Mom had a couple of cast iron implements, Dutch Oven, Frying pan, etc. dating from the late 19th century. They were her mother's, and who knows how far back they went, all in all.
I once tried to wash one with soap and water and got hollered at. She said you just wipe them off and maybe rinse them, but that was it.
I never did much cooking, but as far as I could tell from her remarks, and my later limited cooking experience, they were better in "rinse, wipe" condition than the later Teflon-coated stuff.
I don't know about the newer ceramic coatings, though.