1. Preheat your oven to 325-degrees Fahrenheit. While your oven's heating up, wash your pan with hot water and just a touch of soap. You may have heard that soap and cast irons shouldn't mix, but that's only later, so that you don't wear away the seasoning.

2. Dry the skillet with a cloth or paper towel completely. Then apply a layer of vegetable oil to the entire skillet—inside and out—with a paper towel.

3. With your oven toasty, place the skillet upside down on the middle rack. On the lower rack, lay out aluminum foil or a baking tray to catch any dripping oil.

4. Bake your skillet for about an hour. After an hour turn your oven off and let the skillet cool inside the oven. This'll take a while, as cast irons get very hot and like to stay that way.

Cleaning cast iron shouldn't be a daunting task. If your skillet is well-seasoned, your food shouldn't stick. So if you're having problems with a messy pan, check that your seasoning is strong—rust spots and chips are a sign it's time to re-season.

1. If you've just seared a steak or finished a batch of roasted veggies, the easiest way to clean a skillet is immediately after cooking. Run the skillet under warm water until it's cooled to the temperature of the water. Just be careful, because the handle and outside of the pan will remain hot.

2. Then use the rough side of a sponge to remove any gunk or food that may remain. No need to use soap here—a stiff brush and salt is a surefire way to get tricky foods out.

3. Once your pan is clean, be sure to dry it thoroughly. Excess water left on a cast iron leads to rust spots which will require cleaning and a fresh seasoning job. Once you're dry, you're set.

If that sounds too easy, that's because it is—but there are lots of ways cast iron care can go wrong. The biggest one? Don't leave it in the sink or let it stay wet for too long. The dishwasher is a definite no-go and steer clear of wire brushes for cleaning. Remember, if they didn't have it on the Oregon Trail, you don't need it to care for your cast iron pan.