How do you clean these damn things?

[limey]

Originally Posted by Pie

I do use soap and water on my cast iron pans, but I have a reason -- squeamish vegetarians that insist on soap & scrub after cooking meat. After the suds, I rinse thoroughly, dry with a towel, wipe on a light coating of vegetable oil with a paper towel, and leave it on the (gas) burner turned to high for 5 minutes. Turn off the burner, let it sit till cool.
I've never had a rust or dirt problem with this method.
- Pie

That's the way I'd do it. I treat my mum's frying pan (skillet to you guys, I think!) that way as she lets it get ... um ... grubbier than I'd like ( ) because she doesn't use really HOT water to clean it. So I sneakily wash it with everything else then add a little oil and heat it for a bit. She's never noticed ...