Hi,

I've just bought a cast-iron pot and seasoned it by covering it
liberally in corn oil and baking it in the oven for an hour, per the
manufacturer's instructions. Now, while it was in there, there was a
really chemically, WD-40 sort of smell coming out of it. I let it sit
in there overnight to cool. I took it out this evening and the pot
still has a strong smell of mechanical lubricant. On top of that, the
corn oil has started to smell rancid.

Am I allowed to use washing-up liquid to try to get rid of these
smells?

How many times do I have to repeat this seasoning process before I can
use the pot for cooking without fear of the nasty smell permeating the
food?

I should note that it was an extremely cheap pot, only $10 on sale from
$20. I intend to use it for baking bread, and don't know what the
difference might be between cast iron pots of different brands.

Many thanks!