Cleaning Old Cast Iron Frypans?

1. Wear rubber gloves and eye protection while cleaning cast iron since the methods require using caustic chemicals.

2. Begin by spraying the pan with oven cleaner and putting it in a plastic bag.

3. After a day or two, take it out of the bag and scrub it down with a brass brush.

4. If all the grease doesn't loosen up right away, repeat the process concentrating cleaner on stubborn spots.

5. If you have several dirty items, soak them in a solution of one and a half gallons of water to one can of lye mixed in a plastic container.

6. Allow them to soak for about five days, then remove the pieces and use the same brass brush method to scrub them clean.

7. Removing mild rust should be done with a fine wire wheel on an electric drill.

8. Crusted rust can be dissolved by soaking the piece in a 50 percent solution of white vinegar and water for a few hours.

9. Once the pan's clean, begin the seasoning process by warming it in the oven for a few minutes then applying a little shortenting, vegetable cooking spray, lard or bacon fat.

10. Put the skillet back into a 225 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove and wipe it almost dry to eliminate any pooled grease.

11. Place the pan in the oven for another half hour or so, completing the initial seasoning.

12. The seasoning process will continue with use, especially if you use it to cook fatty foods (bacon, sausage, fried foods, etc.) the first few times it hits the stove.

13. To clean after cooking, boil hot water in the pan. Let it soak for several minutes and then wipe dry with a paper towel.

14. Reheat the pan and apply just enough grease to wet the surface before storing.

Tips:

1. Use the methods above only for cleaning iron.

2. Don't soak pans in a vinegar solution more than overnight without checking them because the solution will eventually eat the iron.

3. After cooking, do not use detergent or scouring pads to clean a cast iron pan since this will destroy the seasoning.

You can use steel wool and clean them by hand if you wish, or try your idea with the drill. Just be sure all rust has been removed. You'll know this by wiping afterward with a damp cloth. If there's any more rust still there it'll show up when the pan is completely dry. Just keep at it until there is no more rust.

After removing the rust, you will need to "cure" the pans again to prevent future rusting. To do this, preheat your oven to about 400 degrees F. Take regular cooking oil and lightly cover the pans all over with it - inside, outside, handles (if iron) and all. Just use a pastry brush or a paper towel to spread the oil all over the pans. Then put the pans (empty) into the oven and leave them there for a couple of hours, until the oil has ceased to be liquid and the pans appear shiny. Remove the pans and wipe them with a paper towel to remove any excess oil, and they are ready to use. An important note to remember: Never use soap to wash these pans. Just use hot water and your pot scrubber, and wipe them dry. Stuff comes off them almost as easily as teflon unless you've really had a disaster in your cooking. If people do use soap it will take the oil finish away and they will be prone to rust. All you need to do in that case is "cure" them again. You may find that you'll want to do this anyway once or twice a year to keep the pans good for a lifetime. I love my cast iron pans and have used them for more than 25 years. They're good for another hundred years or so at least. Have fun.

My dad has a LOT of old cast iron cookware. The best brands are Wagner and Griswold. (IMHO) The inside surface of the pans are smooth and glassy, not pebbled like today's junk sold in stores.

His tried-and-true method of cleaning all cookware newly acquired, and all old cookware that has set up and not been used for quite some time:

Hire someone to sandblast the piece(s) Inside and outside. This will completely remove all surface rust and debris. You will get a shiny (silver) pan back.

Now you have to season it. Use cooking oil, or bacon drippings and liberally coat the inside of the pan. Place inside your oven on the lowest setting (around 200-250 degrees). Leave for several hours. Check pan every hour or two. Reapply grease as it soaks through. Remember, cast iron is porous. The grease will work its way through to the outside of the pan. That's why all "good" old pans have crusty outsides. :-)

To clean. NEVER use dish soap or detergent, as this removes the seasoning and dries out the pan. Use plain hot water and a steel sponge. Don't scrub hard unless you have to work at a stubborn spot.

Dry on a hot stove. When water has evaporated off the pan, spray with cooking spray, or wipe with a paper towel soaked in cooking oil or bacon drippings.

If you have an old pan that has rust, or just needs to be re-seasoned correctly, you will need to scour off the rust and/or existing seasoning. There are several methods, but here are the three:

1.Scrub off with a wire brush, or a wire wheel in a drill.

2.Soak in Coca cola (minutes to hours depending on severity).

3.Spray on oven cleaner and wrap in plastic bag overnight.

You can repeat any of these methods as needed for stubborn spots. After wards, wash in hot water and dish detergent and allow to dry as described above

After you do this you will need to re season the pan as the "patina" or seasoned coat will be gone from your pan.

I'd start w/an SOS pad, and elbow grease (applied pressure).

Once cleaned, they say dry them in a warm oven, to ensure complete drying-reducing moisture, reduces occurrence of rust. Also, correct "seasoning" of the pans will help reduce the probability of them rusting again in the future.

I'm thinking if they are rusty enough to use any sort of drill attachment, WOW, they are pretty rusty.

cover in cooking oil inside and out put the whole item in a open fire for 30 minutes, remove ,cool, wipe over with news paper, place on a stove add oil in the normal way but high when blue smoke starts, remove ,cool DONT wash just wipe with kitchen towel each time there after, the food should not stick in use, its called sealing the pan, if food starts to stick again repeat as above, never put a cast iron utensil in water

At the restaurant I work in we used a hand held wire brush if they got bad then continued coating of cooking oil after each use & wash. Never leave them to air dry as they rust again - you have to wash, dry and oil straight away.

Theyre great though apart from that.

My tip is to always dry them off on a hot ring. I have cast iron pans and after washing with a metal scourer, I heat them up on the gas. This prevents them getting rusty. Don't scrub too hard though, you want to save the patina that develops after continuous use.

DON'T USE a wire brush or drill try a little washing up liquid and salt and elbow grease

but you will have to burn it again if you are going to use it again

9to burn it you put a little oil in pan and heat up till it smokes and all of the oil has gone )

* Clean. steel wool soap pads.

* Season pan. Cooking oil applied (pour in pan & turn pan around so oil rolls to sides as well as on the bottom).

* Dry. ALWAYS dry pan on stove burner.

After pan been 'seasoned' a couple of times. Then you only have to do the burner-drying after washed; not have to season pan after every use anymore.