I recently moved into an old fixer-upper that has a black cast iron range. How does one clean these things?

Question

This beast is a gas 6 burner 2 stove range with a griddle. It was made by South Bend probably in the 1920's. I would like to know: 1.what I should clean it with in daily use & 2. What I should 'Spring clean' it with to make it shine (or some equivalent, for black cast iron!) Thanks for any advice in advance.

Answer 1

I suggest a wire brush and hot, soapy water if it is filthy. Otherwise an SOS pad or 3 should do the job nicely. My God, where are you, Appalachia?

Answer 2

Ok, you need to clean the skillet, then let's start all over. Since it's messed up, just clean it however you can. Now you need to season it propery so nothing will stick. A cast iron skillet should look shiny when it is seasoned. To season: Coat entire inside and sides of skillet with shortening or veggie oil. Put in 30 degree oven for 2 hours. Let it cool. Repeat process again. After the second time let the skillet sit overnight. The next day if it's not shiny, then repeat the process again. Once it is seasoned DO NOT put water on it. Simply wipe clean after it has cooled a bit (but is still warm) with a soft cloth. That's it. No soap, no water.

Answer 3

FIRST CONSIDER YOURSELF VERY LUCKY.........this kind of stove is much in demand now, to collectors i was surprised to hear it was gas tho....ususally wood stoves.....in that time era. cast iron can be made to look beautiful again. first cleans it with sos pad. after you have gotton the rustand grease off then go get some black paint for cast iron, from my thoughts, i don't think hey are ment to shine. check with any paint store. if it was a wood burner then iam sure it was not ment to shime..if you see any place that shines on it after you clean it really good, then you may have to paint decortive part such as top with another gloss type paint. but the main buners except the griddle, that you clean
then grease it down and let the heat cure, it same as cast iron cook wear. most cast iron is not ment to shine. daily use of the burners is just cleaning once they have been painted.. ihad the great pleasure of having a wood stove in a cabin. a cook stove.
they are truly wonderful. iam sure any paint place would tell you the correct way to keep it nice also. good luck, you lucky person.

Answer 4

Depending on how Filthy/Dirty this thing is, I'd say start by scrubbing it down with brass bristle brush (BBQ Stuff) and removing surface dirt. That will take a lot of elbow grease. Once it is clean and the rust is gone a daily brush down should suffice, then give it a really good scrub once a year. Sort of treat it like a cast iron griddle on a BBQ. Happy Scrubbing.

Answer 5

I love cast iron. I get old cast iron skillets and put them on fire to get all the gunk off. I then I lightly wipe them down with cooking oil after each cleaning. They always look brand new. I'm not sure if that helps you in your situation but good luck. It's easy.

Answer 6

You'll have to scrub this baby with steel wool, but man I wish I was you! I would love to have one of those things; my great-grandmother cooked on one with - of course - cast-iron cookware, and the food was incredible.

To maintain its shine use common vegetable oil; it acts as a buffer against the elements. It's the same thing you use to "season" cast-iron skillets.

Answer 7

Check with Home Depot or your local hardware store.
There are special cleaners for cast iron

Answer 8

Lots of dish soap. For any grease, my majic potion is a product called Dis olve it! (sp?) available at Walmart and other places. Great for any petroleum based products like, lipstick, glue, stickers, also freshens. Personally I don't like the smell, but it is gentle!

Answer 9

Places that sell wood fire place inserts and stoves usually carry a product called " Stove Blackening". My gran used that for her old wood stove, it always looked good!

Answer 10

I would suggest contacting some antique appliance dealers and selling it. You could get enough to buy a new stove and then some.