Use steel wool, wire brush, or best of all a wire wheel chucked in a drill, to remove the rust. Then season the pot as you would a new one. It will be perfectly fine.

It sounds like there was still moisture on the pot when you put it in the oven. That would cause rust to form. Remove the rust as johnliu says, making sure it is completely dry. Then reseason.

Cheryl

Internet is interesting. I am not sure who originated the idea that self-cleaning oven can remove rust.

Do what John suggests.

However, if you don't have a high speed drill and a rotary wire brush, you can go to an auto parts store and ask for rust remover.

Follow directions closely.

dcarch

I got this tip from a guy I purchased a vintage griswold from. I have had good luck putting the pan in a plastic garbage bag and dousing it with ovencleaner, sealing it tight with a knot and letting it sit for a week or more. I do this all outside due to the fumes. The baked on, rusted on crud just falls off. I then clean it multiple times and reseason to use.

Self-cleaning oven removes seasoning (like oven cleaner) but not rust. It wasn't a gas oven was it? Or humid climate? I'm surprised it got THAT rusty! Once the seasoning is off, rust comes pretty fast. Just scrub off the rust, dry it, and season.

I picked up an orange skillet that was heavily coated with grease and crud. I asked here for some ideas as to how to clean it and put it in a bag with oven cleaner as as GWolo mentioned. Left it out all day in the sun. Came out good as (almost) new.

{{gwi:1471998}}

Thanks for the advice, all! Perhaps I will "go incrementally" and try rust removal and re-seasoning first - and if that doesn't cut it, then the oven cleaner in bag. Will try to post a pix if it works.

jubilee, I'd also try to scrub off the rust and then re-season, I've got some pretty old cast iron and I've picked up an old Griswold at a yard sale and managed to salvage it.

It lasts forever, but I sure wouldn't think of abusing it via a self-clean cycle. Not that my cheap basic over has a self-clean cycle, LOL.

Annie

jasdip and others -- Are you using oven cleaner on the inside cooking surface, too? I usually use Easy-Off Fume-Free, is that the kind of oven cleaner you're using?

Naw, simply the 4 hr. self clean cycle - with the pot turned upside down on the rack about an inch above the stove bottom. I have yet to deal with all the new rust - but will try to grab some time today or tomorrow.

Aliceinmd.........I took the pan, can of oven cleaner and my skillet outside. I put the skillet in a plastic bag and coated it inside and out with the oven cleaner and twist-tied the bag. I left it in the sun and checked on it periodically and sprayed more cleaner if I felt it needed it. I just used a store brand of oven cleaner.

When I used the oven cleaner, I handed it and the pot and a garbage bag to the spouse and said "go".

Worked great.

If my cast iron has any rust I just grease them down and throw them in the bon fire about once a year. ;-) No I really don't do that but I hear that it works.

I never get rust. Must be the humidity that we live in. After using/cooking with our cast iron I always wipe out my cast iron with a paper towel, then slightly clean with a wet towel and then reseason with vegetable oil. Olive oil will make your cast iron sticky for the next use.

"---When I used the oven cleaner, I handed it and the pot and a garbage bag to the spouse and said "go".
Worked great.
---"

In this method, you can get much better results (or your spouse can) if you place the black garbage bag in bright sun.

The solar energy heats up the the whole thing to high heat and that makes the chemical work significantly more active.

dcarch

Yup. Black bag in the summer sun. Only one application. Then the spouse got to wash it.

(If you're gonna play the pregnancy card, play it!)

Oiling CI after you have washed and dried it, but before storing it, does not add any seasoning. The only reason to do it is to prevent rust. To add seasoning, you have to heat any oil beyond its smoke point.

I never oil my CI between uses. I live in an extremely dry climate. I don't think my CI would rust even if I stored it outside.

Well, taking a second look, even though there was mucho rust after using the self-clean oven approach, I saw a lot of gray underneath - a good sign. So, after watching a few You-tubes on the subject - I rinsed out the pot with hot water - thoroughly dried with cloth and over gas burner, put on American Idol, and tackled it with absorbent cloths, oil, shortening and salt. I just kept cleaning and cleaning - never got it quite all off, but finally applied the recommended grapeseed oil and let it preheat in a 400 degree oven. Got engrossed in Idol - so it probably stayed in the oven for an hour. Happily, the grapeseed oil sealed it up quite solidly - and the cloth wiped over it comes out perfectly clean! The pan bottom almost matches the lid again (which had not been affected). I will do another couple of cycles of oiling and preheating. (Will post my phone photos if and when I can find the proper cable to upload.) Thanks to each of you for the input.