cast iron towel always end up dirty

[redDragonfly]

My mom just got a new hobby (collecting cast irons) and is having an issue with her cast iron pans.
She scrubs them with a Lodge scraper, then chainmail or a plastic sponge with dish soap.
But no matter how much she scrubs and rinses, the paper towel she uses to dry them comes back dirty
Even when oiling them on a hot stove, the towel turns black!
Is that normal, or is she cleaning them wrong? What's the best way to clean cast iron?

 

[iconic matz]

There is nothing wrong with it. What is important is that she is not scrubbing it too much and using soap. The dirt is coming from the seasoning and it doesn't mean that the cast iron is dirty unless there is stuck food.

 

[notCarl]

all it needs is a good, thorough cleaning.
To bring back that perfect look and performance, grab a chain mail scrubber and some coarse, dry salt—the kind you use in grinders. Scrub your pan with confidence. The salt and chain mail will not harm your seasoning, but will leave your pan looking beautifully even. Don’t hesitate to give it a good, hearty scrub.

Next, rinse your pan, then wash it again with the chain mail and a touch of dish soap. Rinse once more, dry thoroughly with paper towels, and let it sit on the stovetop for a minute or two. Finish with a drop of oil, wiping it all over the pan, and your pan will be ready to shine in the kitchen.
Repeat this routine after each use if your pan needs it, or simply stick to the chain mail and dish soap for lighter cleaning. And keep cookin!

 

[BigBob75]

Season the cast iron and stay away from soap! I haven't used soap on my cast iron in years. The only time I use soap is when I first purchase the pan and am ready to season it. After that, hot water, plastic Lodge scraper, rinse in hot water and use stiff (old Lodge) nylon brush. Dry on stove, then a few drops of EVOO, wipe with a paper towel and that's it. I season 3 times with Crisco, in the summer, with the windows all open and fans on and I've never had any problems except for lots of smoke. I fry bacon, eggs, cheese and no problems. I use EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) ,butter or bacon drippings to cook in. I store the bacon drippings from only bacon saved in jelly jars in the fridge. I have NOT had the need to use chain mail or a stiff metal scraper to remove any stuck on bits of food. I use Greek EVOO because it tastes good.

 

[Alan]

Season the cast iron and stay away from soap! I haven't used soap on my cast iron in years. The only time I use soap is when I first purchase the pan and am ready to season it. After that, hot water, plastic Lodge scraper, rinse in hot water and use stiff (old Lodge) nylon brush. Dry on stove, then a few drops of EVOO, wipe with a paper towel and that's it. I season 3 times with Crisco, in the summer, with the windows all open and fans on and I've never had any problems except for lots of smoke. I fry bacon, eggs, cheese and no problems. I use EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) ,butter or bacon drippings to cook in. I store the bacon drippings from only bacon saved in jelly jars in the fridge. I have NOT had the need to use chain mail or a stiff metal scraper to remove any stuck on bits of food. I use Greek EVOO because it tastes good.

Greek EVOO? Okay I'll go look for that.

Agreed! Use soap only the first time you buy your cast iron just for initial cleaning. The rest will be take care of of good and proper seasoning, re-seasoning technique.

 

[BigBob75]

I like the taste of Greek EVOO over all others, so that's what I use!

 

[Alan]

I like the taste of Greek EVOO over all others, so that's what I use!

Thanks for the tip!!!