How to restore a cast iron frying pan if it rusts?

Any housewife can find traces of rust on her cast iron frying pan. This unpleasant phenomenon cannot be ignored, since the stain will gradually expand, and over time the vessel will become unusable. Fortunately, timely measures will help clear up all the stains. But you need to know what to do.

Causes of rust

First, it’s worth understanding why the surface of the frying pan oxidizes. One of the main reasons is poor quality material. To reduce the cost of goods, manufacturers skimp on metal so that it does not meet standards. Therefore, high air humidity is enough for rust to appear on the pan. The Chinese especially suffer from such dishonesty. But domestic manufacturers do not always adhere to the standards.

The second reason why trouble occurs is improper care of the dishes. Cast iron is a rather fragile and demanding material. An impact may cause chips to appear on it, which increases the risk. It must be prepared for use, and in the future, prolonged contact with moisture should not be allowed.

How to handle cast iron cookware?

Primary care involves calcination. During this procedure, the pores of the material are sealed with oil at high temperature. As a result, the dishes are less susceptible to damage and are easy to clean. It should also be handled correctly.

Use it regularly. Long-term storage leads to rust.
After cooking, the food should be transferred and the cast iron frying pan should be washed thoroughly. It is advisable not to use detergents so as not to spoil the lubricant. The sponge should be soft.
If there is food residue stuck to the surface, do not try to clean it with steel wool. It's better to soak it for a while.
It is important to dry thoroughly after washing.
Before putting it away in the closet, it is worth lubricating it with a small amount of oil to restore the protective layer.

Advice

Laundry soap is not suitable for washing a cast iron frying pan. It's too aggressive.

How to remove rust?

If mistakes were made due to inexperience or carelessness, then it is not surprising why your favorite dishes rust. You need to get rid of red spots without delay before the damage becomes too serious. In addition, fresh manifestations of corrosion are easier to deal with. What to do in this case?

If rust has just appeared, then the utensils can simply be washed a little in the dishwasher.
Suitable for resuscitation of dishes and oven. It is heated to 150 degrees and left inside the frying pan for half an hour. Then just wash with detergent.
A metal abrasive brush will also help clean the surface. To do this, apply powder to a wet dish and wipe off all stains. Then wash off the product under running water. Then they start calcining: heat in the oven for 40 minutes, grease with oil and leave for another hour. After which the oil is reapplied.
You can also do boiling. Our grandmothers used this method. Pour 6 liters of water into an enamel bucket and mix with half a pack of soda. Immerse cast iron dishes in the solution and leave on low heat for 10 hours.
You can remove rust with the help of some drinks. For example, Coca-Cola or Pepsi-Cola. Pour the soda into a deep enough bowl and lower the frying pan into it. Then put it on the stove. When the liquid boils, turn off the fire. After the vessel has cooled, it should be rinsed in warm water and dried thoroughly. Then bake it in the oven.
A vinegar solution helps remove rust stains. It’s simple to make; you just need to mix water and vinegar in equal proportions. There should be enough product to cover the dishes. It should be left in the liquid for 2 hours, then rinsed in warm water, dried over low heat and completed the procedure by greasing it with oil and placing it in a hot oven for 3 hours.

After you have managed to clean the cast-iron frying pan from the red stains, you must definitely restore the protective layer. This must be done by calcination. To reduce the chance of corrosion, you can sometimes bake oil in the pan and let it cool. Then a water-repellent film will always be present on the surface. The utensils must be stored in a dry place.

Before you start removing rust, you need to figure out why they appear. Then it will become clear what to do and how to clean the dishes. Further proper storage and regular care will help protect it from further incidents.