Cleaning

C

CraigA.

Active member
Was recently reading an article that suggested removing stuck food residue from seasoned cast iron by heating the pan with baking soda and water.
Knowing the pH of baking soda is between 8 and 9 (somewhat alkaline), wouldn't that have a similar reaction as using lye? Sure, it's not nearly as strong as lye but still could have the same results. Or am I just over thinking things again?
 
I think whoever suggested to use baking soda was the one doing the overthinking. I have never had anything stick to any cast iron pan that couldn't be removed by letting the pan sit with a half inch of plain warm water in it for 20-30 minutes. I'd file that one along with the "cut face of a potato and salt" method. The lye solution we use would be more in the pH of 13 range, far above baking soda (the pH scale being logarithmic, meaning 9 is ten times more alkaline than 8; 10 is ten times more alkaline than 9, and so on).
 
What about stubborn carbon stains, though?

I'm still trying to figure out how to remove the dark stains from where previous rust existed or from stubborn carbon - stains that won't come off from e-tank or lye tank. I've tried following the instructions here (vinegar & water, steel wool) to no avail.
 
Carl, I am up against the same stain issue. 4 Wagner waffle iron paddles are black. have tried about everything I can think of or read about, and nothing is getting that black to come off. Tried steel wool, SS wire brush, Carbon Off, E-tank. 2 in for 4 days now + 2 in the lye tank. All are just as black as when they went in. I did get one paddle corner cleaned up with wire wheel on a flex shaft. Got to be a faster method to clean these. Any suggestions? Possibly the solutions are to cold in a 52° basement? Can warm the air up with no problem but not the water.
 
Doug D. said:
I think whoever suggested to use baking soda was the one doing the overthinking.
Click to expand...
I read the other night where Martha Stewart said to make a paste of baking soda and water and put it on CI to clean it. Consider the source and ignore it.
 
I finally got the paddles to clean up. They had been painted with a good quality black paint. E Tank finally go the paint to let go. Still took a lot of scrubbing with a SS brush. Seasoned and up on the display rack. Next project to make 3 legs for a Wagner round bottom kettle.
 
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