
When your pan looks black and slick, it's time to oil it up. This step is especially helpful if you're trying to get rid of rust spots. Throw on some oven mitts, grab a few paper towels and scrub. Next, add enough kosher salt to form a paste with the oil. Place your pan on the burner and add enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom, according to Cook's Illustrated. For food hanging on for dear life, the next step is returning your cast-iron to the stove. But don't let that scare you off dish soap isn't going to ruin your skillet. It's worth mentioning there's a tiny bit of controversy concerning the use of soap with cleaning a cast-iron skillet (i.e., that you should never do it). Run your cast-iron under hot water and add a little soap. The built-in scraper removes stuck-on bits while the brush scrubs away all evidence of dinner. However, the dependability award definitely goes to the Full Circle Tenacious C. A sponge or chainmail scrubber works wonders - especially when dealing with burnt-on cheese or caramelized onion.
Obviously, you shouldn't scrub your skillet the moment after it comes out of the over, but a warm cast-iron makes for easier cleanup.
First off, don't wait until your cast-iron is cold to do some cleaning.