Has anyone used oven cleaner on the outside of your cast iron? Do you think it would hurt a skillet or pan if oven cleaner was used on it?

This is an interesting question. First thought that comes to mind, knowing it is porous.. Would I want to eat of anything that has soaked up that cleaner?
Will be watching for suggestions. I have never cleaned mine.

Why are you wanting to clean a cast iron skillet on the outside?
I remember getting in tons of trouble when I was a teenager for trying to thoroughly scrub my mom's cast iron skillet. It had taken me a long time to get it 'clean' and then I found out I'd messed it up and we had to spend forever getting it 'seasoned' again so stuff wouldn't stick when we cooked.
So I'm not about to do more than minimal cleaning to a cast iron skillet(or cornbread stick pan)now!

My husband says NO that the chemicals will seep into the actual cast iron and get into the food and will poison you.
You can use Sand to clean the outside.

All my Mom ever did was if the Pan was built up on the outside was to put 'It' in a fire to burn it off! then she would have to 'cure/treat' the pan again. 8-) You can do this in your oven at a very high temp say 450 to 500 to burn it off.

Totally agree!!

Good to know!!

You can take a wire brush to the outside of the pan :D:D:D

Thanks everyone for the info. I thought the oven cleaner might be a bit much. My mother always put hers in the fire outside too, but that was in Kentucky. We are virtually banned from having any fire outside here. The oven and wire brush sounds like they would work. Sand sounds like a lot of work and I am too lazy to try that.

FROM KENTUCKY...we put ours in a bon fire here too