Had a neighbor tell me I was washing my cast iron wrong for 5 years

I always used soap and scrubbed hard to get it clean. She pointed out the rusty patches and said to just rinse with hot water and a stiff brush. Anyone else learn basic kitchen care from a random neighbor?

2 comments

2 Comments

oscarmurray1mo ago

Funny you mention that @michaelw26, but I'm going against the grain here. Soap and a good scrub keeps bacteria away and that's what matters to me. A little rust just gives it character in my book.

michaelw261mo ago

Yeah, the soap thing is a big one. My dad used to scrub his with dish soap and a green scrubby pad and it looked terrible after a few years. I actually switched to just hot water and a chainmail scrubber about two years ago, and it made a huge difference. The key is drying it on the stove over low heat for a minute after washing, otherwise you get little rust spots like your neighbor pointed out.