DH cleaned up everything from the mouse problem we had earlier this year, however, he forgot the cabinet above the microwave and that is where he had stuck my big cast iron skillet along with other things. Yep, that nasty little rodent had a ball chewing up the cardboard label on the inside of the Lodge skillet and doing it's dirties. I can wash the other items that were up there in hot soapy bleach water, but the cast iron skillet.... I know you don't use soap on them. The little pest peed on the top of one side and you can see a slight rusting there going down the inside. How in the world do I clean and sanitize my skillet?

You can wash it good with soap and water, then on old style cast iron, heat it back up to season it.

Use the soap / brillo but just re-season.

Yes, you can scrub the heck out of it with soap/hot water and reseason it. BTW: Read up on the Hantavirus from mouse urine-Be careful!

Thank you ever so much everyone for letting me know how I can clean this. Its a brand new skillet and I would like to get lots of use out of it like I do my dutch ovens.I'm very familiar with the hantavirus that you can get from mice. A lot of the Natives in the southwest have gotten it. That's another reason I was concerned. DH had a heart transplant eight years ago so his immune system is pretty well shot. I don't really want to get it either. Well, bleach, soapy hot water and elbow grease, here I come. Then we will proceed with another seasoning. Thanks again, everyone!

Need Some Advice On Cast Iron Problem | Good Sam Community

22 Replies

PGR_Skye
Explorer
Nov 14, 2013
Thanks so much, everyone. I haven't done it yet, but I'm going to put it in the oven and let it do its self cleaning cycle on it. Then I will do several seasonings on it. Just can't bring myself to throw otherwise good cast iron away.
cherrykiss3
Explorer
Nov 14, 2013
I agree with the don't throw it away crowd. If you want to get rid of it let me know. I will pay you the postage to get it to me. I can't hardly cook w/out my cast iron.!

Cherry
Uually
Explorer
Nov 12, 2013
If you throw it away let me know where you throw it. We cut up some potatoes, are use the peelings and cook them. Seems like they pull a lot a lot of bad things from cast iron. Then re season your skillet. GOOD LUCK
SWMO
Explorer
Nov 11, 2013
PGR_Skye wrote:
I dried it, seasoned it and put it in a 300 oven for and hour and a half.

I would do the seasoning at least 3 times. I would also kick the temperature up to 350-375. I don't think one is enough and I also generally try to fry with a lot of oil or fatty meats for a start after seasoning just for good measure. You're trying to develop a long term surface so don't hurry it.
As far as the porous goes, bull, if they were that porous you could never rid one of rust because it would go too deep. They are rough, but not porous. Nothing biological is so toxic it can survive 5 minutes at 300, much less 90 minutes.
opnspaces
Navigator III
Nov 11, 2013
I'm with the self cleaning oven crowd. Just put it dry in the oven and start a self cleaning cycle. Let it sit in the oven after the cycle until it's cool and then season it.
Self cleaning ovens heat to about 900 degrees F almost 500 C for three hours so the Hantavirus if present just isn't going to make it out alive or even intact.
PGR_Skye
Explorer
Sep 26, 2013
I have totally washed it in hot, soapy, bleach water, scrubbed the urine spots repeatedly. I dried it, seasoned it and put it in a 300 oven for and hour and a half. I have a self cleaning Jennaire oven and am thinking about using the self cleaning the next time we're out then go through the washing, re-seasoning and heating in the oven again. Thanks to every one for input. Oh, and I haven't totally dismissed buying a new Lodge skillet to replace it.
Go_Dogs
Explorer
Sep 26, 2013
My mother said that her big 12 inch skillet was her 'First line of Defense'. She always kept it on the stove. Knowing my mom, I pity the unwelcome fool that tried to get in that kitchen! So, I smile thinking about some of the 'questionable' history, behind vintage iron!
Don't throw it away!
Wishbone51
Explorer
Sep 26, 2013
Us out West wrote:
whiteeye42 wrote:
if it was me i would throw it away because cast iron is porus and the pee has soaked in to it and mouse pee is very toxic and it could leech out once you heat it back up so why take the chance

Agree...just get a new one...not expensive.

Strip and start over with the self cleaning oven or a lye bath for a week. Nothing will live through that. No need to throw away a perfectly good skillet.. Remember, it's supposed to last for several lifetimes. I'm sure some of my vintage stuff has had a questionable past. The only thing you don't want to mess with is lead.. Some people use CI skillets to melt lead.
hobbssb
Explorer
Sep 26, 2013
If you reheat the skillet at high temperatures for long periods of time as suggested for re-seasoning it, it will kill anything lingering in the cracks and crevices. Don't throw away a perfectly good pan!
Us_out_West
Explorer
Sep 26, 2013
whiteeye42 wrote:
if it was me i would throw it away because cast iron is porus and the pee has soaked in to it and mouse pee is very toxic and it could leech out once you heat it back up so why take the chance

Agree...just get a new one...not expensive.