Coca Cola should work well. I'd also suggest vinegar. I'm using about 8 gallons of the stuff to clean brake drums on my Imperial - does a very nice job in about 72 hours. A few minutes with steel wool to brush off what the vinegar loosened and then dry (with alcohol) and paint as quickly as possible before the rust starts again (obviously no paint on you pan though )

jlc

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Jeff

'87 560SEL 267K (177K on motor) Blue/Blue
'98 Buick LeSebre 60K (wife's car)
'56 Imperial Sedan 124K
Past Cars:
'67 Dodge Monaco 130K (Sold)
'87 Chrysler 5th Ave 245K and going strong (sold)
'73 Plymouth Satillite 175K (sold)
'96 Chrysler LHS 80K (totaled)

I have a set of Wagners and when a couple got rusty, I blasted them with walnut shells. When the buildup gets to be too much, since I burn things often, it's easy to put them in an electric oven during the cleaning cycle. Rinse and then reseason.

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You can get farther with a smile and a gun than you can with just a smile.

1984 300D
1985 300CD
1980 300SD
1993 SL500

A little advice from a South Texan who has eaten more fried food out of cast iron skillets than most people have had hot lunches.

1. Clean the skillet with a Scotch bright and water. Cast iron only gets surface rust and the scotch bright will clean that off easily.

2. Don't use Coke, lye, soap, acid, etc. You don't want to remove the oils and fats that have impregnated the pan.

3. Buy some really good bacon. At least a pound. Cook the bacon, all of it, in the skillet on top of the stove. Take the bacon out and dry it on some newspaper or paper towels. Swish the grease around so that it covers the entire in side of the pan.

4. Put the pan in an over and heat it to 350-400 deg. Let it season for one half to one hour. Every once in a while use a basting brush to coat the sides of the pan. Hold the pan handle with a really good pot holder. It is very hot at this point.

5. While waiting for the pan to season eat the bacon-all of it.

6. Feel guilty about eating the bacon but not about ruining the skillet.

7. When finished using a cast iron skillet NEVER clean it with soap and water.

8. Wipe it out with paper towels. Store it in a brown paper grocery sack. If some food sticks to the pan scrape it off but DO NOT use soap or steel wool.

9. Go buy some more bacon. It will give you an excuse to use the pan again.

That's SLAB bacon,my man,not the thinly sliced anorexic crap retailed at your local Piggly Wiggly.

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I think that's what he meant by "really good bacon". Good bacon doesn't come anyother way.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

WOW there are Piggly Wigglys in New York? Shop the Pig! Remember The Red Owl?

Gilly

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Click here to see the items I have up for auction at EBay

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I agree...nothing like hand sliced slab bacon fried up with eggs over easy and toast and hot chocolate on a cold winter morning...mmm mmmm good. Damn..now I am salivating.

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Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Ya know, I personally prefer a little salt & pepper on my bacon. The hot chocolate might make it a little runny.

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DJ


84 300D Turbodiesel 190K with 4 speed manual sold in 03/2012

Never clean it with soap and water is a stretch. Soap is a bad idea because it will remove the seasoning, carbon and oils. I have had people tell me to never use water on a cast iron pan and that is bull, food is mostly water, water is ok.