Why and how much dishwashing soap/detergent?

[Lewis Downey]

Hello,

I guess this is an oddball question, but I am curious whether you slather the Dawn on thick or chintz out a drop or two only during the restoration process. Of course the answer is "as much as needed" but how much is that for you.

In a way this is also a question of whether the soap "does" anything or in other words, why use soap at all. Lately I have been more generous in the application of soap to the CI surfaces but am not sure there is a benefit. It is a surfactant of course; how important is it?  Scrubbing without it is not satisfying. Is more soap better?

For a regular dish, like a dirty dinner plate, we keep a small squirt bottle of diluted dish soap near the sink (pictured). I am guessing the mixture is  9 parts water to 1 part soap although i never measure. When a dish needs to be hand washed I squirt out a small amount of that solution, add water, and scrub it clean. A single large bottle of no-name dish soap has been going strong for about 10 years (most dishes are cleaned in the dishwasher).  By comparison I might lay down a line of Dawn two  inches long for one side of a pierce of cast iron, scrub, rinse it off, repeat on that side, then do the same thing for the other side of the piece.

Your thoughts and techniques are appreciated.

Thanks!

[Mark Zizzi]

Lewis, Do you mean as part of the restoration process, like after lye or electro, or after cooking in it? The only time I use soap on my CI is after lye and electro before seasoning it. Never seem to need it after cooking, but some folks do...probably very sparingly I would imagine.

[Lewis Downey]

Sorry. I meant as part of the restoration process - not after cooking. Original post updated.

[Cheryl Watson]

I use Dawn Dishwashing detergent.  I buy the large jugs at Sam's Club.
The Original 2X Concentrate. 

However, because the concentrate solutions drive me batty trying to rinse it off of even my dishes...   I reconstitute with water before using by 50%.

I then fill smaller 'normal' size bottles. (about 12 at a time).

I use it liberally thru out my wash downs of cast iron, both after the lye bath, and after the electro. 

By having diluted in advance, it makes it easier to get all traces of soap removed, especially during cold water final scrubs...

(Note: in pic below, the masking tape on bottle means it is the 50% dilute)

[Cheryl Watson]

and I notice a huge advantage in using the Dawn... helps remove carbon residue too!

[Janis Berzins]

I use Barkeepers friend.
Do you folks find that Dawn works better?

[Cheryl Watson]

I only use Barkeeper's <sometimes> after the lye bath, with caution.

I have found it can leave a 'brassy' color on some types of iron. 
I always follow with dishwashing liquid scrub down.

After de-rusting, only Dawn and cold running water, never BKF.

[Janis Berzins]

Interesting. I haven't had that trouble, but I will give Dawn a shot. Do you still use the stainless scrubby?

[Cheryl Watson]

Yes, always the SS scrubbies! :)