How to Clean a Cast Iron Skillet (Step by Step Guide)

I’ve been using a cast iron skillet for about a year now. They make the best sausage gravy! However, I had a really hard time figuring out how to clean a cast iron skillet after using it.

There are all sorts of things I had heard about cast iron, but I didn’t really know what was true and what wasn’t. I was so nervous that I was cleaning it wrong.

However, I’ve learned that cleaning and caring for cast iron skillets isn’t hard. In fact, they are pretty simple. My cast iron skillet is Lodge brand, so that’s where I got all my information from.

It’s important that you clean your skillet every time you use it. Don’t leave it dirty or it will rust out. Cleaning my skillet is part of my daily kitchen cleaning tasks.

Supplies Needed to Clean Cast Iron

You probably have most of what you need to clean your cast iron skillet. There are a few items that you may want.

Salt

Rag, sponge, or chain mail scrubber (affiliate link)

paper towel or dark colored towel

How to Clean a Cast Iron Skillet

Here’s what I do to clean my cast iron.

1. Remove as much food as you can from the pan.

Pour out any leftover oil or grease and big debris left from cooking that can easily be scraped off the pan. I like to use a rubber scraper.

However, if there are a lot of big chunks that won’t come off easily, I do it a little differently. I’ll turn the stovetop on low and add a little water to the skillet.

Then I’ll scrape the bottom of the pan with a metal scraper.

2. Add a little water and salt to your skillet.

Add a little water to the pan and sprinkle a little salt to the bottom. The salt acts as an abrasion and helps get the skillet clean.

Coarse sea salt is the best option, but you can use regular table salt too.

Cast Iron should not be washed in the dishwasher. You don’t want to submerge the pan in your sink for dishwashing either.

Instead add just a little of your water and soap suds to the pan.

Generally, it is recommend not to clean your pan with soap because the harshness could strip the seasoning from the pan.

However, if you use a small amount of gentle liquid dish soap, you should be alright.

3. Scrub off any remaining food.

Use a pan scrubber to clean the food off the pan. I have used a scrubbing sponge, washcloth, or chainmail scrubber (affiliate link).

Really any of these options will work.

You can purchase a special chainmail scrubber for easy cleaning, but a sponge or wash cloth will work fine too.

If you have food that just won’t come off with scrubbing, simmer a little bit of water in the pan for 5 minutes.

This will loosen any pieces that are still stuck on. Once the pan is cooled, you should be able to scrape the pan clean.

You can use a scrubbing sponge or washcloth with salt.

Sometimes I wrap the chainmail over a sponge for better grip.

4. Rinse the skillet.

Then just give the pan a final rinse of water and be sure to dry it right away.

If cast iron is not dried, it will start to rust. So this is an important step. One that I learned the hard way! If you see a little rust on your cast iron skillet because you didn’t dry it, don’t worry. It can be fixed!

5. Dry off the skillet.

To avoid rust, wipe the entire pan dry. You could us a paper towel because sometimes a little bit of the black seasoning comes off, and you don’t want it to mess up your dish towels.

Or use a dark colored towel that is specifically for wiping your cast iron skillet dry.

6. Add oil to reseason skillet.

Then you’ll want to add a thin coat of oil to your pan. I simply add the oil that I have on hand to a folded up sheet of paper towel and wipe the entire pan with the oil.

Any oil will do. You could use coconut oil, olive oil, canola oil….

And that’s it! Your cast iron skillet is clean and ready to use again.

Cooking with cast iron is a great way to reduce toxins in your home. I also like to clean with natural ingredients. That’s why I use vinegar as a household cleaner.

These are just two simple ways I try to create a healthier home.

By the way, I like to hang my chain mail scrubber from a command hook under my kitchen sink.

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