Best Steel Wool for Cast Iron Cleaning

Steel wool is not a big part of your life. But that’s why they shouldn’t be the thing that is giving you the most pain in the kitchen.

Most steel wools will be in a miserable condition just after a few weeks. And let’s not even talk about the stink. Broken down wools will get into your nails and injure you, leading to serious infections.

But you still need those basterds for those cast iron pans. They are a lifesaver when it comes to tough stains.

Now, proper research will surely get you the best steel wool for castiron cleaning. But who has the time for that!

So, you have two options now. Either scroll down and pick the one we recommended. Or read our reviews to know why we picked those.

Benefits of Using Steel Wool for Cast Iron

Despite not being the best cleaner for cast iron cookware, steel wool does offer some benefits. And that’s the reason why people love it.

• First of all, using steel wool is extremely easy. You don’t need to use any special tool for this. You will be able to clean it with your hands.
• Secondly, it is a great surface rust cleaner. If your steel wool pan has a surface rust problem and you eagerly want to remove it in an easy way, then cast iron is the ultimate solution.
• An abrasive substance such as steel wool can easily remove seasonings from pans too. So, steel wool is actually beneficial for your cast iron.
• Last but not least, it’s very convenient and comes with multiple scrubbers in just one pack. So, you will be able to use them for a long time.

Best Steel Wool for Cast Iron Reviews

Here, we have brought the 6 best steel wool for cast iron. Each and every product has some unique feature in it. Besides, they are all great in terms of design, quality, and durability.

1. Scotch-Brite Stainless Steel Scrubbers

Scotch-Brite is a Chinese brand who have been providing high-standard home cleaning tools for more than 50 years. Stainless steel scrubbers that are ideal for cleaning cast iron are probably their best products so far.

The brand offers you three scrubbers in just one pack. So, no doubt, you are going to run out of scrubbers soon. If you are able to use them carefully, they will last for longer than you expect.

Stainless steel is the main material of this product, so you can expect decent durability from it. Since the material is stainless, it will be corrosion resistant. It will be extremely handy and comfortable to use due to its lightweight and 9.25 x 3.9 x 1.95-inch dimensions.

In general, the scrubber is best suited to cookware without any special coating. Consider Teflon, which is a synthetic chemical coat used by most non-stick cookware.

This is only good for uncoated kitchenware because it might damage the coating if you use it in coated cookware. Other than normal cookware, you could also use it for grills, boilers, pots, and pans.

If you have burned pans or pots, this works great. The burnt residue and dirt can be easily removed in a few minutes.  You could also use this steel wool on enameled cast iron dishes.

Highlighted feature

• Three scrubbers in one pack
• Stainless steel material
• Easy to rinse out
• Best for uncoated cookware
• Extremely easy to use

2. Scrub-It Steel Wool Soap Pads

Scrub-It is another big name in the kitchen cleaning industry. Especially when it comes to cleaning cast iron, they have some top-notch steel wool scrubbers.

The main difference between other brands and Scrub-It is that other brands only offer one or two scrubbers in one package, while Scrub-It offers twenty scrubbers in every pack.

Having more than one scrubber on hand is beneficial because a new one can be brought in instantly if one breaks down.

This scrubber is made up of solid steel wool material. The interesting thing about this scrubber is it has soap substances inside the scrubber. So, when you wash, you don’t need to use any soap or liquid separately.

Additionally, the scrubber contains some fragrance, so after each wash, you will experience freshness.

Besides the cast iron cookware, you can also clean greasy stoves, dirty dishes, utensils, and burnt-out pots or pans.

The only thing you shouldn’t use it on is Teflon-containing materials since that will cause the layer to fail.

As this scrubber is reusable, you can keep using it until it is completely ruined.

Interestingly if you don’t like anything about this product after buying, the brand will give a 100% money-back guarantee.

Highlighted feature

• Twenty scrubbers in one pack
• Stainless steel material
• Pre soaped with the great scent
• Reusable
• Multipurpose workability

3. The Ringer Stainless Steel Cast Iron Cleaner

This is one of the unique cast iron cleaners among all the products. Brand ‘The Ringer’ offers this scrubber with chainmail patterns. In addition to its unique design, it provides excellent cleaning capabilities.

