Scrub with salt and oil. It's that simple.

Yes, you can remove rust without destroying your seasoning—if you’re smart about it.

The trick is to use something abrasive enough to knock off rust but gentle enough to leave the seasoning mostly intact. Coarse salt (kosher or sea salt) with a splash of oil is your best bet. Pour in a generous amount of salt, add a little oil to make a paste, then scrub with a paper towel or a soft cloth. The salt grinds away the rust, the oil keeps everything from getting too aggressive, and the seasoning underneath usually survives.

For tougher spots, a chainmail scrubber works well too. Just avoid steel wool on seasoned areas—it’ll tear up your hard work. If the rust is patchy and light, you might even get away with just a dry scrub using a stiff brush.

What you don’t want: soaking in vinegar or scrubbing with baking soda paste. Those methods strip seasoning fast. They work for stripping rust completely, but that’s not what you’re after.

After scrubbing, rinse, dry thoroughly (heat it on the stove for a minute to be sure), then rub a very thin layer of oil back on. Cook something fatty soon after to help the seasoning recover.

Your pan will be fine. Just don’t reach for the sand