How to clean a cast iron pan while camping

By Cheri Sicard
In the video below Amanda from Amanda Outside tackles the often misunderstood topic of how to clean a cast iron pan. While the video says it is about cleaning while camping, the same principles apply if you are cleaning cast iron in your RV or in your bricks-and-sticks home too.

For the demonstration, Amanda specifically chose a very dirty pan with lots of dried-on food left after making a dessert. She did it to show the extremes of cleaning a cast iron pan. But she also talks about the fact that in many instances, all that is needed to “clean” a cast iron pan is a simple wipe with a paper towel.

But for this video, the pan is dirty and definitely in need of a thorough cleaning.

When cleaning cast iron, Amanda says you don’t want to use any harsh soaps or abrasive metal cleaners that can potentially scrape the seasoning off. (In the case of cast iron, the word “seasoning” does not refer to spices, but rather the dark layer of carbonized oil that gives cast iron its nearly nonstick qualities, and also protects it from rust.)

Another great cast iron tip Amanda shares is the advice to never rapidly cool your cast iron, as doing so can create warps, and even cracks. So let the pan cool naturally before beginning the cleaning process.

To use Amanda’s method for how to clean a cast iron pan you will need:

• A plastic pot scraper, which is an awesome tool for taking off stuck foods
• A sponge
• You can use a tiny bit of soap (I know this is controversial among cast iron users, but I agree with Amanda and have done it for decades). However, you don’t NEED to.
• Water
• A clean towel
• Mild flavored oil or seasoning spray

Watch the video to see step-by-step how Amanda cleans this dirty cast iron pan and how beautiful it looks at the end.

##RVDT2020