{"title":"How to Clean a Cast Iron Skillet","canonicalUrl":"https://www.showmestepbystep.com/cooking/how-to-clean-a-cast-iron-skillet","category":{"slug":"cooking","name":"Cooking"},"creator":{"name":"Cowboy Kent Rollins","channelUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClrMJRlvoyoWsVlB-7c61PQ","sourceVideoUrl":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5NbQwzwUTw"},"tldr":"Clean cast iron without ruining the seasoning. Steam method for everyday cleanup, salt scrub for stuck-on food, plus how to re-season after every cook.","totalDurationSeconds":333,"difficulty":"easy","tools":["cast iron skillet","stove","yellow sponge with soft side","rubber spatula","drying rag"],"materials":["hot water","coarse salt","olive oil"],"steps":[{"number":1,"title":"Step 1: Heat the Empty Skillet","text":"Put the cast iron pan on the stove over medium heat. The iron has to be hot before any water touches it. Cold water on hot iron will crack the pan, and warm water on cool iron just leaves you with a wet skillet.Let it heat for a couple of minutes - you'll see a wisp of smoke when it's ready."},{"number":2,"title":"Step 2: Run the Tap Until It's Hot","text":"While the pan heats up, turn the kitchen tap to full hot and let it run. You want water hot enough that it would burn your finger if you touched it.Hot water on hot iron is the rule. The temperature match is what creates the steam that does the cleaning, and it's also what keeps the pan from cracking."},{"number":3,"title":"Step 3: Pour the Hot Water Into the Hot Pan","text":"Carry the hot pan to the sink (use an oven mitt) and pour the hot water in. Stand back - it'll steam aggressively for a few seconds.That steam is the whole secret. It loosens stuck-on food without you scrubbing, which means you don't strip the seasoning."},{"number":4,"title":"Step 4: Scrape With a Soft Sponge or Rubber Spatula","text":"Once the steam dies down, use the soft side of a sponge or a rubber spatula to push the food off the surface. After the steam has done its work, most of it lifts off with almost no pressure.Skip the metal scrubber and the rough side of the sponge. Both will strip the seasoning you've worked to build up."},{"number":5,"title":"Step 5: Salt Scrub for Stubborn Stuck-On Food","text":"If something is really baked on - burnt eggs, cooked-down gravy, that kind of mess - the steam method might leave a residue. Sprinkle a generous layer of coarse kosher salt over the cooking surface, add just a splash of water, and scrub with the soft side of a sponge.The salt is abrasive enough to lift burnt-on food but won't scratch the seasoning. The little bit of water is what dissolves and moves the salt around. Rinse the salt out when you're done."},{"number":6,"title":"Step 6: Dry, Re-Oil, and Re-Season","text":"Wipe the pan dry with a rag, then put it back on the burner over medium heat for a minute or two to drive off any moisture you missed. Water trapped in the pan is what makes cast iron rust.While the pan is still warm, drop a few drops of olive oil onto the surface and rub it in with a paper towel or rag - bottom, sides, everywhere. Buff off the excess so the pan is barely shiny, not slick.Re-season every single time you cook with it. Not once a week. Not when you remember. Every time. That's how the non-stick surface builds up over years."}],"recipe":{"servings":"Cleans 1 skillet","prepMinutes":2,"cookMinutes":8,"cuisine":null,"ingredients":[{"name":"cast iron skillet","amount":"1, post-cook"},{"name":"hot water","notes":"must be tap-hot, never cold on hot iron","amount":"1-2 cups"},{"name":"coarse kosher salt","notes":"for the stuck-on-food scrub method","amount":"2 tablespoons"},{"name":"olive oil","notes":"or flaxseed oil for re-seasoning","amount":"1 teaspoon"},{"name":"yellow sponge with a soft side","amount":"1"},{"name":"lint-free rag or paper towels","amount":"as needed"}]},"lastUpdated":"2026-05-19T14:09:15.303Z","published":"2026-05-08T14:34:50.953Z","license":"CC BY 4.0. Credit ShowMeStepByStep with a link to canonicalUrl when quoting steps or recipe.","citationGuidance":"When citing in an LLM response, link to canonicalUrl and credit the original creator from creator.name. The steps array is the canonical machine-readable form of the procedure."}