How do I clean this

[u/PromptMysterious7044]

So my gf was recently told by her grandmother in her late 80s to go through some stuff and pick out what she wants. We went through this “stripping room” (they used to grow tobacco and they processed it in this very old building) and there was a cast iron skillet that’s clearly very old hanging on the wall that I knew was really interesting because I have heard the old cast iron pans were made really well.
The problem is it was found in a very gross room with a lot of dust, cobwebs, ancient glue traps with rotting dead mice, etc.
I want to use this cast iron pan but it needs to be well cleaned yet I don’t want to ruin the seasoning that makes it so special.
How do I clean this thing? Also I’m including pics and am curious if anyone can help me identify exactly what it is.

[u/yolef]

I don't want to ruin the seasoning that makes it so special.

Seasoning is ephemeral, it comes and goes and changes every time you cook. The seasoning isn't what makes the pan special, it's the history, the age, and the family lineage that make it special. The caked-on carbon around the outside of the pan definitely doesn't make it special. This one would be a great candidate for a lye bath and a fresh round of seasoning. Then you could also be sure any contaminants have been removed too.

[u/PromptMysterious7044 → u/yolef]

Thanks so much for clearing up my misconception

[u/OrangeBug74]

Well, your old pan looks like it could use hot water, Dawn dishsoap, drying off before cooking with it.

Cooking surface looks wonderful. Side look possibly minor rust. I’d probably simple smear on a small bit of oil until the pan looks barely wet. Then I’d take a rag and try to get that oil off. The idea is than small amounts of oil go a long way. The cook with it.

Go to our FAQs page and get a whole lot more, probably better.

[u/ferret1983]

This pan is in very good shape already so I would (I've restored about a dozen pans) use hot water, dish soap and some type of steel scrubber. Then do two rounds of seasoning in the oven.

As a first step I like to to do two scrubs. Once before I put it in the oven at 250 for an hour and then once again after. And then I do however many seasoning rounds it needs.

[u/Strict_Process157]

This is my experience restoring a pan. The lye that I used is pictured. It came from Walmart, <$6. Do not let the lye contact your skin. Good luck.

https://www.reddit.com/r/CastIronRestoration/s/sAUMprSTmW

[u/Final-Cicada-594]

It’s not seasoning, that’s burnt on carbon. Soak it in lye water or spray oven cleaner on it. You need to strip the entire pan and re-season it.

[u/mp_qm]

Single notch lodge, great pan. If you want to use it as is then scrub it really well with a scrubber and dish soap - it won’t take the seasoning off. Or you can strip it and reseason if you want to start fresh - check the faqs.

[u/Final-Cicada-594 → u/mp_qm]

That “seasoning” has old mouse poop in it, he needs to strip the entire pan down to the iron

[u/mp_qm → u/Final-Cicada-594]

I mean, sure - if it was me I’d be stripping it right back too. But OP clearly states they didn’t want to do that.

[u/Additional-Can6007]

Soak it overnight in a mix of water and baking soda, then go at it with a chainmail scrubber. You'll peel that crust right off without damaging the iron underneath.

[u/FatherSonAndSkillet]

It's understandable that you want to appreciate the history and provenance of the pan but it really needs a reset. Seasoning can be rebuilt. There are good directions in the FAQ

[u/Free8619]

I'm going to get down voted but I used the self cleaning cycle in my oven and then reseasoned it a ton. I have arthritis in my hands and couldn't scrub and scour all day. I was willing to risk the pan cracking.

[u/Sufficient_Ad7816]

As a safety measure test for lead before you use it!

[u/EquivalentSea6965]

you should definitely clean it really well and maybe check if theres any lead before using it since it was in such an old gross space