What is the best way to clean cast iron?

Question

I have two cast iron skillets and I can not seem to get them clean. No matter how hard I scrub there is always a black residue when I dry them off. I am also not sure about how often I need to season them, wether it is every time I use them or once a week or what. I have looked online but some of the suggestions seem a little scary! I've read that I should use oven cleaner, lye and ammonia just to name a few. I started using cast iron to get away from the chemicals found in Teflon, so naturally I don't want to use these chemical containing cleaners on my cast iron pans. I don't even use oven cleaner or ammonia when I clean my house, too many toxic fumes. The woman who said to use lye even warned not to breath the fumes because they are lethal. That's not something I want on a pan that I use to prepare my children's food!!!!! I would appreciate any suggestions.

Answer 1

Do not worry about that black residue as there is nothing you can do about that. I have some of my mom's cast iron fry pans and they are over 50 years old. I wash them and dry them BUT then I take abit of vegatable oil on a paper towel and wipe around the inside. Doing this will help not have to season them so much. I season mine every few months. I put a coating of oil on it and put it in the oven on about 225 for a few hours. Enjoy your pans and do not worry, they are clean.

Answer 2

The best thing you can do for cast iron is to use very hot water and a nylon scrubber. Don't ever use dish soap!!

If you are worried about germs... scrub the pan under as hot of water as you can stand with the nylon scrubber. Then, fill it with water and put it on the stove and boil for 20 minutes.

The thing you need to realize, when using cast iron, you will never get rid of the black residue. That is part of the seasoning process. The first 6 or so times you use the pan, heat a small amount of oil in it first, this will help the seasonning process and also help prevent food from sticking. After that... every 3rd time is fine. Make sure you use the same type of oil each time you prep the pan. Be warry of flavored oils and strong oils (olive) as these will leave a flavor in the pan that can be transfered to food the next time you cook.

Answer 3

Leapin' lizards! Do not use all those chemicals! They are way bad for both you and your skillets. The black residue you have on your pans probably IS the seasoning; a relatively uniform black coating on your pans is what is supposed to develop over time with repeated use, and it's exactly what you want. For the moment, use a regular dishwashing soap and a steel wool pad, scrub off as much crusty stuff as you can, rinse well and dry thoroughly. Then get yourself some shortening (being a trans-fat, it's a little more shelf stable than oils, but vegetables oils are acceptable if you plan on using your skillets daily) and smear them all over with it (including the bottom) Make sure you coat all iron surfaces. Place a sheet pan on the lower shelf of your oven to catch what drips off (a lot will) and place the skillets in the oven, face down, once your oven has heated up to 400F. Turn on your vent fan to remove the smoke that will result from this and leave them in there for about an hour. Shut off the oven and allow them to cool for another good hour with the door cracked open to allow heat to escape. Wipe any excess fat off with a paper towel and put the pans away until you need them. The next time you use them, rinse well with water but avoid the use of soaps if at all possible (unless you've got some crusty stuff stuck to them that simply won't rinse away) -- the seasoning you've done should make it relatively non-stick. Once they're clean, place back on the stove and heat for a few minutes on high heat, then add more shortening or oil and carefully wipe around the cooking surface until the fat coats everything, then allow to cool and store. Doing this will develop a nice black layer that will resist corrosion and minimize sticking (you'll still have to add oil, just like you still should add a little to a Teflon pan, but things won't automatically weld themselves permanently to the surface)

Answer 4

Each time that you "wash" you skillet, you are stripping the seasoning.

Really, what should be done is a gentle wipe down with a paper towel after the skillet is cool. However, I don't "feel" that this is clean enough. I use an SOS/Brillo pad and gently rub the skillet. Rinse, then put on your stove. Turn on the burner and let the skillet warm to evaporate the water. This will preserve the seasoning as well as thoroughly dry the skillet (prevent rust). Just make sure to turn the burner off or your skillet will overheat and start seriously smoking!

With proper handling, you only need to season your cast iron when you first get it/it is new.

Just keep in mind, that black stuff that rubs off is actually iron. It won't hurt you or your kids.

Answer 5

The black residue is the iron itself.
Your pans have become un-seasoned.

Cast iron pans get a kind of pattina from use. Once this has built up only mild dish soap should be used on it.

