How to Clean Cast Iron Cookware?[Learn & Vanish the Rumors]
Cleaning kitchen utensils require a lot of attention and effort. Most probably, somewhere you need to be more careful, and somewhere you can go careless. If talking specifically, then it comes to cast iron cookware.
No doubt, people love them for their stunning layouts. But cleaning them requires a lot of attention, even a lot of cleaning rumours surrounding them which might sound weird. However, you might ask me how to clean cast iron cookware. Cast iron cookware shouldn’t be cleaned with steel-made wool. It needs a soft, stiff brush and a few drops of liquid or mild soap.
Learn essential cast iron cleaning tips and proper maintenance techniques to ensure long-lasting cookware. Discover the best practices for cleaning and caring for cast iron, including effective cleaning methods and helpful tips for pots and pans.
Maintain and preserve your cast iron cookware with quick and easy cleaning routines, keeping it in top shape for years to come.
How to Clean Cast Iron Cookware (Most Recommended Steps to Clean Cast Iron Cookware)
Below I added only the recommended steps by many professional chefs and homeowners. Let’s take a look over them at a glance.
Step 1: Gather Cleaning Accessories
Gather the cleaning accessories from the below list. These are the essential tools which you will need during the cleaning time.
- A soft bristle brush or stiff brush
- Any cleaning solution (only mild and gentle cleansing products)
- Soft spatula, wooden materials
- Kosher salt
- Paper towels or cleaning rag
For deep cleaning, your cast iron cookware, gather the necessary tools and materials to ensure an effective and thorough cleaning process.
- Scrubbing tool,
- Hand rubber gloves,
- Stainless steel-made essential scrubbing tools and cleansers
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Step 2: Wash Off the Cast Iron Cookware
First, start by cleaning the cast iron food residues. Use a little amount of liquid soap and smear it over the cookware. Scrub the cookware as much as possible through your hand. Don’t be aggressive; it might damage the natural polish finishes of the pans, frying pans, cooking pots and others. Now, rinse the cookware with the tap running water.
Step 3: Scrub the Old Food Residues
Use a stiff brush or sponge to gently scrub the cookware. Some cast iron cookware has sticky food residues which cannot be scrapped off correctly. You can either clean it off through some extraordinary scrubbing tools.
For mine, I always recommend soft bristles brushes. They go intensely inside the cookware to bring out all the grime properly. Avoid using abrasive materials that can damage the seasoning. Stubborn food residue can be loosened with a paste of kosher salt and water.
In case the stubbornness of the cookware is so old and doesn’t come out with hand grease, then use hot water. Pour some water onto the cookware and boil it for 3–5 minutes. To remove the food residues, use a wooden spatula to scrape them off.
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Step 4: Leave It for Dry
After cleaning all kinds of food residues and stuck food items from the cookware, rinse it thoroughly. Now, keep all the accessories in a safe place to store them. They may require 30–40 minutes for drying. Wait for it. Allow the cast iron cookware to cool down completely before cleaning. Never clean it while it’s still hot.
Step 5: Rub Some Lubricants Or Oil
Put some rubbing oil all over the accessories. It keeps the natural finishes of the cookware forever glossy and stunning. Now you may wonder how to apply oil on the surface of the cookware sets.
You’ll need a paintbrush to paint oil all over the cast iron cookware sets. After finishing this job, take a paper towel to remove the remaining extra fats from the surface.
After finishing oiling all the accessories, it is time to cook the pan for a couple of minutes. Heat the pan on the gas stove by turning on the burner. It firmly settled down all over the pan. Now, the cast iron is ready to use for the next.
Note: Wait to leave the pan with oiling and pre-heating. Avoiding such things may trouble you a lot when you use them for the next cooking or frying anything else. Going to the pan without pre-heating makes it greasy and less oily to cook diet or non-oily food.
Cleaning cast iron cookware requires special care to maintain its seasoning and prevent rust. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to clean cast iron cookware:
Rinse with warm water: Rinse the cookware with warm water to remove any food particles. Avoid using soap, as it can strip away the seasoning.
Apply a thin layer of oil: To prevent rust on cookware, apply a thin layer of cooking oil to the entire surface of the cookware and apply lightly. Then wipe off the excess oil with a paper towel.
Store cookware properly: store in a dry place. And you can put some thin paper or towel and cloth between the cookware to prevent moisture.
Additional tips: Avoid soaking cast iron cookware or leaving it submerged in water, as this can lead to rust.
If you encounter stubborn stains or buildup, you can use a mild dish soap and a non-abrasive scrub brush. Rinse thoroughly and re-season the cookware afterwards.
Never put cast iron cookware in the dishwasher, as it can damage the seasoning and cause rusting.
