How to clean a cast-iron pan from soot and rust?

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A frying pan is a kitchen utensil that a kitchen cannot do without. Even the simplest dish cannot be cooked without it. This straightforward subject has served faithfully for many years. This is especially true for cast iron pans. Mistresses have been using them for centuries, due to the reliability and non-toxicity of the material. Prolonged or improper use can cause carbon deposits. Black plaque looks not only not aesthetically pleasing, but also harms health. But how to clean a cast-iron pan from soot and rust? These problems will have to be fought with special chemicals and folk methods.

Advantages and disadvantages of a cast iron pan

Before throwing an old skillet out of cast iron, remember and evaluate by dignity of its advantages.

1. Good heat capacity, which allows you to slowly heat up and also cool slowly. Thanks to this, the food cooked in such a dish is very healthy, tasty.
2. Cast iron has a low chemical inertness. This suggests that the metal does not interact with cooked food.
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3. Metal is not subject to rust.
4. Simple care.

Despite the large number of advantages, all items have their own limitations:

1. A lot of weight. All cast iron products are quite heavy.
2. Despite the massiveness of the metal, cast iron is relatively sharp. It is enough to drop or hit the object hard, as chips may appear.
3. Cast iron pans are not recommended to be washed with chemicals and detergents. After cooking, clean the utensils with a dry cloth. Therefore, for each dish, it is desirable to have different pans.

How to clean a cast-iron pan from burned soot with folk remedies

Nagar - a plaque that appears after exposure to heat on fat. A frying pan is a kitchen utensil that is prone to tanning every day. It is not difficult to remove the fresh coating, but contaminated pollution will have to be fought. Before use, it is recommended that you burn a new cast-iron product over high heat with salt to darken the salt. Then grease the entire surface with vegetable oil and put in a preheated oven. This procedure will help to make a kind of non-stick coating on the surface of the product, which will help to avoid sticking food and soot. Old cast iron pans can be cleaned of carbon deposits in various ways and methods. Consider the simplest folk remedies.

1. Digestion with glue. Place the pan in a container of water, to which add 500 grams of soda ash, 100 grams of chopped laundry soap and 100 ml of office glue. Allow the liquid to boil. Digest products until the carbon begins to peel. After that, clean the product inside and out with a brush, rinse with plenty of water.
2. Calcined with an oven. Cover the pan with foil. Put the pan upside down on the foil. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees and above, keep the product for more than two hours. Due to high temperature, soot begins to crack.
3. Flame cleaning. The method is good, but not for indoor use. It is recommended to put the pan on an open fire, for about 15-20 minutes. Then using a metal brush to remove the remaining soot.
4. Blowtorch firing. The method is good, but very dangerous. Direct the flame of the lamp into the pan. Five minutes later, soot is easily removed. When using this method, remember the fire safety rules. For indoor use, the method is not suitable.
5. Pour sand into a pan, put on fire. Cleaning time depends on the degree of contamination. Sand cleaning should last at least three hours. After time, tap the soot. The only drawback of this method is the unpleasant odor.
6. Activated Carbon Cleaning. It will take 2 packs of activated carbon. Grind the tablets. Moisten the surface of the product and cover it well with black powder. Leave for a few hours. Wash off the charcoal after an hour with detergent.
7. Vinegar cleaning. Mix vinegar and water in a ratio of 1: 3. Pour the dishes with a solution and put on low heat for 4 hours. During the procedure, ensure good ventilation in the room. It is better to carry out the procedure in the open air and monitor the amount of water. Soda will help get rid of the smell of vinegar.

Attention! Do not use vinegar cleaning indoors.

