How often

I was raised to scrub every cooking item after every use--and the regimen stuck. Therefore, I rub oil on my skillets and Dutch oven each time I use them. The skillets have pretty much built up seasoning on the exteriors, but the Dutch oven is used for soups and other dishes with tomato in them, and is not heavily seasoned. I rub grape seed oil lightly on the exterior each time I use it, then wash the entire pan after use. This is definitely not the recommended method, but it works for me. I am very careful to not let acidic food remain in the DO any longer than absolutely necessary. Skillets are a bear to clean, in my opinion, so they have better seasoning on the outside. (Will somebody please revive Hilditch now?:grin:)
 
Yup. Don’t know where to start. Somethin’s bass ackwards here. Need a couple more beers. I’ll be back later.

Hilditch
 
Two hours later, I’m back. I think scrub is the key word. When I invested in SS waterless cookware in 1975 I decided that they had two sides that needed to be cleaned. What ever it took, soap or Brillo pads both sides got cleaned with every use. Due to that philosophy and scrubbing them clean except for scratches they look like new 40 years later with at least 20 years of daily use plus. Scrubbing is appropriate for SS, aluminum, ceramic coatings and even teflon pans to get them clean and looking good.

Now switch gears to cast iron. Scrubbing is not appropriate for cast iron. CI skillets are the easiest of skillets to clean. First we scrape the bottom smooth with a spatula, wipe out excess grease with a paper towel, wash with hot water and a piece of loofa or a paper towel, rinse and dry. I’m pro-seasoning inside and out so inside and out get the same treatment.

I understand that you may need to scrub. If so, scrub on the outside until you tire and then wash off the inside gently. Any food residue will quickly sterilize upon reheating and add to your seasoning. I only scrub to keep something looking like new.

Hilditch

PS: Go ahead & fry some things in your DO, it will love you for for it!
 
Depending in how much cleaning or scrubbing determines if and how much oil I might put back on the pan. Also, if the oven is already hot, I'll lightly coat the whole pan and wipe it extremely dry and throw it in the oven for a bit of quick seasoning. And if I'm doing that, I'll grab some other skillets that might need a little touch up and throw them in to.

So I guess it comes down to how I feel at the moment, but I was raised similar to Sharon and my first job was as a pot and pan scrubber so I do clean after each use. Sometimes cleaning is scraping with a spatula and then paper towel wipe, sometimes I move to using hot water and a plastic brush, and sometimes its a blue plastic sponge and I remove all the leftover food. I just tell myself I'm sanding the seasoning smoother so I feel better about.
 
I cook, then I wipe with a paper towel, then I rinse with water (only if needed), then I dry, then I put a super thin layer of safflower oil and wait to do the same the next day.
I have been doing this for about 2 years with my #8 Wagner. I had to go help my son yesterday in the middle of sweating some onions. I was gone way to long and panicked when I got back to the pan. The onions were brown but a quick scrape with the spatula got it all up. I only had to wipe it up when I was done. I love that pan and I can't wait to give it to my boy some day.
I am pro oil every time, but I also believe it is a preference thing.
Hope this helps.
Kyle
 
When I wash the inside of my skillets with the loofa and hot water the loofa picks up some of the grease. Then when I wash the outside it leaves some of that grease. Just enough to keep a great shine and the bottom from rusting. No oiling required. The loofa, which can be used to scrub rough spots, then gets washed with dish washing liquid.

Hilditch
 
Lately every time I use my CI skillets I start by a light scrub in warm water with a chain mail cleaner. Anything that is really stuck on I may hit with a Lodge scraper first but that chain mail works great. After that it goes upside down on my large gas burner to dry out. A quick touch of oil, Crisco, and now Crisbee and either cools off or I put it back on the oven until is does a light seasoning. Wipe off any excess and them I'm done. All my Griswolds have seen seasoning cycles in the oven so the daily light touch-up seems to be working very well.

In this process I typically give the the outside a light wipe of oil or Crisbee while it is sitting upside down on the stove just to keep it looking good.
 
I think "light wipe" is the magic touch here, TJ. We all seem to have slightly different methods, which I think relate to varied usage. Whatever works is my motto and I'm glad you've settled on a good way to keep your CI.
 
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