“Actually”...I doesn’t really matter. You CAN wash your favorite cast iron skillet a few times a month, using mild soap and warm water. You won’t kill that skillet.
My cast iron skillet is tough. I stand before you all today to openly admit using a Brillo Pad to remove stubborn food debris.
I don’t over scrub, just enough to do the job.
And guess what?
This same Joy Liquided, Brillo Pad pink soaped skillet has been used later, this morning, in fact, to cook my breakfast of Jimmy Dean sausage patties, followed by raisin pancakes.
All is well with my cast iron skillet.
It ain’t delicate!
I don't understand the aversion to a little soap and water on a well-seasoned cast iron. Clean it up, heat it up and rub with a little oil. (I use beeswax for the outdoor gear)
Yes, I don’t do it every time, but I do occasionally use a bit of Dawn and my tuffy pad once or twice a week.
I use it every day, often two or three times.
It’s probably over 100 years old. And if there were an emergency and I could only save one item out of the kitchen it would be the skillet.
(The wife would be a close second.)
Yes, I use soap and water on mine, too, and I always dry it immediately. At least once a year I season all my cast iron pans, including the Dutch oven which sees frequent use. They are all in great shape.