Iron Skillet Rust

I have used iron skillets to cook since I was a teenager. When I received my grandfather's skillet, it was rusted. I used an SOS pad (found in with cleaning supplies) on it, reseasoned it, and it has been fine ever since.

They usually are; my Dad has done this often with iron skillets. I believe he puts oil in the skillet and then using a pad of steel wool scrubs the pan really hard and thoroughly. Then you wipe it out with paper towels and let it dry to see if you got all the rust. If not , do it again with a clean steel wool pad, and repeat. Then you may wash it with HOT soapy water, hand dry it with a towel and put a little oil with a paper towel on the pan and wipe off. Then put it in a hot oven for about 20-30 minutes to re-season it. That should take care of it.

Boil some water and pour it on the skillet. Scrub the hot water (when a safe temp) with a nylon brush to get as much rust off as possible. Then dry it well and rub some vegetable oil all over the skillet. If there is still rust, repeat. Once the rust is gone, place the oiled skillet in a 200 degree oven for a couple of hours to "season" again.
Should be good as new!

For continuing care (if this isn't happening), scrub in hot tap water after every use, NO SOAP, dry well, oil with veg oil.

I vote cast iron as the absolute best for good a seared or browned surface. I use one of several times a week.

wash it and rub cooking oil all over it and bake it. This seasons it.

This happens a lot in our house. Depending on the amount of rust it shouldn't be a problem. Just take steel wool to it. Use a bit of dish soap and steel wool to scrape away the rust and any food left over. Rinse it very well then season it like you normally do. It should be as good as new. We use a lot of iron skillets and some I've salvaged from garage sales looking like they'd never be fit to cook in again.

BTW, once you start using the skillet regularly all you have to do is clean it like a normal skillet and put in on a low flame to dry. The only thing I don't do is put it in the dish washer. It's only a step or two more than a regular skillet, not much work at all.

I know a lot of people say to use lots of oil, but I don't. I did the first use or two, but after that I just wash it and put it on the flame to dry. I cook professionally out of mine and they work wonderfully without all of the oil.

Good Luck!

Since it sounds to be really rusted it doesn't matter if you use soap.... this time because you are going to have to season it anyway. Get steel wool or an SOS pad & clean until the rust is gone. You could try baking soda & water to help scrub it out. After using the steel wool. Rinse well & clean w/dishsoap. Again, rinse out really well. Dry pan completely & rub with cooking oil. Really rub it in all over the pan, front & back, handle, etc. Wipe off excess oil. Put it in a 375 degree oven for a few hours. Let pan cool in oven. There you go. You have seasoned the pan. NOW is the time to avoid soap. The soap removes the seasoning so using soap BEFORE seasoning it is not a problem. After each use be sure to dry the pan completely. Rub in a little oil if it looks like it needs it or you won't use it for a while. Maybe I would 'claim' the pan since you are taking care of it! ;-D Oh, BTW, you can use the pan on a grill so you can get more use out of it.

Good Morning Carrie, I have done the same a couple of times. You can scrub it out with just about anything,sos pads, comet etc.. rinse & dry it really good, then rub is with a paper towel with litle bit of cooking oil, set it on the stove and turn the heat on HIGH. leave it there for maybe 30 minutes you want it really really hot.
For some reason this refinishes the surface.

I have had my skillets for many many years, and have done this many times. I don't use them as much now, my hands aren't strong enough to lift them. A tad bit of Ole Arthur in my thumb joints.

God Bless you Carrie and Your Manly Man!! ;)

K. Nana of 5
Ps did I mention he can do this himself.....lol

Absolutely, a little rust never hurt anything. Use a steel wool pad to clean it out. After you are done cleaning, season it! Dry it off, then use a paper towel to rub a good amount of vegetable oil over the whole pan. Line the bottom rack of your oven with foil, then bake the pan at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Let it cool in the oven, then it is ready to store. Except for a good steel wool scrubbing and reseasoning once in a while, these can usually just be washed by pouring a good pile of salt in them and using that to scrub it out.

