Have heard of people running cast iron thru oven self-clean cycle, but have no experience. Seem to recall a post "somewhere" of someone putting gunked up cast iron on wood pile in outdoor fire pit!?! Do NOT know for sure, but imaging good quality stuff (not made in China) should be fine... CI is pretty darn indestrucible!?!

I was re-introduced to CA a few years ago when I found 2 difference size skillets at a yard sal for almost nothing. They were all "name" pieces... Lodge, Griswold, etc. And TOTALLY cruddy with soeone else's "seasoning". I did was is probably considered HERESY among purists... used spray oven cleaner on them. After SEVERAL applications of the stuff, one of the skillets was almost silvery/shiny! All were cleared of their crud. Then I just reseasoned. I think one of the keys to successfully using CI is USING it as often as possible. If I cook something that doesn't just wipe out, I'll use cheap salt and a scrubber. Then lots of hot water to rinse. Back on stove top to get nice and HOT, then a dab of bacon grease... that's what my Grandmother always did.

Here is a video I found while researching how to clean a set passed down from my Husband's grandmother. I did not try it. Looks like it works.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cleaning Cast Iron in Self Clean Oven

I have cleaned off old, gunky seasoning in the self-cleaning oven, as well as in my charcoal grill and propane grill. Any closed in space that will reach high heat will do the job. If you use your grill, you keep the mess and smell outside--which is a plus--but you have to have a grill with a lid. At last count, I had over 3 dozen pieces of cast iron--not all have needed a run through the self-cleaning oven, but quite a few of them have made that journey with no apparent ill effects.

I use the self-cleaning oven method. For one thing, I can pre-heat the cast iron piece in a warm oven to prevent sudden cracking at higher temperatures from hidden cracks, and secondly, the oven heat is controlled & even -- more gentle on your precious cast iron. (Oh, and thirdly, it gets my oven sparkling clean.) Follow it up after cooling with a good scrubbing with Bar Keeper's Friend to quell the fine rust, then reseason. The self-cleaning oven method works very well. I don't find it especially smelly, just keep a fan on & open a window a crack.