How do you clean your cast iron cookware?

[salsah]

I finally bought a cast iron griddle/grill but I can't get past the "no washing" rule. i've just been wiping it with a paper towel but i don't feel comfortable with it. is it really safe to use w/o washing it in soap in water?
if you use cast iron pots/pans, how do you clean them?

[kijip]

I wipe it down then sometimes set it on the warm stove to dry. NO SOAP or you can ruin the seasoning and non-stickiness.

It is safe, I have been eating food out of never washed with soap and water cast iron my whole life and never had any issues at all. Just make sure your food is cooked properly.

[sunshine873]

Yes, it's safe. Assuming yours is properly seasoned, you're doing it right. Give yourself a little time & you'll get used to the idea of no soap. Then you'll be singing the praises of cast iron too! :)

[ladysoapmaker]

I generally use very hot water and a wash cloth to wipe it out and then heat it gently to dry it before adding a coat of oil to keep the seasoning. I will use a hard bristle brush for when DH or the kids do somethign silly and leave the food in it overnight. I've finally broken DH from leaving spaghetti sauce in the pan. I think threatening him bodily harm and making him re-season it worked.

Jen

[JBaxter]

Hot Hot water and a good craping with a spatula then whip with towel ( some times I add a drop of oil)

[wellyes]

I scrub out with a Tuffy (http://www.amazon.com/S-O-S-Tuffy-Dishwashing-Case-Colors/dp/B000EJLQQ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hpc&qid=1276689994&sr=1-1)and put a thin layer of oil on afterwards. The oil makes me feel like it's been "finished" and is ready for new food to come in.

[m448]

a drizzle of oil and then if I need to scrub some kosher salt and wipe or rinse off. Just remember if you rinse off to put it back on a warm burner to dry off before you do a last swipe of oil.

However, soap isn't a horrible thing for every now and then as long as you realize it will affect the seasoning short term and you should rinse very well. Then putting on a warm burner is key.

[daisymommy]

I scrub with a stiff bristled brush and hot water. Then dry. But nope, no soap. One thing to remember is that the pores of the iron close up with heat, so no bacteria gets in, and when you heat the pan, anything on the surface get's killed as well. The same thing goes for stoneware (which you don't use soap on either).
I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Cast-Iron-Scrubber-Brush/dp/B0002F9AH2

I have read on someone's cooking blog before where she had a really well seasoned piece of stoneware and a cast iron pan that cracked. She showed a picture of the inside of each, and it was amazing how it was totally light/dry/unseasoned inside, and that nothing had seeped in below the initial cooking layer. This also means nothing can seep back up into your food either.

[caleymama]

I scrub with a stiff bristled brush and hot water. Then dry. But nope, no soap.

:yeahthat:

3 skillets and 1 double burner griddle, all used very frequently and no issues at all.

[brittone2]

THey get so hot that it kills off anything I think LOL.

We use hot water and wipe out. If stubborn bits remain we use a scrubbie (one we keep that we do NOT put soap on) pad or a little coarse salt to scrub off stubborn bits. Dry well. Reoil as needed.

[Tondi G]

I read an article where a chef in a restaurant used cast iron but he HAD to wash with soap.... he'd be in trouble with the health dept if he didn't. He said wash with warm water and a little soap... dry thoroughly... then pop the pan on the stove... heat it up with a little oil and then wipe the oil around to coat the pan with a paper towel and let it dry. SO with my nervousness with not using soap, I do this. If I cook something like taco shells (not meat or dairy stuff) then I will just wipe it out.

[Moneypenny]

I wash mine with soap fairly frequently, but with just a tiny little bit of soap on my dishrag. I rinse it, put it on a warm burner to dry and maybe rub a bit of oil on it if it looks like it needs it. My pan has remained well-seasoned.