Cast iron does wash differently from other things, but in my experience it's less work. Most of my cooking is on cast iron, and when I'm done I rinse it under the tap, rubbing a bit with a scrubber if food is stuck to it. I don't use salt. Then I put it back on the stove for a minute until it's dry. It takes me about 30s to clean a pot, less time than something I need to rinse-soap-rinse, and I end up with a clean pot on my stove ready for the next use.
Our stove almost always has a 10" dutch oven, 6" pan, and 10" pan sitting on it, ready to use.
