5 Minutes Or Less: How to Clean Your Cast Iron Skillet with One Ingredient

I really do try to cook more in my iron skillets.  Really.

I just HATE cleaning them.  Its greasy.  Sometimes gooey.  Its not like I just douse it in Dawn and scrub.  No no no.  It isn’t easy.  Period.  And really, I just don’t have time for ‘not easy’.  I have 4 teens that keep me hopping, a household to take care of, meals to cook, classes to plan for and teach, and a long list of writing that needs finished.  Seriously, somedays I’m lucky I have time for just me.

So when my dear cousin showed me this beauty of a trick and time saver…my jaw dropped.  Easy peasy lemon breezy.

Here’s how I cleaned my super greasy skillet in less than 5 minutes.  And most of that time was letting it sit.  So really, 1 minute….

Step 1-  grab your gooey skillet and your salt shaker.  (10 seconds)

Step 2-  pour salt all over bottom of greasy skillet.  (10 seconds, 20 total)

Step 3-  Let it sit.  (3 minutes, 3:20 total)

Step 4- using hot water, do a quick rub out with your scrub brush.  Won’t take elbow grease, just move that salt around.  Rinse with hot water to dissolve salt.  (40 seconds, 4 minutes total)

Step 5- Dry the skillet with a towel.  Grab a cold drink and sit back to relax.  You’re done!  (15 seconds, 4:15 total)

So really it is under 5 minutes.  And your skillet comes out super clean.  The first time I did this, my skillet came out cleaner that when I started cooking.  Wow!

Let me know if this works for you…

Thank you to our friend Kiz for sharing her experience and idea for cast iron cleaning! 

See more Tips, Tricks and Hacks for Cleaning HERE