How to Deep Clean a Cast Iron Skillet

Katie Shaw Published:

This is hardly my favorite chore, but it saves a lot of hassle when I take the time to take care of one of my favorite kitchen staples. Plus, a cast iron skillet just looks that much better when it’s nice and seasoned!

Empty seasoned cast iron skillet on a white stovetop next to an orange spoon rest.

What You’ll Need

  • Cast iron skillet
  • Coarse Kosher salt
  • Chain mail scrubber
  • Scrubbing dishcloths
  • Dish soap
  • Warm water
  • Neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point – you can use vegetable, grapeseed, avocado oils, or Crisco
  • Paper towels
  • Aluminum foil and/or a large sheet pan

Tools You’ll Need

  • Large roasting pan – this is only needed if you’re going to scrub outside of a sink
  • Oven

Instructions

First, let me show you the before! This isn’t TERRIBLE, but it’s sticky and rough in spots and just not the clean and shiny skillet of my dreams.

dirty cast iron skillet overhead view.

If your skillet IS terrible: rusty, super sticky, baked-on dirt, the SAME method will work. You’ll just have to scrub harder!

Click here to subscribe

scrub with salt

Start by putting your skillet into your sink or the roasting pan, and then pour a generous amount of salt into the skillet. There’s no right or wrong salt amount. You just need enough that’s going to cover the pan and really help get the grime off.

Coarse salt poured into a black cast iron skillet resting in a stainless steel sink.

Now use your scrubber and work the salt into circular motions. You’ll notice the salt starts to change color and get a little darker. That’s exactly what we want. It means that all that grease and buildup is coming off the pan.

Three-step sequence of a cast iron skillet being scrubbed with coarse salt and a sponge in a stainless sink.

Really try to cover every nook and cranny here. Make it a workout!

flip over and repeat if necessary

It’s time to do the bottom. Flip it over and do the exact same thing.

split image with flipped over cast iron pan and salt that has been scrubbed and opposite side of pan being scrubbed with chain scrubber

You can repeat this process as many times as you need (on both sides) until you feel like it’s completely clean. Just start over with new salt and scrub again until you’re done.

wash with soap

Bring your skillet to the sink and add a pea-sized amount of soap to the dishcloth. I know, I know, they say you’re not supposed to use soap with cast iron skillets, but honestly, a small amount isn’t going to do any harm, and it really helps get that extra grease off.

Three-panel sequence showing blue dish soap applied to a chainmail scrubber and worked into a sudsy cast iron skillet.

This is when I really love using the scrubbing dishcloths. They really get in there to get that extra gunk off.

rinse

Rinse the skillet completely with warm water. Make sure you get all of the soap off.

Hand rinsing a black cast iron skillet under running faucet water in a white sink.

Warm water will do the trick, and run it over the pan until the it runs clear.

dry on the stovetop

Leave the skillet to drip-dry for a few minutes before we move it to the stove to dry.

Then place the pan on the stovetop and heat on low for a few minutes. You really need to get all of the moisture off the skillet for the curing process to work, so don’t skip this step!

Oil the skillet

Use an oven mitt and remove the skillet from the stove. Put the skillet on a heat-safe surface so that you can oil it properly.

Take about a teaspoon of the cooking oil and your paper towel and rub it all over the skillet. Inside, outside, even the handle. Cover it up!

Hand rubbing oil into a cast iron skillet with a white paper towel to season.

You don’t want too much oil, so if it looks a little glossy, take a clean paper towel and give it a good wipe. It shouldn’t look wet or greasy. It should actually look like it’s dry, believe it or not.

cure in the oven

Turn the oven on to 400°F and put your cast iron skillet on the rack. Then you’re going to set a timer for 1 hour.

skillet before and after curing in oven.

You might want to put your aluminum foil or a foil-lined sheet pan on the lower rack to catch any dripping oil that might fall.

When the hour is done, turn off the oven and just leave the skillet in there until it’s room temperature. And then you’re done! Your skillet is ready to use and properly seasoned.

Empty clean black cast iron skillet viewed from above beside an orange spatula and stove burner.

Questions and Troubleshooting

Are you sure it’s ok to use dish soap on my skillet?