1. Metal sponge It will help not only to clean the soot, but also to “pump up” your hands. The procedure is difficult, it requires a lot of effort and time.
2. Laundry soap 50 grams grate. Pour the crushed soap into the pan and pour boiling water. Close the lid and simmer the liquid over low heat for 1 hour.
3. Soda, salt, vinegar. At the bottom of the pan pour 4 tbsp. l salt, add vinegar so that it covers the salt. Bring to a boil, then add 100 grams of soda, reduce the fire. Allow a little liquid to cool. After 15 minutes, rinse the mixture with a sponge.
4. Laundry detergent and vegetable oil also able to come to the rescue. At the bottom of the cookware, pour a few tablespoons of powder and 5 tbsp. l vegetable oil. Bring the liquid to a boil. Rinse off the product after an hour.

Attention! To avoid large foaming, use powder for washing machines.

1. Brushing with salt is the easiest and most popular way.. It is suitable for cleaning cast iron and stainless steel pans. It is enough to pour salt into the pan, ignite it over low heat.
2. Mix 10 grams of borax and a glass of wateradd a few drops of ammonia. Distribute the solution over the entire surface of the product. Wash off the product after an hour with a sponge and dishwashing detergent.
3. Citric acid 1 tbsp. dissolve a spoon in a liter of boiling water. Soak the pan in this solution.

How to wash household chemicals

Folk methods will help wash off burnt soot, but many housewives do not want to spend a lot of time, since the result needs an instant. Therefore, use household chemicals. Special alkaline products will help get rid of carbon deposits. For example: Antinagar, Shumanit, Amway, Sanita, Fairy. Before using chemistry, be sure to read the instructions. Remember that chemistry is absorbed into the dishes, so it is recommended to use it only on the outer surface.

How to get rid of rust

Rust can appear on cast iron cookware as a result of prolonged contact with water. To prevent this, it is necessary after each cooking to wash and dry the dishes well. If rust does appear, it can be wiped off with a cleaning agent.

If there is a lot of rust, do not rush to part with your favorite frying pan, there is a way out:

1. Digestion with Soda. In three liters of water, dilute half a pack of soda. Fill the pan completely with a solution and put on a slow fire. Boil for 5-10 hours, it all depends on the area covered with rust.
2. Apply to rust area white vinegar.
3. Sprinkle the surface salt and pour lime juice. Leave for 3 hours. Then wash well.
4. Mix borax with lemon juiceApply slurry directly to rust. Rinse off after a few hours.
5. An oven will help get rid of rust.. Put the pan in the oven, heat to 180 degrees and turn on the self-cleaning function. Leave for an hour, allow the appliance to cool and wash with detergent.
6. Clean the pan abrasive powder or wire brush. Rinse dishes with detergent, wipe dry. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, place the product there for an hour. Remove, cool and grease with vegetable oil.
7. For cleaning, you can use phosphoric acid. Will need Coca-Cola or Pepsi. Pour the drink into a container in which to put a cast-iron appliance. Put the container on fire, the liquid should boil. Then calcine the oil pan in the oven.

Attention! After all the manipulations done, rust may remain. It can be removed with a metal brush.

Tips for using and storing a cast iron pan

• clean the surface of the pan well after each cooking;
• be sure to wipe the device dry after “water procedures”;
• if the pan was calcined in the oven, then after that you can not use a metal brush;
• after cleaning with vinegar, it is necessary to carry out a soda treatment and an calcination process;
• Store dishes only in a dry place;
• It is recommended that you fry the pan in the oven as often as possible. This will not only help protect cast iron, but food will not burn.
• during cooking, it is advisable to use only wooden appliances;
• Do not store food in cast iron.

How to restore a cast iron product after cleaning

After each cleaning, the cast iron surface must be calcined with oil. This will help prevent rust. Calcination creates an oil film that serves as a non-stick coating.

To avoid the tedious cleaning of carbon deposits and rust, timely care for the dishes. After each cooking, rinse the grease thoroughly with hot water and wipe the surface dry. Remember that cast iron is a brittle metal, it can easily be chipped. Therefore, do not wash cast-iron utensils in the dishwasher. If properly cleaned, used, stored, the pan will last a long time.