The package comes with a single steel wool chain scrubber which has a patented 8×6 inch design.

Frankly, it is quite a big scrubber compared to other steel wool scrubbers. This will make it convenient to use when cleaning.

The manufacturer has never used stainless steel in it. And they ensure the scrubber has the highest strength and durability. So the users don’t need to be worried about the quality.

No soap or cleaning is required when using the unique scrubber; simply warm water will remove any debris or oil from the pan.

Other than that, this scrubber is incredibly versatile. Besides the cast iron pan, you can also clean your dutch oven, glassware, griddle, and other similar stuff.

Ultimately it’s a safe and reliable chain scrubber. Unlike sponge scrubbers, this scrubber does not produce bad smells. So you can consider it one of the best steel wool for cleaning cast iron.

Highlighted feature

• One scrubbers in one pack
• Stainless steel material
• Multipurpose chain scrubber
• Unique size and design
• Reusable

4. Amagabeli Cast Iron Cleaner

If you are looking for a cast iron cleaner that needs to be modern and unique at the same time, the brand Amagabeli is your possible solution.

This scrubber is one of the most durable on the market, thanks to its superb chain mail design.

Just a single piece of scrubber will come with the main package. The product will be a little heavy because it’s 5.9 ounces in weight, and 8 x 6 x 0.4 inches is its dimension. Because of its 8″x6″ inch size, this will be a big handful of scrubbers.

The core material of this product is 316 stainless steel. Its corrosion resistance and weldability characteristics make 316 stainless steel an excellent choice for appliances.

Here you don’t need to use any detergent or any sort of cleaning liquid, just use warm water and then use this scrubber. You will see the result.

Besides the normal cast iron cookware, you could also clean clay pots, oven or baking pans, waffle makers, sandwich makers, casseroles, griddles, etc.

People often get tensed about the residue problem of the scrubber. You won’t see any of those in this scrubber; use as much as you want; no residue will come off from this chainmail scrubber.

Highlighted feature

• One scrubbers in one pack
• 316 Stainless steel material
• Multipurpose feature
• 8″x6″ inch size
• Handmade ring
• 275 degrees F heat resistance

5. Stainless Steel Scourers by Scrub It

Considering versatility, this is another best steel wool for cast iron from Scrub It. The main difference between this scrubber and the previous Scrub-It scrubbed is that the previous one has a piece of soap in it. But this has no soap inside. You have to use soap or gel separately.

Comes with a twelve-piece set in one package. Every scrubber is lightweight and easy to use.

Like other scrubbers, this one is also made up of stainless steel materials. So you can easily clean your iron cast pan, plate or other cookware. Because of its steel material, you can expect the highest durability from this.

People often worry about the bad smells of the scrubber. Fortunately, you won’t experience any of those here because this scrubber is perfectly designed. No water or food grain will be stuck inside the scrubber. So no bad smell will be produced.

This one is a great scrubber to clean cast iron dirt, but it’s also efficient for other cookware, for instance, ceramic and clay plates, grills, ovens, or even waffle makers.

So if you need a set of 12 scrubbers with a reasonable price and satisfaction guarantee, there is nothing better than this scrubber.

Highlighted feature

• Twelve scrubbers in one pack
• Stainless steel material
• Multipurpose
• Reusable
• Satisfaction Guarantee

6. KEYTOJOY 6 Pack Stainless Steel Sponges

KTOJOY is comparatively a new name in the kitchen cleaning industry but doing a magnificent job. They already have produced some great cleaning products, including a steel wool scrubber for cast iron stuff.

This particular product of KTOJOY offers 6 pieces of scrubber in one pack. So you will be able to use them for a long time.

The material that has been used here is 410 stainless steel. So two things you are going to get surely. One is a corrosion-resistant feature, and the other is durability for long-lasting use. Honestly,  this scrubber will not get damaged until you deface it yourself.

Dimension-wise, it’s a handy scrubber because it has a 1.4-inch height and 3-inch width. And the overall weight would be 0.3 pounds or less than that.

It has an ergonomic design with chain mail links. With its softness and well-gripped pattern, it is very comfortable to hold. So gripping and cleaning both will be great.

Other than an iron cast pan, you could also allow it to be used for grills, clay or ceramic pots, and all other outdoor furniture.

