I have a small cast iron pan and when i put it away after washing it, I must have put something on top that dripped some water and now there are a few rust spots. I tried to re-wash it but it is still there. Can I use like brillo pads on it or something? What will get it out so i can use it again?
What Christina said, but if I may add, after you successfully remove the rust, coat the inside of the pan with cooking oil and bake it in the oven for about 20 minutes. That is how you season the pan after you have removed its coating.
After each wash, you should heat dry it on the stove top.
Use a soap-free metal mesh scrubber and hot water to remove the rust, burn the pan dry on the stove top. After it cools, coat lightly with oil and heat on the stove top just until it starts to barely smoke. Turn off the burner and move the pan to a cold burner to cool.
I googled rust on cast iron once upon a time and found the best option. Oil and salt rubbed on it will remove lots of stuff, that's how I clean it too. I may rinse it off if something is really gooey but usually I just wipe it off then use the oil and sprinkle salt on it then rub it around. I wipe it off well.
On the times I wash it with soap and water i always put oil on it and bake it at 200 degrees or something lower then turn the open off and let it cool inside without opening the door until the next morning. This is how it's "cured".
I have used steel wool on my cast iron skillets to clean off rust. Works like a charm. If you have to scrub really hard or a large area you may need to re-season it.
Just scrub the rust off with a brillo or scratch pad and re-oil.
Use cooking oil and salt . Warm the oil in the pan and then add salt ( enough salt to cover the rust stains) and then with a big wad of paper towels ( careful don't get burned !!!) wipe the pan. I always use a ovenmit type glove and tongues to do it. Once the rust is gone I dump the oi and salt l and put it back on the burner to heat the pan the oil left in pan. Then I let it cool. I wipe it out one more time with paper towel before I put the pan away.
one thing my dad always taught me was that you need to "season" cast iron every once in a while. Cast Iron cant take washing like your typical stainless steel. Its actually made to not have to wash with harsh soaps. So add some oil to the pan rub it all over and let it sit on the stove very low heat for a while and it should be back as new! Do this after about every 10 washes or so and it will last till the end of time!
I only use hot water, salt, and paper towels to scrub my cast iron pan. I would use a little oil with the salt to get a rust stain out. I also wipe it dry with another paper towel, and then put it over low heat on a burner for a few minutes to fully dry, then coat it with oil before storing.
cast iron pans are not supposed to be washed with soap and water. I though they should be cleaned out with baking soda or something of that nature if grease gets in it. I would try some baking soda to see if that gets rid of the rust spot.
My Mom always said not to wash cast iron skillets/pans. She just used a cloth to wipe them off sometimes rinsed them then dried them and put them in a warm oven to make sure they dried all the way.
