I have some very old..I call them muffin tins but theya re shaped like miniature bundt pans....and I just wipe with a paper towel with crisco until I have all the loose rust off.
Steel wool would remove it, but likely would also remove the tin coating....and so would Naval Jelly...but I don't want to use that where my food is also cooked.
Crisco works for me.
Linda C

Actually, Bar Keepers Friend and a Scotch Brite pad does a fine job of cleaning up the rust.

Barkeeper's Friend contains Oxalic acid, which is a great rust remover, but how do you feel about using it on cooking surfaces?
Probably no reason to feel that way...but I am cautious....but if you rinse well......??
Good call GL.
Linda c

How do I feel about using it on cooking surfaces?

Considering that oxalic acid is a major component of broccoli and other dark green leafies, doesn't bother me at all. If I stopped using BKF because of the oxalic acid I would have to stop eating all those great veggies too.

And if the alternative is to use a non-stick teflon coating, with all the problems that can cause, it's a no-brainer for me.

I use BKF on all my stainless cookware, and have never seen a residue from lack of rinsing. They wouldn't have that pretty, polished look if there was residue from the BKF. So, even if oxylic acid was dangerous, there's none left behind.

You seem to have a thing about BKF, Linda. But have you ever read the labels on other kitchen cleaning products? Virtually all of them contain ingredents that are potentially harmful. For instance, Soft Scrub (which Friend Wife uses, so happens to be handy) contains "sufactants and hypochlorite bleach" and carries the warning: Avoid contact with eyes. May cause skin irritation." There's also a caution that prolonged use on certain surfaces can cause discoloring. Hmmmmm? Do we really want to use something that can discolor porcelain counters on our dishes?

If we started listing the contraindications to using household bleach and household ammonia we'd be here the rest of the night.

All in all, I think this is an issue in search of a controversy. But it's not a meaningful problem.

....particularly parsley, chives, and spinach. Anybody going to give them up because of the high oxalic acid content?

Oxalic Acid Content of Selected Vegetables

Vegetable Oxalic acid
(g/100 g)
Amaranth 1.09
Asparagus .13
Beans, snap .36
Beet leaves .61
Broccoli .19
Brussels sprouts .36
Cabbage .10
Carrot .50
Cassava 1.26
Cauliflower .15
Celery .19
Chicory .21
Chives 1.48
Collards .45
Coriander .01
Corn, sweet .01
Cucumbers .02
Eggplant .19
Endive .11
Garlic .36
Kale .02
Lettuce .33
Okra .05
Onion .05
Parsley 1.70
Parsnip .04
Pea .05
Pepper .04
Potato .05
Purslane 1.31
Radish .48
Rutabaga .03
Spinach .97
Squash .02
Sweet potato .24
Tomato .05
Turnip .21
Turnip greens .05
Watercress .31

Wow! a lot more information than I could have hoped for! Thanks everyone! I'll try the Barkeepers Friend, since I want to get some for my cookie sheets as well.