{"id":2421,"date":"2026-02-21T12:22:23","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T12:22:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/?p=2421"},"modified":"2026-02-21T12:22:23","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T12:22:23","slug":"my-mother-in-law-taught-me-how-to-clean-cast-iron-pans-and-her-simple-hack-is-honestly-life-changing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/?p=2421","title":{"rendered":"My Mother-In-Law Taught Me How To Clean Cast Iron Pans and Her Simple Hack Is Honestly Life-Changing"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"mntl-sc-page_1-0\" data-sc-sticky-offset=\"90\" data-sc-ad-label-height=\"24\" data-sc-ad-track-spacing=\"100\" data-sc-min-track-height=\"250\" data-sc-max-track-height=\"600\" data-sc-breakpoint=\"50em\" data-sc-load-immediate=\"4\" data-sc-content-positions=\"[1, 1250, 1550, 1950, 2350, 2750, 3150, 3550, 3950]\" data-bind-scroll-on-start=\"true\">\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_1-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> If you\u2019ve ever Google-searched \u201chow to clean XYZ pan,\u201d\u00a0the internet will instantly flood your results\u00a0with an overwhelming amount of feedback. It\u2019s enough to make you a skeptic. Which method rings true? Which of these results is a paid product push? Which of these is safe to potentially ingest after cleaning? HOW much is this?! The list goes on. Before you know it, your search has been redirected by the Googlesphere, and you\u2019re suddenly\u00a0shopping for new pans, wondering how on earth you got here.\n<\/p>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_5-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> When it comes to cooking and cleaning in the kitchen, I\u2019ve realized that more often than not, the most trustworthy, reliable, simple, and straight-to-the-point answers we can find come from asking the experienced home cooks in our lives what they would do.\u00a0When it comes to cleaning cast iron, my mother-in-law had it right all along, and her tried, and true solution isn\u2019t some expensive spray or sponge from Amazon or the latest and greatest state-of-the-art bottled chemical. To remove stubborn bits and food stains from your cast iron pan, you need just two things, and both of them are likely already hanging out in your pantry.\u00a0Looking for a new cast iron pan? Discover some of the best cast iron skillets.\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"heading-toc\" id=\"toc-to-soak-or-to-scrub\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"mntl-sc-block_7-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block allrecipes-sc-block-heading mntl-sc-block-heading\"> <span class=\"mntl-sc-block-heading__text text-title-300\"> To Soak or To Scrub? <\/span> <\/h2>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_8-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> This can be a controversial topic, and rightfully so. We all want to\u00a0care for our beloved cast iron, and when it comes to this method, it\u2019s a little bit of both. First you soak, and then you scrub. However, we\u2019re not talking about long-term soaking followed by an hour of elbow grease. My favorite part about my mother-in-law\u2019s method, in addition to its simplicity, is that it still allows the pan to season over time, as opposed to\u00a0prolonged use of soap suds\u00a0and aggressive scrubbing, which can prevent seasoning.\u00a0Learn how to season a cast iron pan like a pro.\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"heading-toc\" id=\"toc-the-best-way-to-remove-food-residue-from-cast-iron-pans\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"mntl-sc-block_12-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block allrecipes-sc-block-heading mntl-sc-block-heading\"> <span class=\"mntl-sc-block-heading__text text-title-300\"> The Best Way To Remove Food Residue From Cast Iron Pans <\/span> <\/h2>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_13-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> The great news is, this way is also an easier, more natural, and more budget-friendly way. Let\u2019s break down my mother-in-law\u2019s tried and true method below:\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"mntl-sc-block_15-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block allrecipes-sc-block-subheading mntl-sc-block-subheading\"> <span class=\"mntl-sc-block-subheading__text\"> Here\u2019s What You Need <\/span> <\/h3>\n<ul id=\"mntl-sc-block_16-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">\n<li>Baking soda<\/li>\n<li>White vinegar<\/li>\n<li>Lukewarm water<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"mntl-sc-block_18-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block allrecipes-sc-block-subheading mntl-sc-block-subheading\"> <span class=\"mntl-sc-block-subheading__text\"> How To Remove Those Stubborn Bits and Stains <\/span> <\/h3>\n<ol id=\"mntl-sc-block_19-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\">\n<li>For safety purposes, allow your cast iron to completely cool after cooking. Once cooled, leave it on the stovetop or transfer the pan to the sink.<\/li>\n<li>Pour baking soda directly over the food bits. Cover them generously, so a small mound of baking soda sits over each section.<\/li>\n<li>Pour a few drops of white vinegar over each mound of baking soda, and then immediately fill the pan with a thin layer of lukewarm water\u2014just half an inch or so. This will dilute the white vinegar a bit, making it less aggressive on the surface of the pan while also helping to loosen things up.<\/li>\n<li>Allow the pan to sit for 20 minutes. Using a damp, non-abrasive sponge or scrub brush, gently work in circles to loosen and remove the soaked areas. Do not add water to the pan for this step, and rinse and re-dampen the sponge as needed. Once the bits are all loosened and removed, rinse the pan in warm water, gently scrubbing with the sponge for a final rinse. Dry the pan completely with a kitchen towel, and return it safely to storage.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span class=\"heading-toc\" id=\"toc-the-bottom-line\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"mntl-sc-block_21-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block allrecipes-sc-block-heading mntl-sc-block-heading\"> <span class=\"mntl-sc-block-heading__text text-title-300\"> The Bottom Line <\/span> <\/h2>\n<p id=\"mntl-sc-block_22-0\" class=\"comp mntl-sc-block mntl-sc-block-html\"> Save yourself an overwhelming Google search, forget about elbow grease, and clean your cast iron in a safe, simple, reliable, and economical way. Instead of using harsh chemicals or scrubbing to the point of scratching, all you need to remove those stubborn food bits from your cast iron pan is\u00a0baking soda,\u00a0white vinegar, and lukewarm water. All hail the home cooks before us who never had the internet to rely upon and continue to pave the way through trial and error and good old-fashioned kitchen wisdom and experience.\u00a0Learn more about removing stubborn, baked-on food.\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve ever Google-searched \u201chow to clean XYZ pan,\u201d\u00a0the internet will instantly flood your results\u00a0with an overwhelming amount of feedback. It\u2019s enough to make you a skeptic. Which method rings true? Which of these results is a paid product push? Which of these is safe to potentially ingest after cleaning? [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kitchen-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2421"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2421\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cupcake.website\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}