Yep, I promise, it’s totally fine. This was kind of a hard rule back when soaps were really intense and abrasive. If you just use a basic gentle dish soap (like Dawn), it’s a-ok.

Can I use table salt instead of coarse salt?

Nope, only coarse salt here. The bigger flakes help break down the build-up. Table salt will not even come close.

Is “curing” the same thing as “seasoning”?

Yes, they both mean the same and have the same steps!

How often should I deep clean my skillet?

Really, as often as you need, and that’s going to depend on how much you use it and how well you keep up with daily maintenance. To keep it in tip-top shape, every time you use it you should scrape away any food, rinse with water, and then dry on the stovetop. You can also add another thin layer of oil. If you do the deep clean every few months, you’ll be in good shape.

Recipes to make in your cast iron skillet

someone wiping the inside of a cast iron skillet with a towel and oil

How to Deep Clean and Cure a Cast Iron Skillet

Restore a dull, sticky cast iron skillet in one session with a Kosher salt scrub, a quick soap wash, and an hour-long oven cure.
No ratings yet
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Cooling Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
Author: Katie Shaw

Equipment

  • Chain mail scrubber
  • Scrubbing dish cloths
  • Hot pad
  • oven

Ingredients

Salt scrub

  • Cast iron skillet
  • Coarse Kosher salt a generous amount — it doesn’t have to be precise
  • Chain mail scrubber
  • Large roasting pan or other large container optional, if working on the countertop

Wash & rinse

  • Scrubbing dish cloths
  • Dish soap a pea-size amount
  • Warm water

Oil & oven cure

  • Neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point or Crisco/shortening vegetable, avocado, grapeseed, etc. — about 1 teaspoon per side
  • Paper towels
  • Aluminum foil or a large sheet pan
  • Oven

Instructions

Salt scrub

  • Set up your work space. Place the skillet in a large sink, or in a large roasting pan or other large container if you’re working on the countertop.
  • Pour in the salt. Add a generous amount of Kosher salt to the skillet — enough to scrub around and help remove stuck-on food and rust; the amount doesn’t have to be precise.
  • Scrub the inside. Use the chain mail scrubber in circular motions, working the salt all around the sides, edges, and base; the salt will break down and darken as you work.
  • Flip and scrub the bottom. Add a fresh batch of salt and scrub the bottom side, where food can build up by dripping down the sides.
  • Repeat as needed. Scrub 1 to 2 more times with more salt and a lot of elbow grease, if desired.

Soap wash & rinse

  • Wash with dish soap. Apply a pea-size amount of dish soap to a scrubbing dish cloth and wash the skillet, working down into the crevices to remove extra grease and built-up food.
  • Rinse thoroughly. Rinse the skillet with warm water until the water runs clear.

Stovetop dry

  • Dry the skillet completely. Let it drip-dry over the sink for a minute, then transfer it to the stovetop and dry over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes.

Oil & oven cure

  • Oil the skillet. Carefully transfer the hot skillet to your work space with a hot pad, then add about 1 teaspoon of neutral cooking oil or Crisco and smooth it around with a clean paper towel.
  • Wipe off the excess. If the inside looks shiny or greasy, wipe out extra oil with a fresh paper towel, then repeat the oiling and wiping on the bottom of the skillet.
  • Bake at 400°F. Preheat the oven to 400°F, then place the skillet inside right-side up and bake it for one hour, with foil or a foil-lined sheet pan on a lower rack to catch any oil drips.
  • Cool in the oven. After an hour, turn the oven off and let the skillet cool to room temperature inside.

Notes

A tiny amount of dish soap is fine on cast iron — the skillet doesn’t retain it, and it removes built-up grease that salt alone won’t. You don’t need to deep clean on a schedule; do it as needed when you notice buildup, sticky or gummy residue, a dull or uneven cooking surface, or rust. Yield: one deep-cleaned and cured cast iron skillet.
Signature

Katie Shaw lives in Virginia with her husband, three daughters, chocolate lab, and over thirty chickens. She loves creating simple tutorials for sourdough, bread, and soap. Her recipes, articles, and YouTube videos reach millions of people per year.

Looking for more?

Favorites from the archives.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating