You're viewing a single thread.
You can wash Cast Iron all you like, I wouldn't suggest the dishwasher, just don't use soap, scrape with a plastic paint scrapper under hot water, heat until smoking, rub some oil on it, let cool. Easy peasy. After knowing we're all poisoning ourselves with the nonstick coating and have been for decades, the Cast Iron is a great nonstick alternative.
Use "soap" if you want. Modern dishwashing liquid doesn't have lye in it. It's the lye from old school rendered soap that damages the seasoning.
Don't use anything with an abrasive more than the rough side of a sponge, and even with that, don't rub super hard or in the same place for too long.
This thread is full of people claiming that dish soap doesn't contain lye, but the most popular dish soap I'm aware of, Dawn, contains lye and that's easily found in a two second Google search.
Interesting. Sodium hydroxide.
Well, while I don't use Dawn, I do use dishwashing liquid, whatever happens to be in the house, and I've never had a bit of trouble with it.