In the end, you can consider this the best steel wool for cast iron. The reason is it’s a great sturdy and efficient scrubber which can clean off all your cookware pretty quickly.

Highlighted feature

• Six scrubbers in one pack
• 410 Stainless steel material
• Multipurpose
• Reusable
• Satisfaction Guarantee

Comparison Chart of Steel Wool for Cast Iron

Brand	Piece	Design	Materials	Durability
Scotch-Brite	3	Chain mail pattern	Stainless Steel	Medium
Scrub-It (B07MRKSGQB)	20	Soap pad	Stainless Steel	Medium
The Ringer	1	Patented chain mail design	Never rusting stainless steel	Hard
Amagabeli	1	Patented chain mail design	316 stainless steel	Hard
Scrub It (PP-HKMC14452)	12	Round chain mail	Stainless Steel	Medium
KTOJOY	6	Ergonomic design	410 stainless steel material	Hard

Things to Consider Before Buying Steel Wool for Cast Iron

Here we’ve shared what to look for before purchasing steel wool for cast iron.

Materials

Obviously, most of the steel wool scrubbers will be stainless steel. But not all stainless steel is equally efficient. So this is actually a good point to focus on if you want a sturdy and long-lasting scrubber.

There is a variety of steel like 304/316/410. Every single type of steel holds specific characteristics. For instance, if you get the 400 series steel, it will be more durable than 300 series steel.

So when you are buying your scrubber, just quickly check the steel types.

Design and Function

Design matters most. If you see the poor-quality scrubber, it’s actually not properly designed. Because of that, food grains, specks of dirt, and grease stick inside the scrubber and create bad smells.

That’s a massive drawback for any other scrubber.

So check whether it has a good chain mail design or not. Chain mail design is actually good because this design pattern helps to squeeze out all the dirt pretty quickly.

Other than that, good designs help to solve the steel wool cast iron rust problem

Size

If your scrubber size is not perfect, you will never get a good grip for holding. And if you face trouble holding it, you won’t be able to clean the dishes perfectly. So size matters.

There is no ideal size for a scrubber. But 3x3x1.4 inches is a good dimension that fits in most hands. If you find something bigger than this, that’s fine, but don’t take anything smaller than this.

So make sure the size is not too small or big. Try to get the right one.

Scrubber Set

This is not a vital point like others, but if you consider this point, you will be able to save some time and money later. Few brands offer multiple scrubbers in just one pack at a very reasonable price.

Frankly, it will be a great deal because when you purchase many scrubbers, you save a fair amount of money rather than purchasing a single scrubber.

When you have decided what product you prefer, try to get a set rather than a single item.

Pre-soaped

Pre-soaped is a great feature of the latest scrubbers. Here you don’t need to use any external cleaner like soap or liquid. The manufacturer has already put some fragrance soap inside the scrubber.

You just have to wash it; the soap will automatically come out by itself.

Though using a pre-soap scrubber is a personal preference, if you want your wash quick, then this is something you would like to have.

Frequently Asked Question Cast Iron Cookwares

Can I use Steel Wool on Glass?

Yes, you can use steel wool on glass, but there are some things you really have to consider before doing that.

You can’t put too much pressure on a glass body with steel wool. It might scratch it. Just rub it gently until it seems clean.

If your glass dish has some design in it, then it better not use steel wool. Use only when the glass surface is clean.

Can I use Steel Wool with Bare Hands?

Yes, you can use steel wool with bare hands. Most people think since it is steel, it might be harmful to bare hands. But actually, that’s not true. The steel scrubbers are designed nicely so that the user can hold them with bare hands.

You can wear gloves to hold this, but if you don’t, that’s also fine.

Does Salt Damage Cast iron?

No, salt doesn’t damage cast-iron. Kosher salt is a great cast iron cleaner. People love to use this to clean their iron stuff.

Final Words

The most extreme thing about steel wool is you can’t get all your preferred features in just one pack. So finding the best steel wool for cast iron is the first thing to get rid of.

To make your life easier, we have compiled a list of some of the best steel wool scrubbers. You can choose your favorite one from here. In addition, we also shared a buying guide, so you know what to look for when purchasing a steel wool scrubber.

Lastly, we answer some of your questions that crest confusion regarding this topic. You will get a clear idea from there.