Cast Irons

How to Clean and Restore Rusty Cast Iron

Published Fri Oct 02 2026

Rust looks alarming, but cast iron is hard to ruin. Unless a pan is cracked or badly pitted, you can almost always bring it back.

Is the pan worth saving?

  • Surface rust (orange or brown, powdery): easy to fix.
  • Deep pitting (rough craters you can feel): usable, but food may stick more.
  • Cracks or a warped base: the pan is unsafe to heat and should be retired.

What you need

  • Steel wool or a stiff scrubbing pad
  • White vinegar and water (for heavier rust)
  • Dish soap and a brush
  • Paper towels or a lint-free cloth
  • A thin cooking oil such as canola or vegetable oil
  • An oven

Steps

  1. Scrub first. For light rust, steel wool and soap and water often remove it. Work until you see bare grey metal.
  2. Use a vinegar soak only if needed. Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a tub large enough for the pan. Soak for 30 minutes, then check. Never leave it overnight, because the acid can start to eat into the metal and leave it pitted.
  3. Scrub again and rinse. Vinegar loosens the rust, but you still need to scrub it off. Rinse with water.
  4. Dry immediately and completely. Towel it dry, then warm it on a burner or in a low oven for a few minutes. Cast iron can start to rust again within minutes if it stays damp.
  5. Re-season. The pan will look dull because the old seasoning is gone. Follow our seasoning guide: wipe on a very thin coat of oil, wipe it off as if you made a mistake, and bake it upside down at a high temperature for an hour. Repeat a few times.

Keeping the rust away

  • Dry the pan right after washing, every time.
  • Rub in a few drops of oil before storing.
  • Store it somewhere dry, and don’t stack pans with lids sealed on them.

Common mistakes

  • Soaking for hours in vinegar, which damages the surface.
  • Skipping the drying step.
  • Putting oil on a still-damp pan, which traps moisture and rust comes back.

Watch

Further reading