Dark Black Staining

W

WO'Brien

New member
I have a couple cast-iron skillet's that date back to the 40s or 50s. I soaked them overnight in a vinegar solution and that did a good job of getting rid of any rust but they both still have black staining. Some of it is slightly raised. I'm sure it's the gunk from years ago. I have used a brass wire brush and was able to get some of it off but I have one hand in a sling so I don't see completing the task that way. If I'm also not going to use Lyr or electrolysis what would you recommend to get the stuff cleaned out? I am thinking about using my self-cleaning oven. I am interested in your ideas.

Thanks
 
Don't use a self cleaning oven. You can't control temps and it could warp your pan. You could use oven cleaning spray and stick it in a trash bag, but the other methods are so easy and effective that I would recommend you give them a try. Also, I would switch to a stainless steal wire brush. Brass leaves marks on pans. Just my thoughts,
Kyle
 
I agree with Kyle... an oven cleaning spray such as Heavy Duty Easy Off will do the job. The one thing I would add is let the cleaner do its work and leave the pan in the bag for a good amount of time. Think days. This really makes removing the gunk easier.
 
Thanks guys, a lye bath it is then. I was hoping to avoid dealing with gallons of a chemical that is that strong but I will get over it. I don't expect to do this again for quite a while so I am going to dispose of the lye afterwords. Just going down the drain is oK as that is what it was originally intended for, correct?

Regarding brass vs. stainless steel brushes, I believe that brass is the softer metal isn't it?
 
Brass is softer but will leave brass colored marks on your iron. For future reference it's recommended to clean all the black gunk off your pans before you do a vinegar soak.
Yes lye can go down the drain as long as you're not on a septic system.
 
WO,

You should check out the "Cast Iron Restoration - Stripping & Cleaning" section of this forum's main site. In it the "Aerosol Oven Cleaner Spray" is described as

"A very simple method for stripping old seasoning off a cast iron piece is to coat it with oven cleaner spray."

To me this seems to be a much easier method if you are only doing an occasional restoration. It is my preferred method that has never failed me.
 
Dan B said:
WO,

You should check out the "Cast Iron Restoration - Stripping & Cleaning" section of this forum's main site. In it the "Aerosol Oven Cleaner Spray" is described as

"A very simple method for stripping old seasoning off a cast iron piece is to coat it with oven cleaner spray."

To me this seems to be a much easier method if you are only doing an occasional restoration. It is my preferred method that has never failed me.
Click to expand...

Dan, I read that as this discussion progressed. What a great resource it is. The reason that I will do the lye bath this time is because my right arm is in a sling and not operable for a few months. I think that operating a spray can within a bag with only my left hand, and doing it for three skillets, will be more than I can do without making a huge mess. I can execute the lye bath in my current condition. In the future I will likely use Easy-Off given your advice and to prevent dealing with the 5 gallons of lye after the process is complete.
 
WO,

Sorry, I did not appreciate the extent of your arm injury. I couldn't see spraying three skillets with the use of only one hand. Best of luck with the lye bath... do be careful.
 
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