flat skillet on our grill to do fish…very good. Also, After cleaning it thoroughly I preheat the oven, turn it off and put the skillet in there to dry. Works well. I also was told to not use cast iron skillets or kettles on European glass top ranges…which I now have. That’s sad, but better for the range top. Also was told to not prepare dishes that have tomatoes in the ingredients. Cast iron works very well over open campfires too. Our son does that w/his “Dutch ovens.)
What a great idea to grill fish on a flat skillet, Sydra. Yes, you can’t cook acidic tomatoes in cast iron or it will damage the surface. There’s a blogger friend of mine who’s family has a Dutch Oven cook-off every year and the things they make in those over open fires are amazing! They are really versatile.
My thing with cast iron is the black that always rubs off of it. I just can’t deal with that.
You mean when you rub it with the cloth to oil it? That’s the iron and it actually helps you get the iron you need when you eat food cooked in it – it’s good for you!
Yes, that is what I mean, It just seems nasty to me. HA!!
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…..one thing you didn’t mention was how long and at what temp. when you put it into the oven to season?
Good, I’m glad to hear you’ll give it another try Erika. Your oven should be at 350 degrees and you ‘cook’ it for an hour before turning off and just letting the pan sit in the oven as it cools. You can repeat the process as needed.
I bought a iron cast versable Grill I was cooking some flank steak on to make fajitas even tho i greased it a little with olive oil my meat stuck and now I have hard crust on my grill I even used hot water and salt and cleaning brush what can I use to clean like new I know how to season it just to use to clean it can I use vinegar and baking soda or lemon juice ?
Bummer, Pam! I would just scrub it with whatever I could at that point to get it clean and then start the long seasoning again – in the oven and then cooking things like bacon in it, etc.
I used a cleaning pumice stone and got my cast iron cleaned up.
We have 4 cast irons two are 9 years old and the other two ( a 10″ and one big enough for two eggs only) have been passed down for 5 generations and when I pass to my son that’ll be 6 generations… We use them daily the non stick pans seem to be collecting dust! We love them! I’ve used them for camping… In fact the campfire is how we seasoned our lodge cast iron skillets. The oldest two have been through one house fire and one kitchen fire (I was 4 and didn’t know after cooking eggs in cast iron you don’t throw away in plastic trash can lol). One of the greatest cooking ware around not to mention most durable!!! Now if I can only keep my dad from using dish soap on them or leaving them sitting in water ? but either way… ❤️❤️❤️❤️ my cast irons!!!!
That’s a cast iron heritage, Kim! And yes to the soap and water issue with others helping in the kitchen!!
Great tips. Thanks Jami!
Have been trying to clean a cast iron muffin pan. Scalloped design. Tried soaking in vinegar. So hard to get inside of each cup clean. Any suggestions?
Thank you
Sue W
I wasted a lot of years NOT using the cast iron that belonged to my Grandma. Thank goodness I kept it. I too, like you, FINALLY learned how to use and take care of it. It is worth its weight in gold to me. I like the older cast iron with the smooth finish rather than the ‘pitted’ finish the new cast iron pieces have. Never quite figured out why they do that. Many times I have found pieces at yard sales priced really cheap because its rusted or covered in thick burned on gunk from years of using it without knowing how to care for it. I snatch it up! There is a way to clean all that off with little or no elbow grease. I’ll share my secret here>>
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.
I’ve read about that, Jackie, for pans that seem like lost causes – glad to know it’s true!
You can also just leave it in a self cleaningoven.
That will turn everything to ash! Then, re-season.
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 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 in it unless it’s one that is older than your grandmother and has been seasoned for that many years. Lodge makes great new cast iron and paying more for american made that is quality pays off when you want to keep it and use for a long time.
I found a “corn dodger” pan in my mamaw’s garage after she passed away and I can not get all of the rust out of the little “kernels”. Anyone have any ideas? I thought about sandblasting it.
Deglazing will also get the old flavor out of the pan as well as clean it. Buy a carbon block at the restaurant supply store, the kind they clean grills with, use it to make the surface uniform (a new pan has cast pocks or machine lines in it) as the seasoning builds up. Be patient this may take a year or so, it did for my Ikea cast iron grill I use on the BBQ. My mother will not use water on cast iron, she only wipes it out with a paper towel. Been doing that for 70+ years after inheriting them from my grandmother. Those pans are pushing 100 and have never seen wash water, including the cast iron camping dutch oven (the one with legs and a flat top with a lip to hold hot coals) that my grandfather made fudge in. Grease will burn and cake on the exterior, then sluff off. Perfectly normal. Use any schmalz (rendered animal fat). We use both bacon schmalz and goose schmaltz (we are German and a Christmas Goose is always in order) to cook with and to grease the pan after use.
Hi. I have a question. I had stored my iron pan without usage for a year . I had it coated with olive oil. When i pull it out it had a strange smell to it and some oil was gathered at the bottom. i tried to clean it but it was a mess i ruined all my cleaning sponges the oil became very thick and dark. i soaped it , rinsed it and made a soup in it. Now i used a cup to pour the soup from pot to the plate when i looked at the cup it was stained with that oil i was trying to get off from the iron cast it had funny smell, the soup had funny taste and smell. i ate a bowl of soup still alive what do i do? thinking about discarding the rest of the soup. can i restore my iron cast pot to a better condition?
Sounds like the olive oil had gone rancid, Mayan. You’re right – it won’t kill you, but is not good for you either – I might get rid of the soup. 🙁 Your pan should be as good as new after reasoning it in the oven – I think I have a link in this post to the steps I took to re-season my pan, just follow those steps and you’ll be enjoying your pan again!
Hi,
Do you need to clean the cast iron pan immediately after cooking? Or i can enjoy my meal first.
Also i do not have hot water tap.
I usually dump some water in the pan before sitting down to eat, Paul – the heat from cooking works with the water to start loosening the bits of food and when it’s time to clean, it comes out easier. And for the hot water, I don’t mean a special tap, just the normal hot water that comes from your faucet. 🙂
Hi, thanks for the tip.
I am in Bangkok. I think you guys have two taps on with hot water and one with cold water.
I only have cold water faucet. I can always boil water to clean the cast iron pan. But that is like kind of inconvenient.