These bamboo bristled brushes are great for cleaning baked mess from my skillet.
I start with heating my dirty pan and scrubbing it with rocksalt. 95% of the time this gets it clean. Sometimes when I am get sticky stuff going, I love Brussels sprouts sautéed in butter and balsamic vinegar, I need more oomph.
If the rocksalt has failed I turn to my trusty piece of chainmail. Typically it will grind and pop off any baked on debris that the rock salt couldn't cut — but sometimes I have to resort to using a little hot water. When I do, a stiff bamboo brush works great. Sometimes I may even use a little soap.
Soap and water are fine, in moderation, with cast iron. The warnings are there to protect you from easy to make mistakes. Immediately dry the pan on the stove after cleaning, and oil it.
Previously on Boing Boing: