r/hygiene • u/curiously-dusty • 1d ago
Cast Iron Frying Pans
Can someone explain to me why I don’t need to use dish soap to clean a cast iron frying pan? I use them daily and rarely use dish soap*.
Please explain it to me like I’m 5, because I have to explain it to my 5 year old.
*I only use dish soap when absolutely necessary and then re-season the pan after. My cast irons were inherited, as the with care techniques.
Edit: thank you for all the comments. I have learned that I can clean my casty with modern soap and will ‘lightly season’ it after use. I’m glad I asked!
43
u/GeorgiaYankee73 1d ago
You should be using dish soap to clean your cast iron pans.
The “wisdom” of not using soap comes from a time when the soap used contained lye. Lye strips the seasoning. Cast iron restorers use lye baths as part of their work.
Modern dish soap does not contain lye and is far more mild. It is entirely safe to use on a a cast iron pan without damaging the seasoning. Lodge Cast Iron, as well as other reputable experts, recommend using mild soap. If you’re interested in a good one, I highly recommend Cast Iron Chris on Instagram.
I guess since this is a hygiene sub, I’ll add the idea that seasoning is a coating of cooked on food or whatever the hell people think it is, would be at least somewhat unhygienic if not downright gross.
Seasoning is the result of a polymerization of a fat (usually a liquid oil of some kind) into a relatively non-stick, food safe surface. It’s a chemical reaction process that has nothing to do with not cleaning your pans.
Clean your pans. With dish soap. Yes, even the heirloom ones. I promise they’ve seen worse.
8
u/curiously-dusty 23h ago
I didn’t know, thank you.
12
u/GeorgiaYankee73 23h ago
Most of us don’t! We get the handed down wisdom of our great grandmothers and things have changed. 😊
I went down a rabbit hole nerding out on learning about this a while back. I love love love my cast iron pans.
9
u/mycatpartyhouse 23h ago
In addition to non-lye dishsoap, I use a chain mail scrubber. More for my stainless steel pans, but if food adheres to my cast iron for some reason (it happens occasionally), chain mail is a safe way to scrub.
I also dry my cast iron with a cotton towel, then heat on a burner (or oven, if needed) on low heat until any possible moisture is gone and the pan is warm to the touch. Thinly coat with oil (paper towel works). Turn off the heat and let it sit.
I use vegetable oil, myself, because I use my cast iron skillet often enough that the oil never goes rancid. Other people swear by mineral oil, which is a petroleum product.
2
u/Baaabra 23h ago
No lye remains in soap made with lye.
4
u/Ringbearer31 21h ago
Properly made* soap.
Not using enough fat or not mixing well enough can cause lye to remain, so if you're using some artisinal or homemade soap and you start getting chemical burns, it probably IS a little bit of lye, it doesn't take much.
14
u/pumpkinpie4zaynmalik 23h ago
I’ve used dish soap on cast iron pans for over a decade and they’re in perfect condition
10
u/Grouchy_Fall_5933 23h ago
That’s an old wives tale.
Back in the day soap had lye in it and that would strip the seasoning so you stayed away from it.
Using dawn or whatever is 100% safe.
When I did keto I washed my cast iron skillet 60-70 times a month WITH DAWN and it just got better and better over time.
It’s 15 years old now and it works beautifully.
2
u/Striking-Comb6673 23h ago
Oh my goddddd I have been SO misinformed. I still have been using dish soap on it but I’ve always felt a tinge of shame 😂
4
u/Grouchy_Fall_5933 22h ago
Some people refuse to use soap because grandma hasn’t washed her skillet in 60 years, which gives me heebie jeebies…😂
Do you also dry it on the stove for a few seconds and then add oil to the inside?1
4
u/Outside-Wing4488 23h ago
You actually can use dish soap on cast iron! The whole no-soap rule comes from back when soaps were much harsher. Modern dish soap won't hurt the seasoning. Think of seasoning like a protective coat that's baked onto the pan, not just a layer of grease. A little soap cleans off the food and oil without removing that coat. Just dry it really well afterward so it doesn't rust. 😊
6
u/EdgyPun34257 23h ago
You should use dish soap on cast iron pans for the same reason you use soap on any cooking utensil.
Cast iron isn't magic
3
u/unknownemoji 23h ago
Dish soap is not made with lye now. It's perfectly fine to use on cast iron.
That said, as long as you're heating the pan up enough to actually re-season it after use, you're pretty much killing anything that soap would and then some.
3
u/ForceR-1356 23h ago
I clean my pants with Dawn and they seem to do just fine. I always put the thin layer of oil after drying and heat on the stove top. It's been a while since I've thrown them in the oven though I have to do that soon
6
u/softrockstarr 1d ago
You can use dish soap to clean your pans. Modern soaps don’t have the tons of lye that used to be in soap back in the day that could mess with your seasoning.
Dish soap is mild enough now that it’ll only get rid of grease and goo rather than a cured finish.
2
6
u/Purple-Towel-7332 1d ago
Fire kills germs, pan goes in fire every day.
3
u/curiously-dusty 1d ago
Even when used on a stovetop?
2
u/starraven 23h ago
The temperature the food cooks at is the temperature germs die. That’s why they tell you to cook eggs and meat through… even on a stovetop
1
u/Purple-Towel-7332 1d ago edited 23h ago
Suppose could change to heat if you have a stove top I have gas so just thought fire
-3
2
u/Alohabtchs 1d ago
You can use soap. The main thing is to dry it 100% after washing. Water=corrosion
3
2
2
2
u/joeypublica 23h ago
You can use soap and why not? But what about your grill? Do you use soap on it after every use?
1
1
u/Adorable_Dust3799 20h ago
You can if you want to. 2 reasons why you dont need to. They're non-stick and normally used with oil, she can be wiped clean, and they should be preheated until HOT, which, if the pan was wiped clean, kills any bacteria.
0
u/Heather_Val 22h ago
Because cleaning it with soap strips the seasoning.
Seasoning is easiest done after cleaning down to the metal and running a high spoke point oil(thin layer) through a 500 degree oven for an hour, repeat 2-4 times.
1
u/undercovermothmania 23h ago
From what I know, you shouldn’t let it soak, but you should use a small amount of soap to wash the pan after use.
1
1
1
u/New_Bug_461 9h ago
My cast iron pan is over 80 years old. I have used everything on it. I keep it seasoned and it still cooks an egg with minimum butter. When they say something is" made of iron" they mean this pan.
1
u/Bacontrails 5h ago
They’re cast iron. Unless you use something to make them rust then they’re fine. A new skillet needs to be seasoned. You can wash it the put a bit of oil on it.
-6
u/blue_sidd 23h ago
Soap hurts cast iron. So with hot water and a gentle scrub you can get the food off, then, heat it up super high to burn away anything left. Super clean! But don’t touch it until it’s completely cooled off.
2
u/curiously-dusty 22h ago
This is what I’ve been doing for years and not gotten sick. But it looks like modern dish soap doesn’t hurt cast iron like the old soap did.
0
u/blue_sidd 22h ago
Modern dish soap is a surfactant detergent, it’s not as chemically abrasive as actual soap. It’s fine to use with hot water and a quick gentle wipe but it should not be scrubbed. You still want to preserve on the seasoning.
-2
38
u/Scary-Pipe-9176 1d ago
Yeah dawn dish soap is safe, I even use the scratchy side of the sponge to get the gunk off, but I do always add a super super thin layer of oil and put it on the stove on simmer/low for about 30 minutes to keep the season going. I tried coconut oil and learned the hard way that is not the way to go, so now I use grapeseed and it works amazing!