Have you ever gone to the shed to get the cast iron skillet only to find that it has caught rust? The rust is usually caused by exposure to air and moisture. The oxidation causes a brown substance on the kitchenware. One should not use any cookware that has caught rust as it might get into the food to cause food poisoning. It is therefore important to learn the simple steps on how to clean cast iron skillet rust to continue enjoying cooking.
Before beginning to follow the steps on how to clean cast iron skillet rust one should look at the extent of the rust. Where the rust is small, it is possible to salvage the kitchenware by removing the rust. In the event where the rust is too much, it is wise disposing off the rusted kitchen ware and replacing it with a new one. It is also worth all the time taken when salvaging an inherited cast iron skillet from the parents to keep the memories alive.
1. Remove Surface Rust
The first step on how to clean cast iron skillet rust is removing the surface rust. This should be done using hot water, soap and a scouring pad or steel wool. Scrub the surface as much as possible to remove any rust on the surface of the kitchenware. Where one find out that the steel wool is not able to cut the surface rust, one can use course sandpaper.
2. Prepare Cleaning Solution
A leaning solution to remove the rust on the cast iron skillet should be prepared. The ingredients include water, ammonia or white vinegar. Mix 33% of water with 67% of ammonia or where one has white vinegar mix 67% of it with 33% of water. The volume of the solution made should be enough to totally submerge the rusted cookware.
3. Soak Cookware in the Solution
The next step to follow on how to clean cast iron skillet rust is completely submerging the rusted cast iron skillet in the prepared solution of ammonia or vinegar and water. The cookware should be fully submerged in the solution since partial submerging will only leave permanent lines on the surface. One will notice that the rust on the cookware immediately changes in color when submerged in the solution
4. Rinsing In Hot Water
After removing the rusted cast skillet from the cleaning solution, what should follow is rinsing with water. It is advisable to use very hot water to be able to completely remove the leaning solution. Take caution not to burn your hands when using the hot water. Where possible, use a dish rag or scouring pad to remove the solution from the surface of the cookware.
5. Scrubbing Off the Remaining Rust
Soaking the rusted cookware makes the remaining rust loose and can easily be scrubbed off. Using a steel wool or a pad, scrub the remaining traces of rust from the surface of the kitchenware. The process should be repeated till all the rust has come out of the surface.
6. Seasoning the cast iron skillet
After following the steps on how to clean cast iron skillet rust and are satisfied that the cookware is clean, what follows is seasoning. The seasoning process should be carried out at least twice or thrice before the cookware can be used again. After properly seasoning, the cast iron skillet is now ready for cooking again. A well seasoned skillet is usually easy to clean as well as cook in.
After learning how to clean cast iron skillet rust it is important to maintain the kitchenware to prevent rusting. The best way that the cookware can be maintained is by seasoning. Seasoning prevents the iron kitchenware from catching rust even when stored in the shed for long.