A kitchen is a place where you have to wash the utensils with care. After cooking, washing up is an important part which usually happens in the kitchen.
You have to spend hours in the kitchen and taking care of the utensils, which should be done, with proper guidance. Not every Utensil is washed in the same manner, some need to be washed without causing rust, and some shouldn’t be washed with dishwater.
Cast iron skillets are known to be old kitchenware which made up of iron and appreciated for its heat retention, durability, ability to use in high temperature, and gives non-stick cooking.
The question is can you wash cast iron skillet in the dishwasher?
Cast iron skillet is used for a long period if they are tended properly. If you intended to wash your cast iron skillet in the dishwasher, you will end up ruining it.
You should know that cast iron skillet has rough characteristics, it can be affected easily by the way it is cleaned. The chemical composition of cast iron skillet contains 2.5-4.0% carbon, 1-3% silicon, and 93%-96.5% pure iron.
Since it has a higher concentration of iron, it is vastly susceptible to oxidation. A particular compound can experience the loss of an electron when they are exposed to oxygen. In this way, iron mixes with oxygen and turn into rust.
When you wash with dishwashing detergents or household soaps, a protective layer of oils are peeled away from cast iron skillet after it comes into contact with water. And the outcome of this, the formation of rust, and it becomes unusable.
Then how to wash cast iron skillet?
They are instructions given in the manufacture manual to wash the skillet. Reading those instructions will give you a clear insight, how to use it properly. First of all, you shouldn’t use steel wool, soap, and dishwasher for washing skillet.
To get good results on your skillet, Wash the skillet immediately after use. You don’t have to wait for the pan to cool down, clean it while it was hot or warm.
If you are planning to soak your pan then the outcome will be rust, so don’t let it soak on the sink. Wash it with hot water, using your hand, and use sponge or gloves.
If you find still the food stuck on the pan, add kosher salt and scrub the pan. Rinse it with water or wipe with a paper towel.
Some of the food residues act like a stuck up glue, it will stick to the pan as if it wants to fight with you to remove the food residue, hence here comes the rescue solution, you have to boil the water in the pan and the food residue accepts it defeat by coming off the pan.
Another option, boil the water in the pan and you can also use a spatula to scrub the food scraps in the pan.
Towel dry the skillet and use a cloth or paper towel to apply a thin layer of vegetable oil inside the skillet. At last, store it in a dry place, and your skillet is ready for the next cooking.
What if you had rust in the skillet? How to recover it?
If you have rust in a skillet, rub it with half a raw potato and sprinkle it with baking soda. Baking soda is a natural cleaning ingredient and it will you an effective cleaning. Remember to re-season the pan after cleaning.
