re: LUNCH THRAY unanchored edition

I don’t have any cast iron to worry about

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a few drops of liquid dish soap

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This woman had one of those sponge scrubbers with liquid soap in the handle. She wasn’t sparing the horsepower.

From TF:

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I did finish my online GED class and got 2 degrees THANK YOU VERY MUCH

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I don’t have any cast iron

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What do you fry your oysters in?

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The Theory: Seasoning is a thin layer of oil that coats the inside of your skillet. Soap is designed to remove oil, therefore soap will damage your seasoning.

The Reality: Seasoning is actually not a thin layer of oil, it's a thin layer of polymerized oil, a key distinction. In a properly seasoned cast iron pan, one that has been rubbed with oil and heated repeatedly, the oil has already broken down into a plastic-like substance that has bonded to the surface of the metal. This is what gives well-seasoned cast iron its non-stick properties, and as the material is no longer actually an oil, the surfactants in dish soap should not affect it. Go ahead and soap it up and scrub it out.

The one thing you shouldn't do? Let it soak in the sink. Try to minimize the time it takes from when you start cleaning to when you dry and re-season your pan. If that means letting it sit on the stovetop until dinner is done, so be it.

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The myth that you shouldn’t wash your cast iron skillet with soap is just that — a myth. It’s driven by two theories. The first is that since oil is used to season the cast iron skillet and create a nonstick surface, soap would effectively wash away the cure that you worked so hard to build. The second reason that this myth persists is that soap isn’t the most efficient cleaner of cast iron.

Soap doesn’t wash away the oils.
Strictly speaking, oil is not responsible for the slick-hard surface of a well-seasoned cast iron pan — polymerization is. The oil combines with the porous surface of the pan when heated creating a surface harder and smoother than the pan itself. It would take a lot more than soap to remove the seasoning from a skillet. In fact, the best way to remove seasoning is to bring the pan to high heat in an oven or grill — not with sudsy water.

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And, from Lodge's OWN site:

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Soap isn’t always necessary, but if you like, a little mild detergent is fine. Promise. Stay away from dishwashers and metal scouring pads, which can harm the seasoning.

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And, from Lodge's OWN site:

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What would Lodge know about cast iron cookware?

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tgrbaitn08

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That went about like your salt intake advice to LL did.

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soap it up and scrub it out

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I've been doing it for many years. I don't use a lot. The key is to scrub, remove, dry. Don't let it soak.

Then, stick it on the stovetop, put burner on high, ensure all the liquid is heated out of the pot, and rub a layer of oil on it after it cools.