Is salt bad for cast iron? First, let's address any concerns: is salt bad for your pan? (The answer is no, but let's dive a little deeper.) Although salt is hard, it's still softer than cast iron, so it doesn't risk scratching the surface of your skillet.
To prevent rust and extend the life of a cast iron skillet, it's best not to use soap to clean it. Instead, use a about a tablespoon of coarse salt to scrub the pan after a meal. The salt breaks up bits of stuck food and residue on the skillet.
A favorite way to clean cast iron requires something you use all the time in the kitchen: salt. The method is easy. Take a big pinch of coarse salt (kosher salt, but sea salt also works) and sprinkle it on the cooking surface.
Cast iron pans can leach a sizeable amount of iron into your food, exceeding dietary intake in some cases. Acidic foods will contribute to much more leaching while an old, heavily-seasoned pan will leach much less iron than a newer one.
If a crack appears in your cast iron pan, it's time to ditch it. Even a hairline crack will expand and contract when heated and cooled, and ultimately the pan will split—a potentially dangerous situation if it happens during cooking! Plus, cracks are difficult to clean and may harbor bacteria and rust.
WD-40 Specialist® Rust Remover Soak quickly dissolves rust and restores tools, equipment, and surfaces to bare metal without chipping, scraping or scrubbing. Great for removing rust from tools, metal, cast iron, chrome parts, and more without harming paint, gaskets, trim, or other surrounding parts.
The vinegar solution will dissolve the rust, but once that's gone, it can penetrate further and start eating away at the original cast surface of the pan, the ultimate death sentence for your skillet.
The maximum amount of time you should leave your cast iron soaking in vinegar is 8 hours. Any longer than this could be detrimental to the long-term health of the cast iron. You should keep checking back on your cast iron as it soaks, though, because the length of time you need it submerged in vinegar will vary.
Can I use steel wool or a metal scrubber to clean my cast iron pan? No! We recommend using a pan scraper or the Lodge Chainmail Scrubber to remove any stuck-on residue.
After you've used your skillet, use a sponge to scrub it with water. But don't let it soak in water, as this can cause rusting. If it still needs a bit more attention, add some kosher salt to the pan and scrub with a damp sponge. The salt acts an abrasive cleaner without disturbing the seasoning.
To clean, just use mild dish soap (that's right, it's okay to use a little soap!) and a scouring pad or a cast iron pan cleaning brush. Wash it, scrub it, rinse it, then wipe it out well and season it with a few drops of oil and store with a paper towel covering the cooking surface.
Because salt is a powerful electrolyte, it contains a large number of dissociated ions, which greatly accelerates corrosion in salt water. Salt, or more particularly, salt solution, can hasten the rusting process by acting as an electrolyte, allowing the metal (iron) to lose electrons more quickly.
Submerge your rusty cast iron cookware ensuring it is fully covered in Coke. Allow to soak for 12 - 24hrs depedning on the rust coverage. Rinse the Coke off with clean water. If needed, use a sponge to wipe off excess rust then dry with a clean cloth.
Even though a rusted cast-iron pan doesn't necessarily present a health concern, it's still not recommended that you cook on it. The rust might add an unpleasant metallic flavor to your food. Plus, it makes using the skillet much more difficult.
Some are under the impression that acidic foods can discolor cast-iron, but a baking soda scrub should eliminate any discoloring. Some people think that acidic foods cause iron molecules to leach out into your food, but that's actually a good thing!
All cooking oils and fats can be used for seasoning cast iron, but based on availability, affordability, effectiveness, and having a high smoke point, Lodge recommends vegetable oil, melted shortening, or canola oil, like our Seasoning Spray.
Clean Cast Iron
We had an old cast iron skillet in need of some love, so I searched around and found this simple method to restore it using epsom salt. Rinse off any excess rust and then scrub with epsom salt followed by baking soda or table salt. Rinse again, dry, and coat the inside with a little olive oil.
If you are looking for the best rust remover for cast iron, the WD-40 Specialist Rust Remover Soak is a great choice. The patented water-based rust remover is formulated to penetrate deep into surfaces, effectively removing stubborn rust build-up and the stains that come along with it.
They are most likely carbon deposits. This happens due to overheating of fats and oils. Using an oil with a low smoke point will carbonize at high temperatures and cause residue from the pores of your pan to rub off onto your food. While unappealing, they won't hurt you in such a small amount.
Cast iron seasoning is a layer of carbonized oil.
It may take a little extra care, but a well-seasoned cast iron pan will last for generations.
With proper care cast iron cookware can withstand a lifetime of use.