Cast-iron pans are weirdly intimidating. You know somehow that cleaning a cast-iron pan with dish soap is illegal. Your grandma cast some sort of spell to keep hers glittering. And if you say “I have to clean my cast-iron pan” three times, rust appears like Beetlejuice.
Spoiler alert: All of those statements are false.
The truth is, cleaning a cast-iron pan isn’t difficult. It just takes a little know-how and diligence. The upside is, once you’ve got your pan seasoned, it can become practically nonstick without the "forever chemicals" that can come from nonstick pans when they get scratched. And once you know how to clean cast iron properly, it’ll likely save time you’d spend scrubbing other kinds of pans. Here’s how to clean your cast-iron pan the right way.
But First: Why Bother with Cast Iron?
You could just use a nonstick pan and call it a day. But here's the thing: Cast iron does something nonstick can't, especially when you're cooking chicken sausage (or really any protein that benefits from a good sear): Heat retention.
A thin pan loses heat the second you drop cold sausage into it, which means your links end up releasing liquid and turning gray instead of browning. Cast iron gets screaming hot and stays screaming hot, even after you add food. Don’t believe it? Fine, read about high thermal mass.
Need the TL;DR? That steady, high heat creates a deep, golden-brown crust instead of pale, spotty browning, which translates to a crispy exterior and a juicy interior.
Now here’s the real fun about cooking with cast iron: Fat recycling.
According to The Sausage Project’s resident chef Kirk Gilbert, “sausage renders fat as it cooks. Cast iron holds onto that fat and heat, letting the sausage cook in its own flavor instead of pushing it away. That means better self-basting, more savory depth, and edges that crisp without drying out.”
So yeah, it's worth the minimal effort to keep your cast iron in tip-top shape. If you like better heat retention, more consistent sears and fat recycling (had to repeat it), here’s how to maintain a clean, pristine sheen on your cast iron.
1. Rinse with Hot Water
Do yourself a favor and let your pan cool before doing any cleaning: third-degree are real. Once it’s cooled enough, rinse the pan under hot running water, and avoid using cold water on a hot pan: while cast iron is durable and built like a tank, a drastic temperature change can cause what’s called thermal shock, which can cause warping or cracking. You don’t want that.
2. Choose the Right Scrubber
No scouring pans or steel wool needed (well, we’ll get to that later). Opt for a non-abrasive scrubber, like a stiff-bristled brush or a non-scratch scrub pad designed specifically for cast iron. And a chainmail scrubber is at once highly effective and gentle, with the added benefit of sounding like it came from a Renaissance Faire.
3. Add Some Salt
For stubborn, stuck-on bits that won't budge, sprinkle coarse kosher salt directly onto the pan and use it as a natural abrasive. Think of it as scrubbing with tiny, edible diamonds, except they’re kosher diamonds. The salt helps lift gunk without damaging your seasoning, and you can just rinse it away when you're done.
4. Wash with Soap (Yes, Really)
Here's where your grandma might disagree: You can use soap on cast iron. To grandma’s credit, there used to be truth here: The whole "never use soap" rule comes from when dish soap contained lye, which would strip seasoning. Unlike Tinder bios, modern dish soap isn't full of lye(s). OK, it was a stretch, but really, lye soap is an antiquated product.
That said, you don't always need to wash with soap. Hot water and a good scrubber handle most situations. But if your pan absorbed strong odors or flavors (looking at you, lake perch), a small amount of mild dish soap won't hurt. Just keep it quick—this is a wash, not a spa day.
5. Rinse Thoroughly
After scrubbing, rinse your pan again with warm water to discard the food particles, salt and any soap you might have used. You don't want leftover residue hanging around—it can affect the flavor of whatever you cook next, and nobody wants their morning eggs tasting like last night’s lake-perch-and-soap soufflé. (Well, maybe somebody does, but that's a different article.)
6. Dry It Immediately
Cast iron rusts fast if left damp, so grab a clean towel and dry your pan right away. That means right away—not "I'll get to it after I finish this episode of Heated Rivalry."
For extra insurance against moisture, heat the pan over a low burner for a minute or two to evaporate any lingering water hiding in the pores of the iron. This is especially important if you've got grill ridges or other crevices where water likes to lurk.
7. Re-season Your Pan
If your pan ended up with any residue that required scrubbing, you might want to add a thin layer of oil to help that non-stick surface and protect against rust. Here's the move:
First, use a paper towel to rub a thin layer of oil over the entire pan—inside, outside, handle, everything. Vegetable oil works fine, but anything with a smoke point over 400°F, like sunflower oil or even beef tallow will do the trick. The key word here is thin—the pan should look barely oiled, not like you're preparing to deep-fry something.
Next, if you want a proper re-seasoning (especially if you used soap or scrubbed aggressively), place the pan upside down in a 450–500°F oven for one hour. Put a sheet pan on the rack below to catch any drips.
Finally, turn off the oven and let the pan cool completely inside. This helps the seasoning polymerize and bond to the iron, creating that smooth, dark surface you're after.
You don't need to do the oven step every single time—just wiping with oil after each use is usually enough for regular maintenance.
8. No Soaking… Ever
Never means never: Never soak your cast-iron pan in water. Not for "just a few minutes," not overnight, not while you read the Wikipedia article about polymerized fat. Soaking is a one-way ticket to Rust City, population: grandma’s besmirched vintage cast iron.
Cast iron needs a 5-minute shower, not a long bath after a tough day in the kitchen. Shower it with hot water, give it a good exfoliation, and move on with your life.
9. No Dishwashers, Either
Your dishwasher's combination of high heat, harsh detergent, and prolonged moisture is basically an iron maiden for cast iron. It will strip your seasoning, invite rust, and generally undo all the magic that makes cast iron so great.
Just hand-wash your pan. It takes 2 minutes, and if you can’t afford to spend 2 minutes washing a pan, you should probably just order takeout.
10. Tackle Stains Gently
Minor stains? Mix baking soda with a little water to make a paste and scrub gently.
Rust? Don’t panic. You can use fine steel wool sparingly to scrub it off. Just make sure to re-season the pan afterward using the method in step 7.
Lots of rust? Restore your pan with a 50/50 white vinegar soak and a full strip-and-reseason. But that's a whole other article. For now, just know that even rusty cast iron can be saved. It's basically immortal if you treat it right.
11. Store Your Cast Iron Properly
Cleaning is important, but you should also make sure it’s tucked away properly when it’s not in use. Store your cast iron in a dry place, and if you're stacking it with other pans, slip a paper towel between them to absorb moisture and protect the seasoning.
The real secret to maintenance—and we’re being redundant on purpose—is to just use your pan regularly. Cook with it a few times a week, wipe it down with oil after each use, and the seasoning builds itself.
If something goes wrong—rust, flaking seasoning, whatever—now you know how to solve things. Cast iron is nearly indestructible and can easily become a functional heirloom you hand down to your grandkids one day.
Cook with it, clean it, and stop overthinking it. Your sausages, your grandkids, and your grandkids’ sausages will thank you.