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You’ve probably been warned that in order to clean a cast-iron skillet correctly, you need to possess a very particular set of skills. For the most part, I think that’s false—just give the pan a quick scrub with soapy water, dry it well, swipe on neutral oil, and you’re good to go. But when there are some really stubborn stuck-on bits and a regular sponge isn’t enough, I turn to one item: my Redecker natural fiber bristle pot brush.
The 2¼-inch round brush has a smooth, short wood handle and extremely stiff bristles. Yielding only to intense force as I scrape around the edges of a skillet or between the grooves of my grill pan, the bristles on this brush are just as successful at removing gunk as steel wool, but oh so much cuter to display in my kitchen.
Who could be responsible for creating such an efficient, yet attractive tool? German brush makers, of course. According to the self-described bürstenhaus’s (“brush house,” in case you were wondering) website, the first Redecker brushes were made in 1935. And, while the world has changed considerably, its commitment to hand-making sturdy brushes from natural and sustainable materials has not changed a bit.
Technically, the pot brush I own is one of several made by Redecker—one model even comes printed with a drawing of a smiling necktied figure on the handle. Like all of the brand’s pot brushes, the body is made of untreated beechwood and the bristles are union fiber (a mixture of stiff and soft fibers). I store my brush on a utensil cart in my kitchen near the tongs and ladles, though it could just as easily slip into a drawer.
When it comes to actually cleaning cast iron with the brush, the process couldn’t be simpler. I’ll typically start by giving the pan a rinse to remove any loose debris, then dump out the excess water. Then, with the dry, un-soaped brush, I’ll start scrubbing. Because the brush is quite stiff, there’s no need to apply intense force, especially if there aren’t any lingering charred pieces of food clinging to the pan. If there are any caked-on bits, however, a bit of elbow grease paired with the brush’s short, firm bristles lifts the majority right off. From there I’ll rinse out the brush and the pan, dump the water, and repeat—this time with a small spritz of dish soap. Keeping the faucet off, the pan gets another good scrub, paying special attention to corners and grooves to remove every last bit. Rinse and repeat as needed. Once clean, I like to ensure my cast iron gets completely dry by returning the pan to the stove over a low flame.
The brush itself is also easy to clean: I load it up with dish soap and scrub on a clean plate, which removes any cast-iron char collected in the bristles. Then I rinse and let it dry, bristles down, on my dish rack.
This brush is technically intended for kitchen use, but I just recently ordered another one to use on the floor drain for my washing machine, which often gets clogged with tough-to-remove scummy lint. I’ve also used this second brush to clean the grout on the tile floor surrounding the washing machine, and I’m now debating whether to get another one for those pesky bathroom tiles. Who needs a particular set of skills when you’ve got a particularly great brush?