Is salt bad for cast iron? First, let's address any concerns: is salt bad for your pan? (The answer is no, but let's dive a little deeper.) Although salt is hard, it's still softer than cast iron, so it doesn't risk scratching the surface of your skillet.
Don't put cast iron in the dishwasher. Ever. The combination of harsh detergents, heat, and long stretches in the damp environment can destory years' worth of seasoning in minutes.
A favorite way to clean cast iron requires something you use all the time in the kitchen: salt. The method is easy. Take a big pinch of coarse salt (kosher salt, but sea salt also works) and sprinkle it on the cooking surface.
To prevent rust and extend the life of a cast iron skillet, it's best not to use soap to clean it. Instead, use a about a tablespoon of coarse salt to scrub the pan after a meal. The salt breaks up bits of stuck food and residue on the skillet.
Because salt is a powerful electrolyte, it contains a large number of dissociated ions, which greatly accelerates corrosion in salt water. Salt, or more particularly, salt solution, can hasten the rusting process by acting as an electrolyte, allowing the metal (iron) to lose electrons more quickly.
Salt solution acts as an electrolyte (any substance containing free ions that allows the substance to conduct electricity) allowing iron to lose electrons more easily and so speeds up the rusting process.
The #1 enemy of your cast-iron skillet is moisture - always wash it by hand. The dishwasher will strip your well-earned seasoning and does not get your cast iron as dry as it needs to be to prevent rusting. Never store your leftovers in the pan. Once the pan is cool, remove all leftover food and hand wash your pan.
Can I use steel wool or a metal scrubber to clean my cast iron pan? No! We recommend using a pan scraper or the Lodge Chainmail Scrubber to remove any stuck-on residue.
Cooking acidic foods or following improper cleaning procedures can damage the seasoning on your pan, creating spots of dull, patchy, dry-looking metal on the inside of the pan instead of the smooth, rich black of well-seasoned cast iron.
Should I Oil My Cast Iron After Every Use? After each use, to get the most out of your cast-iron skillet, it is best practice to apply a thin layer of oil on the surface. Regularly oiling your cast iron skillet will provide a protective layer to the surface and help keep it from rusting.
WD-40 Specialist® Rust Remover Soak quickly dissolves rust and restores tools, equipment, and surfaces to bare metal without chipping, scraping or scrubbing. Great for removing rust from tools, metal, cast iron, chrome parts, and more without harming paint, gaskets, trim, or other surrounding parts.
Why can't you boil water in cast iron? When you have water at a constant boil in seasoned cast iron, the boiling causes the seasoning to release. This can leave patchy seasoning or an uneven layer of seasoning left on your cast iron.
Flaking occurs when you have thick layers of seasoning build up without having the time and use to properly bond to the iron. This is why we recommend building up seasoning through cooking; it creates thin, interlocking layers of seasoning in different areas of your pan, which are much less likely to flake off later.
Sticky Surface
If the seasoning in your pan is sticky, this is a sign of excess oil built up on the cookware. The Fix: To remedy stickiness, place the cookware upside down on the top rack of the oven and bake at 450-500 degrees F for one hour. Allow to cool and repeat if necessary.
The vinegar solution will dissolve the rust, but once that's gone, it can penetrate further and start eating away at the original cast surface of the pan, the ultimate death sentence for your skillet.
All cooking oils and fats can be used for seasoning cast iron, but based on availability, affordability, effectiveness, and having a high smoke point, Lodge recommends vegetable oil, melted shortening, or canola oil, like our Seasoning Spray.
Steps: Fill your container with a 50/50 mix of distilled white vinegar and water. Make sure there is enough to completely cover your cast iron, or you will end up with a permanent line where the cast iron wasn't submerged. Place the cast iron in the vinegar solution for no more than 30 minutes.
Although it seems odd, it is technically possible to over-season a skillet. Too much oil baked into the cast iron will cause it to polymerize unevenly and eventually will cause the surface of the skillet to flake. Adding too much oil when seasoning will also cause your pan to become sticky, notes Lodge.
Using too much oil, anything more than about the size of a quarter will just build up and cause an oil slick on your pan. When it's time to season your cast iron skillet, you simply can't do this with a cold skillet. This will cause build up of that oil residue, and cause stickiness.
Is salt bad for cast iron? First, let's address any concerns: is salt bad for your pan? (The answer is no, but let's dive a little deeper.) Although salt is hard, it's still softer than cast iron, so it doesn't risk scratching the surface of your skillet.
Cars are especially susceptible to corrosion after being exposed to road salt for eight years or more, reports the National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationGet more car care secrets in this post about how to keep a high-mileage car running.
Everbrite™, ProtectaClear® and CrobialCoat® will prevent salt corrosion, oxidation and damage on fixtures, tools, boats, window frames, fishing gear, diving gear and much more. Brush on, roll on, use an applicator, or spray on with a paint sprayer.