To me, no. To fanboy purists maybe 🤷‍♀️. Like I said, I'll use a little soap in mine on occasion with a gentle scrubby (no scratch). My mom always washed ours as a kid, after putting them out in the yard for the dogs to clean out 😂. I think the key is not using an abrasive cleaner, drying, and oiling. Just use 'em!!