I was washing my cast iron pans with soap for 2 years before a camp cook set me straight

Was camping last month and this guy in his 60s who runs a chuck wagon outfit saw me scrubbing my skillet. He asked if I was trying to strip the seasoning off. I always thought soap was a no go but used it anyway to kill bacteria. He showed me his skillet from 1987, never seen soap, just hot water and salt. Checked my pans at home, sure enough the seasoning was patchy and thin. Anyone else make this mistake or am I the only one?

2 comments

2 Comments

zarapalmer7d agoMost Upvoted

yo did you ever try boiling water in it after cooking to loosen stuff up? That trick fixed my patchy seasoning in like a week. Just make sure to dry it on the stove after so it doesn't flash rust.

logan_thomas877d ago

Boiling water trick saved my cast iron too after I learned I had been ruining it with soap.