How To Clean Cast Iron That Has Rusted
Use plenty of pressure and rub the potato or lemon in a circular motion.
How to clean cast iron that has rusted. Look at that entire skillet. Scrub with bristle brush gentle scouring pad or mesh sponge if needed. Scour the skillet until the area returns to raw cast iron. Your first step is to layer the bottom with enough baking soda to cover the surface. Why does cast iron rust.
To do so submerge your entire pan in a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water. Use the potato to scrub the salt over the skillet to remove the rust. If the rust is stubborn add a little water and some mild dish washing soap as you scrub. With a good sprucing up using this five step method you can salvage your skillet and get back to cooking. How to clean rust from cast iron using vinegar vinegar is another fantastic solution whether used alone or with a mild abrasive like baking soda.
Next cut a potato in half and place one of the cut sides of the potato face down on the skillet. Dry with the rust completely removed your cast iron skillet should be looking almost back to normal. Buff off any residue or rusty bits that remain. To clean rust off of cast iron sprinkle a thick layer of salt over the surface of the cast iron pan. Wash the skillet thoroughly.
Wash the cast iron with warm water and mild dish soap. Remove all the rust. A salty scrub to remove the rust from your pan you can also scrub it with coarse salt. Apply a coat of rust proof metal paint. For those of you with a rusty skillet lodge cast iron recommends a good scrub wash dry oil and bake.
Our cast iron cookware is made of a mix of pig iron steel and alloys without the protective layer of carbonized oil called seasoning cast iron is susceptible to rust even a well seasoned pan can rust if it s left in the sink to soak put in the dishwasher allowed to air dry or stored in a moisture prone environment. Normally it s a bad idea to try to clean a cast iron pan the same way you d clean other metal cookware since this can remove the protective layer of seasoning. Use fine steel wool to remove rust from affected areas. Unlike non stick pans cast iron was meant to last forever even when rust takes hold. But for cast iron with a thick layer of rust you ll need to remove the seasoning entirely.