How To Clean Iron Skillet

Your iron skillet is known as the powerhouse of all kitchen equipment and is considered the best cookware investment. It has the best cooking surface that cooks food perfectly. Maintaining your iron skillet clean is not only for cleaning purposes but also for keeping it in shape. But how do you clean it exactly? Keep reading and learn how to clean iron skillet with simple steps.

Cleaning Iron Skillet

Materials Needed: 

Stiff brush or sponge
Paper towels or cloth
Vegetable oil
Coarse salt

Instructions:

The important thing to consider is knowing how to clean iron skillet is to clean it after each use; cleaning it while hot or warm is a good idea. Avoid soaking and leaving the skillet in the water (as we usually do) because it is the common cause of rusting.
It is best to use hot water in cleaning the skillet but be extra careful when doing it. You can also use kitchen tongs and wear kitchen gloves for safety. Use the stiff brush for gentle scrubbing.
Useful tip: Do not use dishwashing soap or steel wool because they can strip the pan’s seasoning.
Scrub off any food leftover on the skillet. If the stuck food bits are sticky, use coarse salt to reinforce. If there are remaining food residues, try boiling water in the skillet to loosen them all up.
After cleaning, rinse thoroughly with water and use a paper towel to wipe it dry. You may also dry it on your stove using low heat.
After it has entirely dried, use a cloth and coat the skillet’s interior surface with vegetable oil. Polish it well, so there won’t be any excess oil.
Finally, it’s time to store your iron skillet. Keep it in a clean and dry place and where there is air circulation.

How Often Do You Need to Season Iron Skillet?

You've already learned that an iron skillet needs seasoning or conditioning as part of its maintenance. It is ideal to season your skillet after cleaning it. But how often do you need to season your skillet?

Some cooks may have to use dishwashing soap and abrasive brushes in cleaning their iron skillet. It is not an entirely bad idea, but doing it may be a reason why you need to re-season your skillet.

Not all iron skillets are created equal, and if yours stays well-seasoned for years of use, you may opt to use a minimal amount of dishwashing soap in cleaning your skillet. Just make sure that you rinse it well with water and polish it with oil after it has dried to prevent damage.

An iron skillet is susceptible to rusts. When rust develops in your skillet, you might use steel wool to remove it. Rubbing it with sliced raw potato and baking soda is an effective way to remove the rust without damaging your cookware. After cleaning, it is again necessary to re-season the cookware. Surely, it pays to know how to clean iron skillet and season it to improve your cooking journey.

Iron Skillet Storage Tips

Knowing how to clean iron skillet is important and knowing how you store your cleaned cookware is also crucial. How and where you store the cookware matters a lot. You have to keep in a cool and dry area. Air must be a bit warm and not humid.

It is also necessary to avoid stacking the iron skillets on top of each other because unexpected impacts top weight can affect your skillet’s seasoning. If you’re comfortable with it, you can place it right on the stove, so it is ready for the next cooking job. However, if you won’t be using your skillet for a while, find an ideal area to store it. Keep in mind that a dry or an unseasoned pan is not a healthy pan.

Conclusion

Well cleaned and well-seasoned iron skillet makes your cooking tasks extra easy and efficient, and more importantly, it is unbeatable for its durability and value. Now that you know how to clean iron skillet, practice the cleaning habit.

Maintaining your iron skillet in its best shape will make it last for generations, while neglecting it will cause you heavy-duty damage repairs. What's special about cooking with iron skillets? The more you cook at it, the better it performs, provided you are giving it proper care. Here's how to learn more about skillets.