Newbie and I just don't know what I'm doing wrong...

I couldn't find a FAQ or similar general info for this sub so I'm sorry if I'm repeating a very basic question but...

I have had a Lodge 8" skillet that I have been trying to use for years and it has never been a non-stick surface. I have followed so many different seasoning steps but I keep getting just a crazy amount of food stuck, which is so hard to clean with just water. So what has ended up happening is I have these layers of (probably) failed seasoning, and then these layers of food bits mixed in with even more seasoning. Every time I use it, it gets worse, and I just am at wit's end with how "easy" cast iron is supposed to be (especially Lodge pans).

I don't want to give up on the thing but I feel like a complete failure for not being able to figure out this pan. I mainly need to figure out:

• How to clean it now. Do I scrub the hell out of it and start completely over?
• How to get this supposed beautiful glossy seasoning that food just slips around on. I have tried multiple passes of seasoning both in the oven and on the stove. I have used a few different oils (avocado, olive, and butter). I get it HOT and it SMOKES. Then when I try to cook with it later, I get cornbread, bacon bits, pizza crust, etc. sticking to it. I am not light-handed with oils and fats when cooking, either.
• How to actually clean it properly so there isn't this nasty food build-up. I let it cool enough to touch it, then wipe it out with a clean paper towel. I use a plastic scraper for things pretty stuck on there (it never seems to all come off though). I use hot water, but never soap (and never any tool that has soap on it). I can still tell it's... gross though. Maybe if it's seasoned right cleaning becomes less of a hassle.

Please help me figure this thing out! I still cannot believe cast iron is supposed to be an easy way to cook and need somebody to help demonstrate that to me.

Submitted December 31, 2016 at 02:49PM by thoughtdotcom http://ift.tt/2hE7k4D