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A cast iron skillet is one of the best pieces of cookware to have in any kitchen. That’s why learning how to clean your cast iron skillet — and how to season it regularly — is crucial for keeping it in optimal shape. Cast iron skillets can handle a lot of different styles of cooking and they can withstand high temperatures (upwards of 500 degrees for some), making them easy to transfer from the stovetop to the oven. Once you’re done cooking, however, it’s not always as simple as scrubbing with a sponge and letting it dry.
To find the best way to clean, season and maintain a cast iron skillet, I spoke with multiple experts, including Seth Affoumado, a cast iron restoration specialist and Branden Lewis, a chef and professor at Johnson & Wales University.
SKIP AHEAD The best products for cleaning a cast iron skillet | How to clean a cast iron skillet | How to season a cast iron skillet | Why trust NBC Select?
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The best products for cleaning a cast iron skillet
All of the products below are either direct recommendations from our experts, NBC Select staff tested or have at least a 4-star average rating from 500 reviews or more on Amazon.
Blackstone Griddle and Cast Iron Conditioner
- Good for griddle and skillet
- Spreadable
- Nothing to note at this time
Affoumado recommended using a salve or some sort of oil-based conditioner to season your cast iron skillet. This cleaner from Blackstone, which has a 4.7-star average rating from 7,720 reviews on Amazon, is ideal for maintaining your cast iron skillet’s seasoning. Made from a mix of canola, soy, palm oils, shortening and beeswax, this conditioning salve comes in a thick paste that you spread on the surface of your skillet and heat to help maintain the seasoning. Depending on the size of the skillet, you should use around a tablespoon or two of the paste and you may have to repeat the process at least three times, according to the brand.
Bamboo Dish Scrub Brushes (Set of 3)
- Good for all types of cleaning
- Comes with ceramic dish
- Best for certain surfaces
Instead of using a sponge or an abrasive metal-based cleaning tool such as steel wool, Affoumado recommends using a bamboo scrub brush, since it’s thorough enough to remove food debris without scrubbing away the skillet’s layers of seasoning. This one has a 4.6-star average rating from 7,483 reviews on Amazon and comes with three individual brushes. The brushes have a round ergonomic handle on top, making them easy to hold on to as you clean, and they even come with a small ceramic dish to hold it in place.
Vamqor 100% Cotton Fine Bandanas
- Versatile
- You can buy many at once
- Not as versatile as microfiber
To spread the salve onto your skillet, Affoumado recommends using a lint-free cotton cloth, such as a cotton bandana. These cotton bandanas are great for distributing the conditioning oil on your skillet since they won’t leave lint behind. You can get these in a range of different colors and combinations, but either way, they’re a great item to have in your kitchen drawer or pantry, especially if you cook with your cast iron skillet often.
Lodge Cast Iron Seasoning Spray
- Easy to apply
- Affordable
- May not last long
If you prefer to use a sprayable oil for seasoning your cast iron skillet, consider this one from the cast iron skillet brand Lodge. While it looks like a nonstick cooking spray, it’s meant for maintaining the layers of seasoning on your cast iron skillet. All you have to do is spray a thin layer of the oil on the pan and wipe away any excess oil with a lint-free cloth.
Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (26 oz.)
- Good for cooking and cleaning
- Nothing to note at this time
Aside from being a foundational cooking ingredient, kosher salt has a coarse texture that makes it abrasive, meaning it can remove residual food and grease from your cast iron skillet without damaging it or removing layers of seasoning, especially compared to dish soap. Plus, since it comes in such a large container, you can split this up with your cooking salt and salt meant solely for cleaning your cast iron skillet.
How to clean a cast iron skillet
There are several ways to clean a cast iron skillet without ruining it. Here are a few methods our experts recommend:
Method 1: Use coarse salt and a bamboo cleaning brush
- Let the pan cool completely. Remove any remaining solid bits of food from the skillet.
- Add hot water to the pan, enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Add a tablespoon or two of coarse salt, such as kosher salt, to the pan, depending on the size of the skillet.
- Use a scratch-safe scrub brush, such as a bamboo cleaning brush, to clean the bottom, sides and underside of the skillet. Scrub the hot water and salt to remove food debris and excess grease.
- Rinse with warm water and fully dry with a paper towel or cloth, making sure there are no water droplets on the pan.
Method 2: Use hot water, mild dish soap and a bamboo cleaning brush
- Repeat step one described above, and add enough hot water to cover the bottom of the skillet.
- Add a small drop of very mild dish soap to the pan and use a dish cleaning brush to scrub the bottom, sides and underside of the skillet.
- Rinse thoroughly with warm water and dry completely with a paper towel or cloth.
How to season and maintain a cast iron skillet
Many people confuse seasoning and maintaining a cast iron skillet — what’s often called seasoning (adding oil or a salve to the skillet and heating it) is technically a form of maintenance, since the pan is already seasoned. While many cast iron skillets come pre-seasoned, if you get one that isn’t seasoned or if you’re trying to revive an old cast iron skillet, you should season it properly so that your pan is fine to use. Here’s how experts recommend doing it:
Method 1: Use a seasoning salve and a cotton cloth
- Use a lint-free cotton cloth, such as a cotton bandana, to apply a small amount of cast iron seasoning salve (sometimes called a conditioner) to the cleaned and dried pan. A salve is a mix of oils and/or wax.
- Spread the salve all over the pan thoroughly and use another clean cloth to pick up any residual oil from the pan.
- Transfer the skillet to the stovetop and heat over medium heat until the pan no longer looks overly glossy, at least three minutes, according to Affoumado. Remove from the heat and let cool on the stovetop before using again.
Method 2: Use a cooking oil with a high smoke point
- Instead of using a prepared salve for maintaining your cast iron skillet’s seasoning, you can use cooking oil instead, though you should only use ones that have a high smoke point (meaning they can withstand high temperature before starting to burn), such as grapeseed, avocado and sunflower oils. Do not use olive oil to season a cast iron skillet because it has a low smoke point and can make food taste rancid, according to Affoumado.
- Spread a small amount of the oil all over the skillet using a cotton cloth and heat on the stovetop as described above.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Seth Affoumado is the founder of The Skillet Doctor, a cast iron cookware restoration service company. The brand also sells products for cleaning, seasoning and maintaining cast iron cookware.
- Branden J. Lewis, EdD, is a certified executive chef and professor at Johnson & Wales University’s College of Food Innovation & Technology.
Why trust NBC Select?
I’m commerce editor at NBC Select, where I write about reviews and roundups for cookware, cleaning products and other home and kitchen topics. I spoke with a professional cast iron restorer for this story.
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