However, while you can use soap, it’s often easier to scrub with a coarse grain salt to remove any gunk and grime from your cast iron pan. Then, give the pan a quick rinse and dry it thoroughly. That said, it’s never a bad idea to run your dishwasher regularly so dishes aren’t sitting, and if you find a plate with fossilized food on it somewhere, it might not hurt to soak it instead of popping it right into the dishwasher. Plus, not pre-rinsing helps save water. Hot take: skip the sponge completely and just go for the less wasteful reusable dish brush or pan scraper. You’ll be happy you did, plus, no weird sponge smell.
