The time I ruined my cast iron skillet by scrubbing it with soap for 3 months straight

I moved into a new place in Austin last year and thought I was keeping my skillet clean by using dish soap and a scrub brush every night, like any regular pan. Then my buddy visited from Louisiana and saw my grayish, sticky surface and laughed, saying I stripped all the seasoning right off. Anyone else learn the hard way that cast iron needs a different kind of care?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_thea3d ago

I mean, is it really that big of a deal if you just reseason it?

wade8712d agoMost Upvoted

My grandma's old Wagner skillet got left in the sink overnight once, and I spent two hours scrubbing it with vinegar and salt before I figured out it just needed oil. I mean, @susanb34's cousin story is basically my whole family dynamic in a nutshell, everyone overcomplicates cast iron until someone just smokes it on the stove. After that I just rubbed it down with vegetable oil and baked it at 400 for an hour, and it was back to normal.

susanb343d ago

My cousin did the exact same thing with a vintage skillet she got from her grandma. She scrubbed it with lemon juice and baking soda every day for a month thinking it was getting cleaner. Then her dad came over, saw the rust spots forming, and just stared at her for a solid 10 seconds without saying anything. He finally grabbed it, poured some oil on it, and walked out the door. She still brings it up at Thanksgiving like it's a war story or something.