Yes, you can use Easy-Off (specifically the heavy-duty formula with the yellow cap, which contains lye) on cast iron grates. It is highly effective at stripping away layers of baked-on grease and carbon buildup. However, because it strips the seasoning completely, you will need to re-season the grates afterward, just like a cast iron skillet.
Reach for the baking soda, even if your cast iron grates don't easily come out of your grill. Make a paste of 1 ½ cups ARM & HAMMER™ Baking Soda, ¼ cup dish soap, and ¼ cup white vinegar in a small bowl. It should be a frothy liquid consistency that sticks to the grill grates.
It's the seasoning that makes cast iron non stick and easy to clean. The process just involves scrubbing it clean, applying a thin layer of oil and then baking the item in the oven. (You can also clean debris from grates by spraying them with oven cleaner and bagging them, but the fumes are horrendous.)
Use a paper towel, sponge, or soft brush while the pan is still warm to remove food residue. If the food is stubbornly stuck, you can either simmer water in the pan to loosen the bits or use coarse salt as a natural abrasive. Wash the cast iron in hot water. Dry thoroughly with a clean kitchen cloth.
To clean your gas stove's cast iron grates, soak them in hot, soapy water to loosen grease. Scrub with a non-scratch or stiff-nylon brush, then apply a baking soda paste for stubborn, burnt-on food. Finally, dry them completely with a towel to prevent rusting.
To restore old, greasy, or rusted cast iron stove grates, strip the built-up residue with a soak (e.g., hot water and dishwasher tabs), scrub away rust with steel wool, and re-season them by baking a thin layer of oil in the oven at 400∘F for one hour.
Detergents aren't made with lye, so can't be soap. Either way you still shouldn't use soap with cast iron, but can use detergents, though there is no reason to do so. You can easily clean well maintained cast iron without it.
For heavy baked-on grease on stove grates, the best commercial degreaser is Easy-Off Oven Cleaner (the yellow can), which rapidly dissolves years of carbonized buildup without heavy scrubbing. For daily maintenance or lighter grease, Dawn Powerwash or an industrial-strength liquid like Zep Heavy-Duty Citrus Degreaser are highly effective.
Yes, vinegar reacts with cast iron because it is a mild acid, which can be both useful and harmful depending on the application. While it is excellent for dissolving rust in short-term applications, long-term contact will etch (eat away at) the metal, destroying the seasoning and causing permanent damage.
Using an onion to clean a grill relies on the onion's natural moisture and acidity to steam and lift grease, stuck-on food, and carbon from hot grates. This method provides several practical, culinary, and cultural benefits:
Stripping Cast Iron with Easy Off
This can be used to clean off heavy carbon build up, but will not remove rust. This method is completely safe and washing the cast iron in soap and water will remove all the lye from the piece. Once stripped and washed, if there is no rust you can now move to seasoning your cast iron.
You can safely and easily clean off stubborn messes with Dawn® Powerwash Dish Spray from stainless steel (304 grade), cast iron, or porcelain coated grills, just be sure to consult the manufacturer's instructions before hitting it with some suds.
It is generally not recommended to put cast iron stove grates into a self-cleaning oven. The extreme heat (up to 900∘F900 raised to the composed with power F900∘F) can cause the cast iron to warp, crack, or completely strip off its seasoning. Instead, try gentler methods like using baking soda, a scrub brush, or a safe degreaser.
Remove grates. Use a no-scratch cleaning pad and clean with hot water and mild detergent or a paste made of baking soda and water. Use degreasers or Easy-Off® Fume Free Oven Cleaner with a blue Scotch-Brite™ pad sparingly.
If your racks are only lightly dirty, the quick and easy methods, such as soaking them in soapy water or using dishwasher tablets, may be sufficient. However, if your racks are heavily dirty, you may need a more aggressive method, such as baking soda, aluminium foil, or ammonia.
Mistake 3: Soaking the Pan in Water
Cast iron rusts when exposed to moisture for long periods. A water soak can undo months of seasoning and require a full restoration. Wash quickly with warm water and a soft brush while the pan is still warm. Dry it immediately on low heat until all moisture evaporates.
While white vinegar is an excellent natural cleaner, its acidity means it can damage certain surfaces, strip finishes, or cause rust. You should generally avoid using it on:
Any food-safe cooking oil or shortening will work, but our Test Kitchen experts prefer vegetable oil or canola oil. WHAT'S THIS DARK RESIDUE I SEE WHEN I CLEAN MY CAST IRON? Occasionally, you may notice some dark residue on your paper towel or cloth while cleaning it.
Yes, you can use apple cider vinegar to clean cast iron, but only for rust removal, not daily cleaning. Due to its high acidity, vinegar quickly dissolves rust, but leaving it on too long can strip your non-stick seasoning or cause the bare iron to leach into your food.
To remove grease from cast iron stove grates, soak them in hot water and dish soap, then scrub with a paste of baking soda and water. For heavily baked-on grime, use a heavy-duty degreaser or ammonia in a sealed trash bag overnight, then thoroughly dry and re-season the cast iron.
Dawn is a highly effective, versatile degreaser, but it is not "just" a degreaser. It is technically a dish detergent formulated with a blend of surfactants. Because of its mild pH (around 9) and skin-safe composition, it safely breaks down fats and oils without the harsh chemicals found in heavy-duty industrial degreasers.
To quickly remove stubborn black burnt-on grease from the bottom of your oven, apply a heavy-duty commercial oven cleaner, or a homemade paste of baking soda and water. Let it sit for several hours to break down the grime, then scrub it gently with a scouring pad.
A cast iron skillet is ruined primarily by rust from soaking or improper drying, warping from extreme thermal shock (like cold water on a hot pan), or cracking if dropped. While most seasoning issues are reversible, letting rust cause deep pitting, or fracturing the iron, destroys the cookware permanently.
Yes, Dawn dish soap is perfectly safe for a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. Modern mild dish soaps are gentle enough to remove food debris and grease without stripping the pan's polymerized non-stick coating (seasoning).
If you are able to clean the skillet out by simply wiping it out, stop here. Having a small amount of oil after cleaning is not a problem. In fact, keeping a pan from drying out is an important part of long term maintenance. Over-cleaning your cast iron pan is unnecessary and will only stand to damage your seasoning.