I use an iron skillet to make cornbread. You never, ever leave it sitting in water. You don't even wash it with soap, just some hot water and make sure that you dry it right after washing it. Try coating it really well with oil and putting it in a hot oven for about 45 minutes or so and see if that helps the rust spots. I personally would not use it with rust spots. Seems like it would make your food taste weird :P

Take some kind of oil on a paper towel and rub it down really well until all the rust is gone from it. You always want to dry cast iron after washing it, and season it. To season it, coat the pan in oil and put it in the oven on a warm setting for a little while to let the oil soak in.

Cast iron requires more care than the "regular" skillets, but they last forever and the food tastes yummy! They also help to provide you with iron as it cooks into your food!

that's all I use. When they get rusty I scoure them out dry them quickly and condition them with oil. they are ready to use again

Cast iron is great once it's "worn in"! And it's almost always salvageable (you'd be amazed, it's really just how dedicated you are)!!

Here's a great website with some very clear and detailed instructions:
http://www.melindalee.com/Cast-Iron.html

Have fun!
T.

Definitely salvagable! Scour with steel wool to remove the rust and then season the skillet--to season it, rub a little lard or bacon grease (not liquid veg oil, which will make it sticky)into it all over and stick it in a warm (250-300)oven. After about 15 minutes, pour out any excess fat & return to the oven for a couple of hours. http://www.kitchenemporium.com/info/castiron.html

Grandma D.

Marianne's adivce is right on the money, Carrie. Don't use soap, and definitely don't use an SOS pad. The oven for a couple of hours on low heat will give you much better results than putting it on a burner. Good luck to you, and enjoy. Cast iron skillets seem to make nearly everything taste better!

Carrie,

Yes, it is "fixable"....just clean it and dry it well. Coat the entire skilley (inside, including bottom and sides) with oil. I use olive oil and also sprinkle onion powder and garlic powder. I put it in the oven at a very low temperature (usually I put it in the oven after I turn it off after cooking a cake, biscuits or whatever) till the oven cools off. If you do this several times, the skillet will be "seasoned" and will be great. You do need to be careful about how you clean it, though. I don't use soap on mine, just hot water and a scrubbie. and be sure to dry it well right away. Once you get used to an iron skillet, I think you will love it! I have several and really like them.

Iron skillets are actually very low maintaince, just wash it an put it on the stove, turner burner on till its dry, then just put some cooking oil on a paper towel an wipe it all over inside an out an the rust will come out when wiping down with the oil. I own 3 of them plus we have the dutch oven which is really excellent for roasts cooked in them.

http://www.wikihow.com/Remove-Rust-from-a-Cast-Iron-Skillet

Lots of luck, I don't have one yet but it is on my wish list = ) Hope this works!
B.

just clean up the skillet with an sos pad...THEN put it on the stove over a burner that you have turned on high. Let it dry that way. From now on clean the skillet as usual but ALWAYS dry it on a stove burner to avoid rusting!!

i have 2 cast iron skillets when i cook with them i wash them in dish water then i put on the stove turn burner on until the water is gone. I never have a rust problem.

Carrie: Sure it is salvageable. Iron unlike other pan can take a great amount of heat. Iron will show dark red at 1000 degrees. Two ways come to mind to clean it. Mechanical by using a handheld drill with a wire brush attachment. This will also clean up burnned on food. The other way is using a outdoor grill heat the pan up for 30 minutes and then let it cool down. Dont place the pan in water or you may crack it. This is also a good way to clean up old pans that have a lot of grease on them. To seal a pan after washing it just wipe it with a little cooking oil. If is lightly rusted you can probably salvage it with a bit of steel wool or an SOS pad. Good Luck and enjoy the skillet.

Another idea for rust removal is using a acid to clean it. DO NOT use Navel Jelly. It is expensive and not something I want around the children. Instead use household vinegar.Fill the pan and let it sit for 1/2 hour, scrub with SOS/steel wool and repeat if necessary.

Here's a great website:

http://www.ehow.com/how_114309_remove-rust-cast.html

Hope that helps.

vinegar works great! Use it to scrub the rust off wash it like usual then dry it using the stove. Then once its dry and clean spray it with a little cooking spray and good as new! I've been there done that but I just love my cast iron skillets.

You can clean off the rust with vegetable oil. Soak a paper towel with oil and scrub. You will likely go through a roll of towels, but you should eventually get all the rust off. Re-oiling the skillet from time-to-time will season it and keep it from rusting again. Also, don't put tomato-based dishes in the skillet - they can ruin it.