How To Clean Rust Off A Blackstone Griddle

How To Clean Rust Off A Blackstone Griddle

The Blackstone griddle is one of our recent favorite appliances that we love. As we aren’t the only one who finds the Blackstone griddle amazing, there has been a lot of purchase of this outdoor equipment and this is because of its amazing features and functionality.

After use over time, the Blackstone griddle may begin to rust and this shocks a lot of people as many do not see the coming of rust on their once shiny Blackstone griddle.

Does this mean you have to discard your griddle? No. How can you get it off? We did some research on that and the following information will help you do just that.

Rust On Griddles Explained

Rust is a word used to describe the reddish-brown oxide that is usually caused as a result of an interaction between iron and oxygen, present in water or air moisture. The Blackstone griddle is made of cold rolled steel, the use of this material enables the Blackstone griddle to evenly distribute heat.

Although cold-rolled steel is a good material for the griddle, it is still steel and that makes it susceptible to rust, especially when it comes in contact with water and oxygen. There probably wouldn’t be so much fuss with rust if it only changes in color.

Rust not only changes the color of your steel, but it also weakens the metal, it does this by breaking down the molecules, which makes the break and causes damage to the entire Blackstone griddle.

What Causes The Blackstone Griddle To Rust?

What Causes The Blackstone Griddle To Rust?
Image: Reddit

Rust is common. Hence, there are a lot of reasons your Blackstone griddle is rusting. The following are the causes of rust on your griddle. Find out.

  1. The first and most known cause of rust on the Blackstone griddle is moisture. Exposing your griddle to moisture, or you live in places with high humidity such as the beach, your Blackstone griddle will accumulate rust in no time.
  2. If you store your Blackstone griddle in places where water can come on it, i.e., under a leaking roof, since it is made of iron, it will get rusty.
  3. Rust can also be caused by highly acidic food. If you love to cook food that has high acid content such as tomatoes, and citrus fruit, your Blackstone griddle will get rusty as the acid interacts with the iron.
  4. Storing your Blackstone griddle outdoors; uncovered can cause it to rust. This is because humidity and moisture from the air during the day and especially at night can make it get rusty.
  5. Keeping your Blackstone griddle in the kitchen can cause it to rust. This is because steam and water that comes as a result of cooking can accumulate on your griddle and this can cause it to rust.  

How To Clean Rust Off A Blackstone Griddle?

Cleaning off the rust accumulated on your Blackstone griddle for whatever reason is possible, however, there are stages to how much rust has accumulated on your griddle and the cleaning for each stage may be different.

While some may be intense, some may only require a little effort. Below are steps to get the rust off your Blackstone griddle. 

How To Clean Light Surface Rust

Light surface rust isn’t much of a big deal. This means that they can be easily removed and your Blackstone griddle will be restored to its beautiful self.

Needs

  • Paper towel
  • Cooking oil
  • Steel scraper
  • Nylon scouring pad
  • Heat resistant gloves

Steps To Clean

  1. Turn on the Blackstone griddle and preheat it on the highest heat for about 20 minutes, this will help in loosening the rust on the surface. Afterward, turn off the burner and let its temperature return to one that you can touch.
  2. Put on your gloves and with some paper towels, scrub the metal surface for a while. You may have to change the paper towels, and keep at it until the rust is removed from the griddle.
  3. If some rusty parts are hard to get off, you can then make use of the scraper to get them off.
  4. Clean up with a paper towel and heat the griddle for about 5 minutes while it is still hot, pour some cooking oil onto the surface, then spread the oil with paper towels. Ensure the oil is on every part of the surface. Replace the paper towels as many times as possible.
  5. It is normal for the paper towel to turn out reddish brown, this is to show that it is removing the rust. Turn on the heat again and repeat the cleaning process with some more oil. Do this until the paper towel isn’t red anymore.
  6. When you are done, rub some oil onto the surface of the griddle. This is to serve as a protective layer for the griddle.  

How To Clean Severe Rusting Of The Blackstone Griddle

When your Blackstone griddle is severely damaged by rust, it is often a result of the environment, where you live, and where it is kept. The following are ways to get severe rusting off your Blackstone griddle.

Needs

  • paper towel
  • scraper
  • cooking oil
  • heat resistant gloves
  • griddle cleaner
  • Grit water paper and sanding block

Steps To Clean

  1. Turn on the heat of the griddle and allow it to heat up for about 20 minutes. This will let the rusty parts loosen up. Turn it off and let it get cool. Next, get your gloves and begin to scrape the surface with the stainless-steel scraper.
  2. We advise that you do not scrape so hard as this can damage the surface of the griddle. However, scraping can take a long while depending on the damages done. Remove the scraped part with a paper towel.
  3. If there are more rusty parts or badly rusted parts. You should scrape some more or sand the place. If the damage made by the rust has caused the pit, you can sand the spot with water paper.
  4. When you are satisfied with the scraping, you can then apply some cooking oil to the surface of the griddle and clean it up with some paper towels.
  5. Turn on the heat for about 5 minutes and allow it to soften the griddle. Turn it off then apply some oil and spread/clean the surface with some paper towels.
  6. Ensure you put on some gloves as this surface has to be hot. Continue the oil and heat process until the rust has been removed from the surface of your Blackstone griddle.
  7. Then you should season the cooking surface to protect it from further damage.

How To Prevent Rust During Storage

The following are ways you can protect your Blackstone griddle from rusting;

  • After every cooking activity, ensure you clean the griddle, pour a layer of cooking oil on your Blackstone griddle, then spread it with a paper towel.
  • Keep your griddle in places where it is protected from moisture or water. You can place it in the garage or a garden shed. The area must be well-spaced for air to come in too.
  • If you do not use your Blackstone griddle as often, you should check on it at least once a month to clean it. Remove every dust from it.
  • Buy the Blackstone griddle cover to protect your grill from dust, humidity, and other damage.

How Often Should I Clean My Blackstone Griddle?

You should clean the Blackstone griddle after every use. You should also coat it with oil and heat it right after using it.

If you do not use your griddle for a long time, we advise that you clean it once a month.  

Final Thoughts

Blackstone griddle is loved for its versatility, and while it is an appliance that serves well, you must take proper care of it. Humidity, moisture, water, and oxygen can cause damage such as rust to your griddle. However, this is not only the cause of rust.

When your griddle begins to get old, you may begin to see appearances of rust all over it. This, however, doesn’t occur until your griddle is old.

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