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I used a Brillo pad on my cast iron skillet. It is seasoned, not enameled. I want to know if this could damage my cast iron skillet. Also can it be fixed?

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  • @rumtscho Is this an exact dupe? The question you linked is about enameled cast iron. I do use steel wool on my cast iron. (I don't season it.) But I wouldn't use it on enameled cast iron or a seasoned cast iron pan.
    – Cindy
    Commented Jun 10, 2018 at 18:13
  • @Cindy you're right, I overlooked that one question is about enameled and the other doesn't say. I'm reopening and editing it to say that it is not enameled - if the OP has an enameled one, she should use the answers to the other question.
    – rumtscho ♦
    Commented Jun 10, 2018 at 19:34
  • Related: cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/6868/…
    – rumtscho ♦
    Commented Jun 10, 2018 at 19:36
  • Hi Sandy Rambo and welcome! Can you please give us more information? Is you cast iron skillet enameled? is it seasoned or not? Does it look damaged in any way? A picture may be useful also.
    – Cindy
    Commented Jun 10, 2018 at 19:43
  • @rumtscho I think the other one is about cleaning seasoned cast iron. I edited the title to specify that.
    – Cindy
    Commented Jun 10, 2018 at 19:44

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I'm not finding an exact duplicate of this question, but you should read these related questions:

So, the answer to the first part of your question is yes, a Brillo pad can damage your cast iron skillet. If you scrub it for a short time, then it can remove the seasoning from the pan. If you scrub it really hard, it can also scratch the iron underneath, since cast iron is softer than the steel and abrasives in the Brillo pad.

In response to the second part of your question, yes, you can recover it. How difficult this is depends on how much scouring you did. If you just removed seasoning, you'll need to do either a light seasoning or completely reseason the pan. If you scrubbed through the seasoning and scratched the iron itself, then you'd need to sand the bottom of the pan before completely reseasoning it.

I recommend watching Kent Rollins' video series on caring for cast iron to avoid problems in the future.

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