That comment about using dish soap on cast iron made me cuss out loud

Saw someone on a food post say they scrub their cast iron skillet with Dawn and a steel wool pad then just rinse it. I couldn't believe it. Did that in my kitchen once and it took me 3 days and 4 rounds of seasoning to get the rust off that pan. Has anyone else seen people giving ruin-your-kitchen advice in the comments?

2 comments

2 Comments

henderson.wesley1mo ago

You scrub their cast iron skillet with Dawn and a steel wool pad" - I get why you'd cuss, but I gotta say, the real problem there is the steel wool, not the Dawn. Dawn itself is totally fine for cast iron, it won't hurt the seasoning as long as you dry it right after. The steel wool strips off the seasoning way too fast and leaves the metal open to rust, that's the actual killer. A stiff nylon brush or a chainmail scrubber with a little soap is safer, then you just towel dry and do a quick stovetop oil wipe. Three days of fixing a pan from one scrub sounds about right for that combo, but Dawn alone wouldn't do that kind of damage.

cora_scott771mo ago

Speaking of chainmail scrubbers, my mom used one to clean her old cat food bowl and now I can't look at mine without remembering that smell.