Is It Safe To Use Baking Soda To Clean Cast Iron?

There are a lot of ways to clean a dirty cast iron pan. For example, some folks use bubbly club soda to spruce up their cast iron, while others opt for soap and water. But what about baking soda? It's often used to clean everything from dingy ovens to baking sheets, after all. Well, baking soda can be used on cast iron, but you have to be careful.

According to Arm and Hammer, when using baking soda on cast iron, it's best to sprinkle some in the pan and moisten it with water until it turns into a semi-dry paste. This paste can then be scrubbed in to help lift away stuck-on food. However, too much scrubbing can remove your pan's seasoning because baking soda is abrasive. So, it's best to use this method sparingly and only if you have a really tough mess. You should also re-season your cast iron afterward to keep it in good condition. Keep in mind that you should never use anything acidic, like vinegar, with baking soda because the acidity will damage the seasoning even more and potentially cause rusting.

Alternatively, you can use salt to clean your cast iron, which will work similarly, but this also has the risk of removing seasoning if you get a little too zealous with your scrubbing. Both salt and baking soda (which is actually a type of salt called sodium bicarbonate) are good choices for removing stuck-on food from cast iron; it really depends on which one you have on hand and want to use.

When food gets stuck to your cast iron, harsher cleaning is necessary to remove it. However, this can be mitigated by maintaining your pan's seasoning, which forms an almost non-stick surface. When your seasoning isn't compromised, and you use your pan correctly, such as pre-heating it before adding food, you lower the chances of food getting stuck altogether.

Once a cast iron pan is seasoned, one of the best ways to maintain the polymerized oil layer is by using it. The oils and fats in your food will naturally add more seasoning as they're cooked. These layers of seasoning can be maintained further with proper cleaning to ensure they aren't removed. Ideally, you should avoid using harsh detergents and scouring pads like steel wool. Instead, rinsing with a drop of dish soap on a rag should be enough. However, if you do encounter stuck-on bits, using a chainmail scrubber, like The Ringer's Original Cast Iron Cleaner, can help remove them without damaging the seasoning.

If you keep your cast iron seasoned and clean it properly, you'll likely never have to resort to using baking soda to get it clean. While you can always re-season your pan if the layer is removed during a baking soda scrub, it's always better to avoid this if possible!