Stripping without chemicals

[pmalora]

I found a crusty old skillet at a yard sale and I want to clean it without using heavy oven cleaners. I am thinking about using a yellow cap bag or just a scrub with steel wool. What is your favorite way to get back to bare metal without breathing in fumes? I'd like to try some ideas you guys have.

 

[BubblyCat]

@pmalora I leave mine in a lye bath for a week and it comes out looking brand new. Really squaky clean new. It is the most hands off way to do it because the lye just dissolves the organic gunk without hurting the metal. You just need a plastic tub and some heavy rubber gloves.

 

[will.harbers]

Has anyone tried the electrolysis method with a car battery charger? I have seen videos where people pull a pristine silver pan out of a murky tank of water. I've read some content here too with the same method. Seems like a lot of setup but the results look better than any other method I have seen.

 

[dreamwalker]

Well, steel wool and elbow grease worked for me on a lightly rusted piece. So I think you should try. If the pan is not covered in decades of black crust you really do not need a full strip. Just a few minutes of scrubbing with some coarse salt and a wire pad usually does the trick. Hope that helps!

 

[match lover]

I found a crusty old skillet at a yard sale and I want to clean it without using heavy oven cleaners. I am thinking about using a yellow cap bag or just a scrub with steel wool. What is your favorite way to get back to bare metal without breathing in fumes? I'd like to try some ideas you guys have.

Vinegar soak is great for rust but you have to watch the clock coz vinegar is an acid and it will start to eat the good iron if you leave it in there for more than half an hour. I always set a timer and check it every ten minutes. I think it works well.

 

[night game]

I avoid the self cleaning oven cycle because I am afraid of warping the iron. I have heard too many horror stories about vintage pans cracking or turning red from the extreme heat. It is just not worth the risk when there are gentler ways to clean them. Not sure about you guys.