Rusty cast iron pot

Question

A little help~~~please! What can I use to clean this beauty up; unfortunately it was left outside~~Thanks for any info!!!

Swan Road Designs · Answer

First thing to do is to hit it up with a good old firm wire brush to remove any flaking rust. Then, if you have a self-cleaning oven, put it in the oven, upside down, and run it through a full cleaning cycle. If you don't have a self-cleaning oven, you can replicate the high heat by 'cooking' it on your outdoor gas grill, with the lid closed, for at least an hour at the highest temperature.

After you've done either of these, wire brush it again and, if necessary, use a wire brush attachment to a bench grinder. That will save you lots of elbow grease and work. That should get most of the rust mess off.

If you have a company that cuts and makes gravestones, you could get them to sandblast it. I've done that with iron bed head/footboards. Works great. Some auto body shops use a blasting medium, too. Check with them as well.

Once you've got it nice and clean, season it and enjoy many years of great cooking.

B. Enne · Answer

@ Miss Diane Schultz See this post: for extra info http://www.hometalk.com/diy/clean/cast-iron-skillets/how-to-re-season-cast-iron-pots-1332408

Brian Campbell, Basswood Artisan Carpentry · Answer

I have THE answer for you. A method using a product called Evapo-Rust eliminates virtually all labor from the process and is non-toxic. You WILL be AMAZED, I promise. http://www.evapo-rust.com

Sharon Maysfield · Answer

I have cleaned up old cast iron and I use a steel brush to knock off any loose pieces. Then I use heavy duty oven cleaner; spray the whole thing. Allow it to sit for about 20 minutes then use steel wool medium to scrub the whole thing. Rinse it off and dry with paper towels in case there is still a bit of rust on it. Repeat as needed to get it where you want it to be. I dry it in the oven on about 250 for about 15 minutes. If you want to cook with it then season it. If it is for outside; seal it with a outdoor product for metal. Hope that helps.

Gail Salminen · Answer

@Miss Diane Schultz found some sites on line http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-restore-a-rusty-cast-iron-skillet-cleaning-lessons-from-the-kitchn-203086 http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-clean-and-season-old-ru-151535 http://lifehacker.com/5886819/rescue-your-cast-iron-from-rust-with-vinegar Apparently there are several methods, all of which appear to be good.

Louise Adkins · Answer

I would leave it and plant flowers in it. Then you could put it on your porch or yard, there are examples of using objects as planters on Pinterest. Good luck.

Judith · Answer

There are several blogs/forums on-line that talk all about cast-iron....one idea is to take it to an auto-body shop and have them sand blast it for you, then season it.....'would probably take quite a few rounds of seasoning, but might be worth a shot...

Rose · Answer

Move racks in oven to two lowest positions. preheat 350. 1.wash with hot,soapy water and a stiff brush 2.rinse and towel dry completely. 3. spray with vegetable spray over entire surface of pan. including handle and exterior surfaces.4. place pc. of foil between the 2 racks.(to catch drippings) place pot upside down on rack, place lid beside pot on same rack. bake for 1 hr. turn oven off allow to cool. Questions www.lodgemfg.com

Jane · Answer

It's hopeless, mail it to me, I'll take it off your hands LOL! I have one we take camping! I love cooking over an open fire! Good Luck!

Kendall Schmierer · Answer

If it's not too badly rusted, plain old coke can work wonders as well. You will still need to clean it with an sos pad or the like, but it makes the rust come off much easier.

John · Answer

When we were on the farm we always used these pots , pans, skillets, and other baking/cooking items. If they really got rusty, we'd take them to the river and dip them in the water then rub them with river sand. That got almost all the rust off. We'd then coat them is lard , vegetable oil was not around then, and put them in the oven or set them on a wood fire. Never use soap to clean them, as in SOS pads, or other chemicals. Elbow grease, stiff brush, and coat them in oil and rub, bake, rub, bake and season. The iron will adsorb the chemicals or soap and ruin the seasoning. The more you use them, the better they will be. I have iron skillets that have been in my family since the 1800s and we still use them today. No river or sand? Course wet sand paper and easily rub. season and clean with a wooden spoon and season after each use. Veg.oil will work for seasoning. A well used and seasoned pan works just like the Teflon pans and not collect junk after use. A plastic or wooden spoon is used to knock stubborn particles off.

Carol · Answer

You have a treasure there.... by all means restore it and season it. It will be worth the effort, for sure! These old cast iron pots and pans are highly sought after.

Han1525777 · Answer

Just remember to wear something you don't care about when getting rid of rust as it will stain clothing. I would use steel wool to get it down to where you can reseason it.

Linda Fraser · Answer

Build up a good fire in your grill and place the pan in the fire. and let in burn then scrape it down with a wire brush then season good. Just look up (how to season) online for directions

Gala · Answer

It is only my opinion but I would try boiling vinegar in it. Then I would rub/scrub it with salt (lots of it) and oil.

Jonny Appleseed · Answer

Have it sandblasted it will clean up like new then recure it to cook in it!!

Jonny Appleseed · Answer

Getting it to hot and it will crack. Not red hot.

Kat968625 · Answer

Build a good bonfire and place the pieces it.  This takes care of the worst part of it.  May require two fires, but would be worth it.   Wipe it off and season.  recently did my skillets this way and they turned out beautifully.

MaryJVA · Answer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6Tz3HnnCFs Go to the Culinary Fanatic. His directions are great. I have cleaned and reseasoned many cast iron pans. I cook with them all the time. If it doesn't have a hole in it or isn't cracked, you can cook with it. He uses a self cleaning oven. He also gives good directions how to deal with the rust. (Make sure you open a window and keep the air circulating.) If the body is bad, clean it anyway, fill the cracked broken places with Durham Rock Putty, and spray paint it black. You obviously won't be able to cook with it, but it will make a great planter.

Jolene Hamby · Answer

Unless it has holes in it....use steal wool to clean it up, coat it in veggie oil & either bury it in hot coals or put in you oven next time you auto clean.

Miss Diane Schultz · Answer

Thank you all for your assistance!~~~Diane

Fran McCarty · Answer

Soak it for a couple of hours in a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and water. Repeat as necessary as many times as necessary. Mine only took twice and it was about the same as yours. I then sat it on a warm burner to dry it out. I sprayed Pam on the inside and outside. Placed it in a preheated 400 degree oven and turned the oven off and let it get cold. To take the Pam residue off the outside I used salt and a paper towel to remove it.

John · Answer

My daughter, who loves to camp outdoors told me after you get the rust off, keep it clean by using curst sea salt to rub it between uses. I tried it on my large skillet, and used just a tablespoon or two of sea salt with a paper towel to clean it and get most of the cooked on particles off. First getting the big parts off with a wooden spoon. I then use crisco all over and sit it in the oven at 200 degrees for 20 minutes. We had fried chicken last week and after it cooled, it took me only ten minutes to clean it, inside and out. Popped it into the oven for 20 minutes and it looked better than new when it was bought for $2.50 in the late 1800s.

Fran McCarty · Answer

This was recommended by Bon appetit....Here is the article.....http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/how-to/article/cast-iron-pan-rust

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