How do you remove the gummy residue that forms on cast iron pots and pans. Nothing I've tried works.?

Answer 1

YIKES! Don't EVER put oven cleaner or any other kind of noxious chemical on a cast iron skillet. Cast iron is porous, it collects grease and fat. That's why it is known as the original non-stick surface, it is naturally greased. If it is truly gunked up, it should be easy to just clean it off and season it fresh. Start with boiling water. Boil the water in another vessel, a teakettle or whatever, pour it in, scrub it down with steel wool. This is for light cleanings, such as if you cooled your scrambled egg casserole too hot (I do that sometimes). If the skillet has been through months or years of mistreatment, you start by getting it hot. Put it in the broiler and cool the living hell out of it. Get a couple of oven mitts and flip it over upside down after a few minutes so you can cook the bottom off too. After it cools down, scrape the crud off with a metal spatula.
Repeat.
When you're satisfied or you get to a point where you're not getting much off, try the boiling water & steel wool trick. Don't let it sit more than an hour or so with water in it. Anytime you use water in a cast iron skillet, put it on the stove over medium heat for 5 minutes or so to cook the water out of the pores. This prevents rust.
Then re-season the skillet with a tablespoon or so of lard. Heat the skillet (low/medium) and throw the lard in the middle. Cook it for a few minutes, shut it down when it starts to smoke. Spread the grease around so it covers the sides of the skillet too. Let it cool, wipe off with a paper towel, repeat.

Answer 2

Salt. Someone said sandblasting, salt will do the same thing.

Without using water, pour about a tablespoon of table salt into the pot or pan. Rub in a circular motion.

After the residue is gone, reseason the pot or pan.

Answer 3

Actually, all you really need are steel wool brillo pads and some strong soap. As you scrub, focus on one section at a time, scrubbing hard. Scrubbing all around the pot at once will make cleaning take forever, and it might not work at all.

Trust me, I've used steel wool to clean pots like that before, ones that sat for weeks outside with vegetable oil gummed in them.

Answer 4

I never wash mine. After I cook in them I remove leftover food, heat the pan till very hot, add some cooking oil and wipe them out with paper towelling.
You should not wash cast iron.

Answer 5

if you have a self cleaning oven you can put it in there while the oven cleans and it will all burn off.

DO THIS OUTSIDE ONLy!!!!!another way is to put it a garbage bag and pour ammonia all over the pan, tie up the bag and leave it outside over night. stand back and rip the bag open and wait for the fumes to leave then rinse the pan with a water hose. take it inside wash and reseason it cooking oil.

also type in your question in yahoo's search and it will give you sites to help.

Answer 6

It just might take the "seasoning" out of the iron stuff. Getting to work like they were Teflon...that a good seasoning! Just wipe then off in hot water... Most of the time you won't need soap.

Have A Blessed Day...

Answer 7

Have you tried some sort of degreaser? I worked in a resturant and that's what we used on our pots. It came in a spray bottle, and we would let it soak overnight. If you do used it though make sure and wash it with regualr soap and water really well and soak it in hot water.

Answer 8

Although your'e not supposed to, I have used oven cleaner, you know, the stuff that would strip paint off ANYTHING!!!! but make sure you scrub the item VERY WELL afterwards, and don't make a habit of it!! good luck!!

Answer 9

put the pan in the oven and let it get hot and then put in cold water and scrub it with a brillo pad.

Answer 10

Hi,
Have you tried oven cleaner? I use it to remove burned on carbon from engine parts. Be careful with it!