Rusty cast iron...

[Rikki Jean]

I have some cast iron that is rusty, and I can't seem to get it un-rusted. My waffle iron is new; I put it through the oven-regimen a few months ago to remove the wax, and then I kind of forgot about it... Today, I decided to take it out to season it. It is a bit rusty on the outside (more like it's taken on a rose tint), and there are rust spots on the inside, between some of the raised pieces. I scrubbed it w/steel wool, but I'm not able to make the outside look any different, and the spots on the inside are really hard to reach.

I also have some ooooold cast-iron that belonged to DH's great-grandparents. They haven't been used in a loooong time, and they've just been sitting in my kitchen for the past two years. The pot was sitting inside of the pan, and they were on top of the dishwasher (I have one that moves around and hooks up o my sink). I guess that must have been too humid of a spot for them, because there was a lot of rust (some of it kind of wet) between the two. There is also rust leftover from before. Again, I used the steel wool, but it's not cutting it.

So, do I just need to put more elbow grease into it, or is there something else that I can/should be doing to get rid of the rust?

[mumkimum]

Before a major re-seasoning of our cast iron, we will boil water in them to "get out the impurities" (soap and other stuff they've absorbed in cooking will come out). I'm not sure that it will get all the rust off, but it might actually help? Or could end up loosening it for your further cleaning.

I don't know that the rust will really hurt - I've used cast iron with a touch of rust from drying badly, and never felt like it was a problem. You might want to try boiling, seasoning, and then heating up with oil and wiping them out a few times and see how that cuts down on the rust.

[mamadelbosque]

If its just a little rust I wouldn't worry and just use as normal. Several of my pants/pots have had rust spots on them at various times but have all dissapeard again w/ use.

[cristeen]

More elbow grease, try adding salt as an abrasive, and maybe some lemon juice. Do not use water... if you need some moisture, add some oil. You probably won't be able to get all of it, but do your best to get the bulk of it, and then just oil it and work on reseasoning.

[Owen'nZoe]

You could also try an electic sander or a wire brush attached to a power drill. Works great, and uses less elbow grease.