How to clean a cast iron skillet?

There are a lot of modern non-stick cookware on the market today. However, many housewives in the kitchen you will see cast-iron pans. And there is an explanation for this: they are reliable, keep heat well, cooked food does not cool down in them for quite a long time.

Plus, they can last a lifetime, unlike Teflon-coated cookware, which can break down over time and radiate harmful substances into the food being cooked. But cast iron is gradually covered with a layer of soot, which is not always easy to get rid of, and this is its main drawback.

Unfortunately, getting rid of burnt fat using ordinary dishwashing detergents will not work. You can clean the cast-iron pan from soot using various special tools, which are sold in a large assortment in any hardware stores.

These products can be chemical and abrasive, detailed instructions for their use are attached to them. You should know that to carry out the procedure with the help of a chemical, you need to wear rubber gloves, so as not to damage the skin of the hands. In addition, the pan can be rubbed with a hard metal washcloth.

Abrasives and washcloths can leave scratches on the surface.They can be cleaned with fine-grained sandpaper. After cleaning, the pan should be washed well in plenty of running water.

For old frying pans, you can use an oven cleaner. It is applied in a thick layer and the pan is placed in a plastic bag. The package should be tied up and the dishes kept in it for 12-13 hours. During this time, the oven cleaner will soften the soot, and you just need to wash it off with water.

But our predecessors didn't have today's cleaners and non-stick cookware. However, they were up to the task.

Many folk methods can be used today. They allow you to wash the old frying pan from the soot formed over the years at home.

It happens that in the process of cooking dinner, food burns. In this case, do not rush to immediately rub the vessel with metal washcloths with soapy solutions - you will need a lot of time and effort. It is better to pour water into the pan, put on fire and bring to a boil. Let the water boil for a few minutes and turn off the heat. After the water has cooled, the particles of burnt food will be easy to remove.

If the soot layer is thick, salt and soda can be added to the water. If desired, soda can be replaced with vinegar. Salt or soda can also be used without water. Pour them into a container and bake for 2-3 hours. After calcination, carbon deposits are easily separated from the surface.

Activated carbon can be used as an abrasive. This cheap remedy is sold in a pharmacy without a prescription. Get a pack of pills and crush them.Then pour the resulting powder into a slightly dampened pan and leave to act for an hour, and then clean with a rag or sponge.

Ordinary laundry soap can help get rid of fat. Grate half of the bar on a coarse grater and pour into the pan. Pour hot water over to dissolve the soap. Then boil the soap solution in a pan for half an hour. The result will please you.

But soot is formed not only inside. To wash the outside, you will have to use other methods.

One of the most effective ways to get rid of a thick layer of burning is digestion. For the procedure, you will need several ingredients to prepare the solution and a large container (bucket or tank) in which the pan fits completely.

Fill a container with water and put on fire to heat it up. Dissolve in warm water:

• A bar of laundry soap (72%);
• Two tubes of silicate glue;
• Soda ash (500 grams).

Laundry soap can be replaced with washing powder, it will take about half a glass. In this case, one tube of silicate glue is enough. Soda will also need half as much.

Dip the pan into the prepared solution, the solution should completely cover it. Bring the composition to a boil and boil for a quarter of an hour. Then turn off the heat, cover the container with a lid and leave for a couple of hours, and then start cleaning. You can wipe off the soot with a brush.

Another method to clean off soot is roasting. Since soot is burnt fat, it can be burned to a state of soot, and then wiped off.In a city apartment, a similar procedure can be carried out on a gas stove. Light the burner and set the pan in such a way that so that the fire burns its outer surface. Ignite one side of it for several minutes, and then scrape off the soot formed. Do the same with the other side. Continue until the entire circle has been cleaned.

If you have the opportunity, clean the pan in the country or in another place in nature where you can light a fire. Place the frying pan on the fire. Of course, the plastic or wooden handle must first be removed. The soot will burn out pretty quickly, and in a few minutes you can start cleaning. Be careful - hot iron can burn your skin.

You can also pour dry sand into the pan and ignite it over low heat for 2-3 hours. After firing, the sand is poured out, and the pan is simply tapped - the soot will separate itself.

Some people use a blowtorch or gas burner. The frying pan is placed on a stand made of refractory material and fired. Handles made of plastic or wood must be removed. If this is not possible, this method of cleaning is not suitable for you.

If cooked food was left in the container, the dishes were not wiped dry, or simply stored in a damp place for a long time, then rust may form on the cast iron. It can be removed in a not too complicated way. Rust is easier to remove than carbon deposits.

If the rust is not removed by washing with ordinary dishwashing detergents, you need to resort to harsher products. Try rubbing with a steel wool or fine sandpaper. Then wash the surface with dishwashing detergent.

Rust can be removed with baking soda. Mix a certain amount with water until a thick slurry is formed and rub the rust with it. Leave the gruel to act for a few minutes, then rinse with running water.

A very original way remove rust with carbonated drinks. One jar or bottle is enough for you. Their contents must be poured into the pan and left for 10-12 hours, and then rinse the dishes in running water.

If these methods fail to clean a large layer of rust, you need to use stronger chemicals that contain hydrochloric acid. This is a strong solvent, with its help you can easily clean the surface of the dishes. However, be extremely careful not to let drops of acid come into contact with the skin and eyes, try not to inhale its fumes. After cleaning, thoroughly wash the pan and dry it thoroughly.

So, you have cleaned your frying pan from soot or rust.But if you immediately start cooking on it, then instead of a beautiful dish you will get burnt, torn, unappetizing pieces of food - the fact is that, along with soot or rust, you removed the protective layer, and now it needs to be restored.

This can be done in several ways, but in any case, you will need vegetable oil (which is preferable) or any other fat. Cover the bottom and sides of the pan with a thick layer of oil and place it on the stove or in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Then wipe the surface dry. During the procedure, keep the window open, as the oil will smoke.

Another way is less "fragrant". With it, a clean, well-dried frying pan is heated using a strong fire. After calcination, it is lubricated with oil and left to cool. After cooling, the pan is washed in warm water without any detergents and wiped dry.

Also, calcination can be carried out with salt. Before heating, it is poured in a thick layer on the bottom of the pan. The salt will gradually darken and turn brown. After that, the fire is turned off and the salt is allowed to cool slightly. Then, with the cooled salt, you need to rub the inner surface, apply oil on it and heat the pan in the oven.

In order for a faithful assistant to serve you for a long time, you need to use it correctly:

• if the dishes are idle for a long time, the formation of rust is inevitable;
• do not store cooked food in it, but transfer it to another container;
• soak the pan for an hour before washing;
• clean and dry the dishes in a timely manner, and after cleaning, lubricate with oil.

See the following video for how to clean a cast iron skillet.