Forgot to dry my cast iron after washing it. Big mistake.

Last night I cooked bacon, did my usual clean with hot water and a scrub brush, but got distracted by a phone call. Left the pan in the drying rack for like 2 hours before I remembered it. When I came back there was orange rust spots all over the cooking surface. I had to scrub it with steel wool and reseason it in the oven at 400 degrees for an hour. Now I set a timer every single time I wash it so I never forget again. Anyone else have a rust disaster happen from something dumb like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

matthewp527d ago

Ha! Oh man, I've been there. Did the exact same thing with a brand new Lodge skillet a few years back. Left it wet on the stove after washing and woke up to what looked like a crime scene of rust. Had to scrub it down with vinegar and a chainmail scrubber, then do three rounds of seasoning to fix my mistake. Now I'm paranoid and wipe my pans bone dry with a paper towel before I even put them away.

skylerc866d agoMost Upvoted

That vinegar and chainmail scrubber route is a pain but it works. What I always wonder is how long you let the vinegar sit before scrubbing. I've heard some people say just a few minutes and others leave it on for hours. Did you find one way worked better than the other? Seems like there's a fine line between removing rust and damaging the seasoning underneath.