It should never be left to soak in the sink. It should never have acidic sauces like tomato sauces sit in it for storage. And it must NOT be put in the dishwasher.

If there is no food in your pan, it is clean. Now you must re-season it.

Take you pan and set it on the burner on low to dry it completely. Add about a tablespoon of oil to the pan once it is warm and dry.
Use a paper towel to wipe the oil up the sides of the pan. Leave the pan on the burner on the lowest/warm setting with the oil for about 15 minutes.

Check the pan, add more oil if you need to. Wipe the oil up the sides again. Set the pan in the oven on low/warm for another 15 minutes.

When that is done wipe out all the oil. You can keep you pan in the oven to keep dust from settling on in since this one time it will still have oil residue on it.

Wait a day before using it. When you go to use it wash it gently with a cello sponge/scrubber. Never with brillo pads or metal scrubbers.

When you go to cook with it bring it up to heat then add oil, just any frying pan. When you are done, clean it immediatly, and dry it thouroghly. Put it back on the burner on low, and wipe the inside with a paper towel with a dab of oil on it. This will preserve the finish.

After a little use the pattina will build up and no more "black" will come up when you wipe.

Don't worry about the black marks though. It is actually just iron. In fact some doctors used to recomnded anemic women cook in cast iron pans because the provide a small amount of extra iron that way.

Hope this infor helps.

Answer 6

You are not supposed to clean cast iron with all those chemicals. The black residue is supposed to build up and make the pan non-stick. All you are going to get for your effort is dishpan hands and rusty pans.

First coat the inside of the pan with cooking oil... Bake at 250 for about 1 to 1/2 hrs until the oil starts to harden and turn black. After using the pan to cook, while its still hot, put water in it. If food is stuck on, you may boil gently until food loosens.

You may then dump out the water and wash with a mild dish soap and a nylon mesh scrubee. Dry and give it a thin coat of cooking oil before storing. Wash pan again before using it is it has been stored a long time. Cooking oil can spoil.

Answer 7

The best way I get my metals clean is either with white vinegar, the NATURAL acids allow it to eat at the surface of the steel bringing the stains off. I would clean it twice with the vinegar and if there is still the residue cook something on it to check if it is just a stain or if it is 'Peeling' into your food like Teflon does into scrambled eggs (they look like they have pepper on them.)
If it is not peeling then there is NO problem. If they are peeling you will have to spend some money on coca coloa and soak them for 12 hours. * NOTE - If you do this you will have to treat them as a new item the first time after as this will remove ALL the oils you have cured them with initially.
Which ever option works to clean them for you, after you wash them you should put them back on a medium heat, let them warm up, and them put a dash of oil on them. Run this oil over the entire surface with some cooking paper towel. This will keep it 'SEALED' and prevent rusting until next use.
Hope this helps.

Answer 8

Try coarse salt. I have had success with this method. Sprinkle the salt on the black residue. Let it sit awhile. Add a little water, just enough to make a paste. Heat on stove top until a gentle boil. It should clean off easily with a rubber or wooden scraper. I put a little veg oil on my pans after each wash and wipe through with a paper towel and leave. Do not put them in a self clean oven. The cleaning process will cause them to stick.

Answer 9

While you can clean cast iron cookware with modern dish detergents, this deprives the pan of it's natural nonstickproperties. If you must clean with a detergent you should then coat the inside and outside of the pan with cooking oil and place in a warm oven to cure, this wil not only prevent rust but will return some of the pan's ability to cook without food sticking to it.

Answer 10

Hi,
I know exactly what you are talking about. The black build up on the outside of the pan. The black inside the pan is good, this means you have a very good seasoned iron skillet.
I was given 3 iron skillets that my great grandmother used, the black on the outside of the pots were sooooo bad. I out them in a fire we had built outside in the winter and let some of it burn off. It didn't get it all off tho. At the time my husband was working at a shop that did some sand blasting, and some other kinda blasting. with glass. He took the pans to work with him and blasted them.. They looked like they were just bought at the store when he brought them home. Of course I did have to re season the inside of the skillets again, but they look great.
So if you have a very very hot fire, or someone that can sandblast them, that will take off all the of black caked on grease from the outside, but remember you will have to re season the inside, because they will rust fast and you will have to redo them.
If you need to know how to re season them e.mail or IM me.

Good Luck