Short version: clean cast iron with hot water, a brush or scraper and, when needed, a small amount of mild dish soap. Dry it completely straight away. If the surface looks dry, wipe on an extremely thin film of cooking oil.
Cast iron is more forgiving than some old kitchen rules suggest. A little modern mild dish soap does not normally destroy a well-seasoned pan. The bigger enemies are prolonged soaking, rust and leaving the pan damp.
Why we use cast iron
We like cast iron because it is robust, holds heat well and can last for generations. One of our pans was bought by my grandparents when they married in the early 1940s and is still in use.
Our normal cleaning routine
- Let the pan cool a little after cooking.
- Rinse with hot water and loosen food with a brush, sponge or pan scraper.
- If it is greasy or genuinely dirty, use a small amount of mild dish soap.
- Dry it immediately and thoroughly. I often put it over low heat for a minute to drive off the last moisture.
- If the surface looks dull or dry, wipe on a very thin layer of neutral cooking oil, then wipe away the excess.
Do not leave cast iron soaking in water and do not put it in the dishwasher. Those are much more useful rules than an absolute ban on dish soap.
Does it need oil after every wash?
No. If the seasoning looks even and the pan feels fine, cleaning and drying is enough. Add oil when the surface actually looks dry.
The word thin matters. Too much oil produces a sticky coating rather than better seasoning.
What about heavily rusted cast iron?
If a pan has substantial rust or thick damaged seasoning, normal washing is not the right job anymore. Strip back the rust, clean the pan properly and season it again. A neglected cast-iron pan is often recoverable rather than disposable.
Does cast iron add iron to food?
It can. The amount varies with the food, cooking time, acidity and condition of the pan. Acidic foods tend to pick up more iron than less acidic foods.
I would not treat that as a reliable way to correct iron deficiency. It is simply one characteristic of cooking in cast iron.
Why I still prefer it to non-stick
My main argument is durability rather than fear of modern non-stick cookware. Cast iron can be repaired, re-seasoned and passed on. Once you learn how it behaves, there is very little to wear out.
