How To Clean A Cast Iron Skillet With Rust
With a good sprucing up using this five step method you can salvage your skillet and get back to cooking.
How to clean a cast iron skillet with rust. Then use a rag to scour away the rusty spots. How to clean rust from cast iron using this method begins by adding a layer of sea salt over the entire skillet. Completely dry your cast iron skillet with a paper towel or lint free cloth. To clean rust off of cast iron sprinkle a thick layer of salt over the surface of the cast iron pan. You can also use a paste of salt and water to scrub away the rust.
Set the pan back on the stove over low heat for 30 minutes to help the oil really soak in. To do so submerge your entire pan in a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and water. Next cut a potato in half and place one of the cut sides of the potato face down on the skillet. Let it sit for at least an hour but no more than 8 since as soon as the rust lifts away that vinegar will start on the metal itself. Use the potato to scrub the salt over the skillet to remove the rust.
Use the potato the same way you would a scrub brush to rub in the salt using circular motions to scrape away rust patches. Slice the potato in half then press the open surface against the pan. 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. Mix 50 vinegar with 50 water and soak your pan in this mixture for one to eight hours.
See how much better that pan looks now. Step 3 rinse the skillet with water and then scour it with a. You can place it on the stovetop on low heat for a few minutes to make sure it s completely dry. Keep rubbing the oil in until all cast iron surfaces are coated then wipe out any excess oil with a clean paper towel. Allow the pan to soak checking on it frequently to see if the rust has been removed this could take up to eight hours.
For those of you with a rusty skillet lodge cast iron recommends a good scrub wash dry oil and bake. After half an hour wipe out any extra oil with a paper towel again and then you re done. Make sure your skillet is totally clean by doing another scrub this time with a soft soapy sponge.