IronGAF: I need unassailable wisdom on Iron, GAF.
Cast Iron Skillets that is.
Here's the situation: I'm generally ignorant save scattershot notions I've seen in various threads. My mom has a Cast Iron Skillet that she's been using for years, but I'm also 99.9% positive that, many times including recently, the thing has been subject to the likes of Soap&Water and Soaking In Water and such for extended periods of time no different than a normal pan and/or mundane forks and the like. I'm guessing that she never ran into anybody entirely with it on the subject through the years, as she's not had much social doings with people that also actually cook, let alone using the things. This is...at least less than ideal right? The thing was apparently seasoned, to some degree, somehow, waaaay back when.
I come to you IronGAF: What are the proper protocols to dealing with a cast iron skillet in this situation...or if this one is a bit far gone...getting a new proper skillet and starting with the right practices so as to not diminish or ruin the thing needlessly over time?