Using dish soap

[tiptiptoe]

We were always told that soap is the enemy of cast iron. I read somewhere that modern dish soap does not have lye in it and I use it after every messy meal without losing my seasoning. Is anyone still strictly following the no soap rule or have we all moved past that old belief?

 

[dwaynejj]

Well, I use soap every single time and my pans look great. I didn't know I shouldn't until I read one. but I cannot stand the feeling of sticky old oil on the handle or the outside of the pan. As long as you dry it properly on the stove and rub a tiny bit of oil back on you are not doing any damage.

 

[will.harbers]

Does the soap leave a scent on your food if you do not rinse it well? I worry that the floral or lemon scents in dish soap might soak into the carbon. I always make sure to rinse with very hot water for a long time just to be safe.

 

[timtamtim078]

We were always told that soap is the enemy of cast iron. I read somewhere that modern dish soap does not have lye in it and I use it after every messy meal without losing my seasoning. Is anyone still strictly following the no soap rule or have we all moved past that old belief?

Old habits die hard and I still just use hot water and a brush. My dad always told me that the seasoning is a living thing and soap would kill the flavor. I know the science says otherwise now but it is hard to break a routine I have followed for thirty years. But so many are really against this so I'm not sure now. I see experts really posting against using soap so I'm still ging mor eon the traiditonal which is just warm water.

 

[badGamer]

afaik, lye was the real problem but people do not realize it is gone now. Old soaps used to be much harsher and would actually eat through the carbon layers. Modern Dawn is basically just a degreaser and it is not strong enough to touch a polymerized oil finish. Bt what do I know.

 

[Squint]

I wouldn't let it worry me if what I was doing was working for my case. What other people do is their business, what I do is my business. I'll freely tell them what I do only if they ask the question. Like I say it works for me.

 

[hopelessguy01]

If the pan is greasy I use soap because I do not want old oil turning rancid. But not a lot. Just enough for me to make sure it's gets cleaned. There is a big difference between a seasoned pan and a dirty pan. Leaving old fat in the skillet until the next morning is a good way to make your kitchen smell funky.

 

[Squint]

Most of the time I just put in half full water and bring to a boil. let it cool , skim off grease and poor water down drain, putting grease in garbage.

 

[tiptiptoe]

Thanks! I guess I might have used a lot of soap, but next time I'll make sure to use just enough to clean my pad.