How to Season and Clean a Cast

A cast-iron skillet is multi-functional, and it helps in completing some main cooking tasks. Carbonized oil is applied to make it prevent from getting rusted. It is not easy to care for a cast-iron skillet; it can get rusted in case of careless use. You need to do a thorough cleaning of the skillet on a daily basis to keep it clean and well-seasoned. The experts are of the view that a cast-iron skillet needs a process for re-seasoning twice or more times in a year. It will make your skillet life longer and healthier. Various experts have suggested different methods for cleaning and re-seasoning a cast-iron skillet. Here are some pro tips for cleaning.

• Stuff needs to clean a cast-iron skillet

Several kinds of stuff are available for cleaning a cast-iron skillet. You may select the standard one. Keep in mind that good-quality cleaning stuff can save your skillet from any damage. The basic objects are 

• A sponge for rubbing the skillet. Make sure to have a soft scrub with medium pressure. Otherwise, it will scratch the skillet.
• A soap cleaner that is mild on the skillet to make it safe from any smash up
• A wooden spatula to clean the food that has stuck to the skillet.
• Good quality Carbonized oil to re-seasoning the skillet.
• Paper towels to apply carbonized oil on the skillet surface.
• A brush to rub the stains.
• Salt is optional. You may use it in case of any hard stains.
• Rubber gloves to prevent your hands from rust and other mess.
• Distilled white vinegar is a good cleaning agent in case of hard rust.

• The process of cleaning a cast-iron skillet

First, organize all the necessary cleaning objects for cleaning your skillet. The process of cleaning a skillet is not a difficult one, but it is a time-consuming process. You have to spare two to three hours to complete the task. Cleaning time may vary according to the layers of rust on the skillet surface. It can be done approximately in two hours to twenty-four hours maximum. You can follow some simple steps to make this process effective.

• Take your rustic skillet and make it dry first.
• Next, you need to put soap cleaner with a few tablespoons of water. You may add hot water to get better results.
•  You may use sponge or a wooden spatula to rub the skillet.
• Then, wash it with water.
• Dry it entirely.
• Re season before putting it on the shelf.

These are the basic steps to clean any cast-iron skillet. You can add more to remove a severe rust layer.

Steps to remove the tough rustic layers

If you forget your cast-iron skillet unwashed overnight in the sink, you may feel the real trouble in cleaning it. You have to add some more steps to the basic process of cleaning a cast-iron skillet.

• Add some hot water and cleaning soap to the skillet. If it has rust only inside it, you need to pour hot water inside. But if you find rust on both inside and outside, you may take a large pot or tub to dip the skillet in it for some hours. It may take two to three hours to making the rust come out. You have to be careful about the timing, and the skillet can have damages if it is dipped in the cleaner liquid longer. If you want to restore an old cast-iron skillet, you may dip it in the distilled white vinegar to have better results. But this one should also not be dipped more than twenty-four hours.
• You may use a stainless steel scrubber to rub the rust.
• A cleaner brush or rust eraser can help you make your skillet more rust-free than a simple scrubber.
• You should not use high pressure while rubbing your skillet; you may stay on medium pressure scrubbing to prevent your skillet from any severe smash-up.
• After scrubbing, you can wash your skillet it dries it thoroughly with a towel.
• Then, you may re-season your skillet.
•  Your skillet is ready to use after re-seasoning.

• Steps to re-season your cast-iron skillet

Here are mentioned the fundamental steps for making clear how to re-season your skillet:

• First, you have to clean your skillet from rust entirely.
• Then, you should dry it fully.
• Next, pour the good quality carbonized oil into the skillet. You should use the oil in a few drops as excess oil may cause poor re-seasoning or smoke during baking. Spread the oil on the skillet surface equally with a paper towel.
• Put your skillet in a pre-heated oven for one hour.
• You have to wait for cooling it down. And then, it is all ready to use.
• If you have restored an old cast-iron skillet, you may repeat the process twice or thrice to get better results.

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