Cast-iron cookware
Because other cookware cleaning techniques like scouring or washing in a dishwasher can remove or damage the seasoning on a bare cast-iron pan, these pans should not be cleaned like most other cookware. Some chefs advocate never cleaning cast-iron pans at all; simply wiping them out after use, or washing them with hot water and a stiff brush. Others advocate washing with mild soap and water, and then re-applying a thin layer of fat or oil. A third approach is to scrub with coarse salt and a paper towel or clean rag.
Castile soap
Importations of "Castile soap" through Antwerp appear in the London port books of 1567–1568, though the "Oxford English Dictionary" has no references to "Castile soap" earlier than 1616. In his article "A short history of soap", John Hunt maintains that "barilla" (an impure form of sodium carbonate obtained from halophyte plant ashes that were high in sodium) was boiled with locally available olive oil, rather than tallow.