DH won't clean his pan

[Saju1]

I know the title might seem strange, but it is literally this.

My partner is obsessed with having a cast iron pan. The issue I have is that he won't clean it! And just leaves it on the side.

I cleaned it with soap and water with a normal sponge, and he went bolistic, saying I was going to cause rust on it. So I said, teach me...

The way he cleans it is by getting a wet cloth and cleaning the contents, then dries it off with a different cloth. He then grabs a paper towel with oil and covers it, then heats it on the hob until it gets extremely hot! Then leaves it to cool. He then covers it again it oil and places it in the oven until it gets really hot again!

I said I don't have time to be cleaning a pan like this, and that we should buy a normal pan, that just requires soap and water! But he disagrees and says these pans are amazing!! I also have a young baby, and literally do not have time to clean it.

He used this pan again, and it was literally left on the side for a month. I decided to wash it with soap and water, dry it off quickly ( so that no rust is created on the pan) and put it in the cupboard. The next day the pan is out of the cupboard and on the side!!!!

When I ask him when he plans to clean, he always "I will deal with it". And never does!!

AIBU by just throwing this pan away?? Or what should I do??

I am desperate here

@Saju1 this guy on TT restores cast iron pans. He takes them from rusty to brand new looking and he washes with soap and water

vm.tiktok.com/ZMFgPWwak/

People who have this sort of pan are invariably absolute wankers.

@WednesdayFridayAdams It's not like restoring a long lost Rembrandt is it? It's washing up.

Just wipe it with kitchen towel, stick it in a zip lock bag and put away out of sight. And buy yourself a non stick pan.

@limitedperiodonly not like a Rembrandt, no. But the average person couldn’t take a rusty cast iron pan and know how to make it like new and usable again. Rust doesn’t just wash off, it would just be rusty again straight away.

If this is the only complaint you have about him then you probably need to let it go. There’s bigger fish to fry. ( which really would be smelly). Don’t sweat the small stuff.
However if he has similar hygiene habits with say his socks or toilet bowls then maybe it’s time to threaten to clean the precious pan with his toothbrush if it’s left out!
Good luck.

I couldn't cope with that, I can't stand washing up left out and I'm not treating a bit of metal like a delicate pet. No, bin it and get a pan that can just be washed as normal.

Mine just gets washed in the dishwasher with everything else. Had it over 10 years, used at least once a week and is fine. Life is too short for specialist care of a frequently used pan (which isn't going to make any difference to whether it does its job).

Yes, that is how you clean it but once it's cool you can clean it straightaway. It doesn't need to be left on the side for a month. Ask him a couple of times to clean it. I also ask my DH how many times do I have to ask for something to be done before he classes it as nagging, that usually gets him moving. Alternatively, tell him if he doesn't sort it by tomorrow you will put it away dirty, then put it in a plastic carrier bag and put it away.

Oh that would bug me so much to see a dirty pan left on the side for weeks. If it was me I'd tell him that I can't put up with seeing it there any longer and if it's left there longer than a day I'm going to bin it as I don't have the time to clean it the way he wants. So it's up to him to remove it if he wants to keep it.

That's what Brillos are for. They're pretty average.

Don’t clean it
Put it away dirty

absolutely this