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Yes, You Can Use Soap to Clean Cast Iron Pans and Pots

Let others worry about cleaning cast iron cookware with soap. Here’s why it’s okay—and how to do it properly.

A dirty cast iron pan in our test kitchen. | Craig Britton / Tastyble
By Dim Nikov,
editor-in-chief of Tastyble, formally trained chef, and author of Cooking Methods & Techniques: A Crash Course on How to Cook Delicious Food at Home for Beginners.

One of the questions I get all the time from new cast iron pan and pot owners is, “Can I use soap to clean my cast iron skillet or Dutch oven?”

And no wonder!

For some reason I can’t even begin to understand, most cast iron cookware usage instructions don’t even try to answer this question. They simply tell you to wash the cooking vessel by hand.

And if you do a quick Google search for an answer, you’ll quickly realize just how many conflicting opinions are out there on the Internet, from blogs and forums to celebrity chefs on YouTube and major newspapers.

Heck, I’m a cookware expert—but even I got confused after clicking through a dozen search results. Sheesh. So I decided to write an article that settled this once and for all; you’re reading it.

See below for my answer.

Can You Really Use Soap on Cast Iron?

The quick and dirty answer is yes, you can use soap to clean your cast iron skillet, Dutch oven, or grill pan.

But there’s a trick to doing it right: Don’t let food residue sit in the pan or pot for too long, only scrub the cooking surface briefly, and dry the pan thoroughly after cleaning it.

I can’t tell you exactly what leaving food residue in your pan or pot does, but whenever I leave mine for a few hours or more before cleaning, I notice the seasoning coming off precisely where the residue was.

How I Clean My Cast Iron Pans and Pots With Soap

I wait for the cast iron pan or pot to cool down until it’s no longer too hot to handle, then I wash it with soap right away.

I use steel wool and regular dish soap. The steel wool removes all the food residue, and combined with the soap, it gets rid of any remaining oil or grease.

Finally, I dry the pan or pot with a paper towel or lint-free kitchen cloth, then place it on the burner over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. This makes all the moisture completely evaporate.

The pan is now dry and ready to be stashed away in my kitchen cabinet.

Why Do People Worry About Cleaning Cast Iron With Soap?

If we traveled back in time to the 1950s, cleaning cast iron with soap would have been a big no-no, and for good reason.

Back in the day, it wasn’t advisable to clean cast iron with soap because older soaps were made with lye—a highly alkaline solution of either sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide—which would strip the seasoning right off the pan.

But the thing is, soap formulas have become milder over time. What wasn’t a good idea decades ago is now perfectly acceptable.

Modern dish soap no longer contains lye as the main soap-forming agent. You may still see sodium hydroxide on the ingredients list, but it’s used in small amounts to balance the soap’s acidity. That’s why it’s no longer an issue to clean cast iron with soap.

Should You Be Cleaning Cast Iron With Soap All the Time?

That’s a really good question. And like all good questions, my best answer is, “It depends.”

Suppose you just finished searing steaks or making pan sauce in your cast iron skillet. Chances are there will be *a lot* of grease and residue left behind. Say what you will about cleaning cast iron pans and pots with soap, but a quick wipedown with a paper towel isn’t going to cut it.

However, if you charred tortillas or toasted spices in your skillet, cleaning it will be a cinch. In such a case, there would be no need to go overboard. Simply wipe the pan down with a paper towel and put it back in the cabinet until you need it again.

Like so many other things in life, it comes down to balance. There is a time to clean your cast iron cookware with soap. But sometimes, it’s just overkill.