Cleaning cast iron

Washing a seasoned pan with hot water, a soft sponge or a nylon brush, and drying it fully on the hob within minutes. Soap is acceptable for sticky residues; what matters far more is the drying.

After baking beans with molasses and tomato, wash within an hour of the pot going cold, dry on the hob for 4 minutes, then oil before storage.

The old rule about never using soap dates from when soap contained lye, which would strip a pan. Modern dish soap does not. Rust, not soap, is what kills cast iron.