How to Clean a Cast-Iron Skillet
Scrub, rinse, dry over heat, and lightly oil a cast-iron skillet to remove baked-on residue while protecting and reinforcing its protective seasoning layer.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Stiff-bristle dish brush or chainmail scrubber
- ✓ Lint-free cotton cloth or folded paper towels
- ✓ Stovetop burner
- ✓ Heat-resistant oven mitt or silicone handle grip
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Coarse kosher salt
- ✓ Warm tap water
- ✓ Neutral high-smoke-point cooking oil (canola or grapeseed)
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Never submerge a screaming-hot skillet into cold water; thermal shock will warp or crack the iron.
- • Always use an oven mitt or silicone cover on the handle once the pan is placed on the stovetop burner to dry.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Clear Loose Food Debris
Run warm water into the pan while it is warm to the touch. Use a stiff-bristle brush to quickly dislodge loose food particles and pour the dirty water down the drain.
- • Large chunks of food and loose oils are flushed out, leaving only stuck-on residue.
- • Soaking the pan in standing water in the sink for an extended period.
Scrub with Coarse Salt
Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons of coarse kosher salt directly onto the damp cooking surface. Use a folded paper towel or chainmail scrubber to firmly buff the salt over stubborn, burnt-on spots until the surface feels completely smooth under your hand.
- • Salt turns dark grey or brown as it lifts burnt grease and carbonized food.
- • Pan cooking surface looks uniform in texture with no raised crust.
- • Adding too much water, which dissolves the abrasive salt crystals before they can scrape.
Rinse Clean with Hot Water
Thoroughly rinse the skillet under running hot tap water to flush away all dirty salt and loosened carbon particles. Rub the surface lightly with your fingers or a clean brush to verify that no gritty salt grains remain.
- • Rinse water runs clear from the pour spouts with no visible salt granules.
- • Leaving residual salt along the inner corners where the side meets the base.
Evaporate Moisture over Stovetop Heat
Wipe out standing water with a towel, then set the skillet onto a stovetop burner over medium-low heat. Let it sit for 2 to 3 minutes until every trace of surface moisture has completely evaporated into steam.
- • Pan surface turns fully matte with zero wet patches or micro-droplets of water visible.
- • Air-drying the skillet on a dish rack, which leads to flash rust within minutes.
Apply and Buff Oil Layer
Add 1/2 teaspoon of high-smoke-point cooking oil to the warm pan. Use a clean cloth or paper towel to spread the oil across the entire interior and exterior, then take a fresh dry towel and vigorously wipe it all away as if trying to remove it completely.
- • Skillet has a subtle satin sheen without any standing liquid, pools, or sticky wet spots.
- • Leaving a thick layer of oil in the pan, which turns gummy and rancid during storage.
Cool Down and Store
Turn off the stovetop burner and let the skillet remain on the grate until it is cool to the touch. Once completely cooled, store the skillet in a dry cupboard with a paper towel laid inside to protect against moisture and scratches.
- • Skillet is room temperature to the touch and safely stored flat or hung in a dry space.
- • Stacking other damp metal pots directly inside an uncovered cast iron pan.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Bon Appétit — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Coarse kosher salt? Coarse sea salt or baking soda paste
- No Chainmail scrubber? A stiff natural fiber dish brush or nylon scrub pad
- No Canola/Grapeseed oil? Vegetable oil, avocado oil, or shortening