Smooth and shiny on the inside is all you need. That’s where all the cooking is going on and where you want the cast iron seasoning to be strongest.

There is no harm in the exterior being rough and bumpy. For the most part, that is purely an aesthetic concern. However, if the exterior is rusty or crumbly you can resurface it using steel wool.

But, I do appreciate your tips, and I realize you have to include the outside links:)

You can heat the skillet up again on the stove-top and try to liquefy the oil and pad it dry. If the stickiness remains, I would try heating up some water in the bottom of your skillet, dumping it, and wiping out the bottom with a paper towl.

It’s important to scrape out all the carbonized food particles after cooking (using a chain mail, plastic/bamboo scraper). Once it has been cleaned out, wipe it with a paper towel to make sure the surface is actually clean. Then lightly rub it with oil, wipe it down, and then store it for next time.

For routine cleaning, we agree. But if we are stripping down an old cast iron and starting the seasoning process from beginning (picking up a used cast iron from a thrift store), we will use soap and steel wool to get us back down to a clean slate and then start from there.

Awesome! You can find some really great cast iron pieces at garage sales, thrift stores. Even if they are totally rusted or crusted up, you can usually rescue them. Deep pitting is the only thing to watch for that might be more trouble to grind out then it’s worth. Sounds like you picked up a couple of real winners!