Here are four scenarios that should cover the range of cleaning challenges.
1)You’ve sauteed some mushrooms and garlic in olive oil. Nothing stuck so wipe out with a paper towel and rinse under hot water. Set the skillet back on the burner over low heat to dry.
2)You’ve stir-fried some flank streak and vegetables, a fond remains after deglazing. Run hot tap water and brush skillet until clean. Set the skillet back on the burner over low heat to dry.
3)You think your skillet is fully seasoned so you scramble some eggs but discover it wasn’t seasoned enough. Lots of egg residue remains stuck to the bottom. Add hot water to skillet and let sit while you eat breakfast. Dump out water and add 1 to 2 tablespoons kosher salt and some oil and scrub the egg gunk out. Rinse well and set the skillet back on the burner over low heat to dry. Continue to use pan with an eye toward further seasoning.
4)While frying chicken in the back yard a hawk drops a dead muskrat into the hot oil. Consider using soap at this point.