Regular cleaning and proper maintenance will help keep your cast iron cookware in great condition for years to come.
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7 Hacks to Make Cast Iron Cleaning Job Steadfast
Discover effective cast iron seasoning techniques and learn how to remove rust from your cookware while restoring old cast iron pieces to their former glory. Explore useful cast iron cleaning hacks and natural cleaners, and find out the importance of storing cast iron properly. Learn about why you should cook with cast iron, avoid common cleaning mistakes, and master the art of deep cleaning and seasoning the cast iron cookware for optimal results.
Some additional tips work to steadfast the cleaning job of cast iron accessories. There are other ways to clean them. There are a lot of tricks and cleaning hacks that can be applied; let’s learn them all together.
Following these tips from top to bottom will also help cut off the spotless effort.
Hack-1: Remove Rust with Raw Potato
The Cast iron accessories are generally made with hard iron and metals which can be rusty easily when they come close to water. But it can be fixed easily through raw potatoes. Add a little quart of baking soda to the raw potato. Then rub it all over the utensils and see. It will surprisingly remove all the rust from the accessories.
Hack-2: Re-season the Cast Iron Skillets
Try to re-season the skilled at the end of the clean with soap or rugged stainless steel wool. Most cast iron skillets or accessories were damaged for not being re-seasoned and oiled after cleaning. Therefore, re-seasoning is the only way to get long-lasting effects all the time.
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Hack-3: Conduct the Pan As Often As You Can
The following hack to maintain is conducting the pan as often as possible by you. Using the pan often doesn’t mean you cannot cook typical veggies or omelettes with that utensils. But if the cooking material is related to oil or fat, including sear meat, bacon, fried vegetables, fried chicken etc. Besides, try to ensure the pan is well-seasoned to experience better results.
Hack-4: Use a Wooden Spatula
Use a wooden spatula if the cast iron is stuck with food residue. Spatula is used for cooking fries and veggies, made with hard material unsuitable. It sometimes has scratches or unnecessary marks, often complex to remove. A wooden spatula is so essential in that case to remove grime. They often help you get rid of scratches and unnecessary damage.
Hack-5: Dry the Pan Thoroughly with Towel
Do not dip the pan in a pot full of water when cleaning the pan. It may ruin the seasoned finish look of the cast iron. In most cases, water is called an enemy to the cast iron pots and pans. It’s because they may highly chemically reactivate to H2O.
Even though the seasoning coatings of the pan are usually made from polymerized oil which can fade away with water, water will vanish from the seasoning layer of the cast iron, which sometimes activates the rust production skims.
So, what to do to avoid this? The answer is simple. Dry all the utensils with a towel after finishing the work. Keep them from staying in the water all day long. It might disappear their non-stick and oily seasoned coatings.
If you’re curious about trying out different cookware alternatives, you might want to explore Best Hard Anodized Cookware for a unique cooking experience.
Watch the video and learn How to Clean Cast Iron Cookware
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FAQs
What Is The Most Recommended Way to Clean Cast Iron Pan?
One of the great ways to clean a cast iron pan is by using kosher salt. Use some half quart of lukewarm water and scrub gently. Rinse them with regular water but avoid dipping them there overnight.
How to Clean Cast Iron Accessories Without Ruining Its Finish?
Cleaning the cast iron accessories without ruining their seasoning finish requires some basic rules. Do the job with the help of a soft scrubber to scrub the surface. But don’t depend on harsh chemicals or scrubbers. Also, avoid scrubbing so roughly.
Is Rain Water Bad For Cast Iron?
Of course, cast iron-made kitchen utensils aren’t allowed to be used in prolonged exposure to water. Leaving them with rainwater to clean the dirt isn’t a good idea.
Can I Clean Cast Iron with Baking Soda?
Baking soda is the quickest way to remove the heavy grime from the cast iron utensils. They are safe for cast iron accessories and quickly remove dark spots. Pour some baking soda powder all over the utensils and scrub them gently.
Can I Wash Off Cast Iron Using Dish Soap?
Put only a few drops of dish or mild soap to omit the old stains from the cast iron. It prevents them from uncertain damage and even retains the oily finish forever. But remember that whatever you choose for cleansing, ensure they’re free from borax, sulphur, ammonia or any harsh chemical.
Final Wrap
Cast iron is prevalent among people for its excellent heat tolerance and retaining capabilities. This is used as a heating source in many homes to warm the premises, especially in winter. But its services shouldn’t be continued whether you missed it to learn how to clean cast iron cookware.
Feel free to figure out each cleaning step; otherwise, they may not look forever clean and charming. After washing them properly, the next most important thing is storing them safely. Store them in a safe place and dry off the accessories properly.