How to Clean an Iron at Home: 6 Tips and Tricks

Neglecting the rules of ironing can leave behind unpleasant surprises not only on clothes in the form of burn marks but also on the iron. In fact, this is a common problem that absolutely everyone faces. To avoid such situations, you should take into account the temperature regime suitable for ironing a particular type of fabric. But, as a rule, we remember this after the element of your favorite shirt or sweater appears on the surface of the iron.

If the thing is already completely damaged and cannot be restored, then it is still possible to revive the iron. In cases where there are no special pencils, spray, powder, or other cleaning products at hand, tips from the Internet are used.

Natural Cleaning Solutions for Your Iron

Even though modern models of irons are equipped with a self-cleaning function, they still need additional care. Indeed, in the process of removing contaminants, you can try to get rid of scale and rust deposits, but this function will not get rid of soot on the sole. No matter how much you would like it, any iron may require manual cleaning from time to time.

We offer you to get acquainted with the most popular ways to remove traces of use on the surface of this little household helper. And for this, we need funds that can always be found at home.

Using Toothpaste to Clean an Iron

Cleaning the soleplate in this way is very simple, and the procedure itself will take very little time. Well, let’s get started:

• Turn on the iron on medium power and wait until it heats up.
• Disconnect the iron from the power supply.
• Arm yourself with toothpaste and a brush.
• Apply the toothpaste evenly to the sole with a brush.
• Wait for the paste to dry.
• Dampen a dish sponge or cloth with water and remove the toothpaste along with the soot.
• Wipe the sole with a dry cloth.

That’s all! Your iron is like new.

Using Lemon Acid to Clean an Iron

Every housewife knows that with the help of citric acid, you can quickly get rid of scale since an acidic environment is detrimental to such contaminants. This method is well-suited for ceramic and Teflon-coated irons.

For cleaning, we need a bag of citric acid and water. And then follow the instructions below:

• Dissolve two teaspoons of citric acid in a glass of water.
• Pour the liquid into the iron tank and turn it on at full power.
• The iron will need to be held in a horizontal position over some kind of container where dirty water will drain.
• In turn, press the buttons with the blowing agent and with the nozzle of the water sprinkler. We carry out the procedure until the water in the tank runs out.
• To remove residual citric acid inside the system, fill the tank with clean water and repeat the procedure.
• Wipe dry the surface of the iron.

Such cleaning is recommended to be carried out once every six months. If your iron is heavily soiled and after the first attempt to get rid of the scale failed, you can once again run water with citric acid through the system.

Using Vinegar to Clean an Iron

You can try to remove traces of burnt tissue with table vinegar. And there are two ways:

• Soak a cotton pad (sponge) in vinegar and wipe the soleplate of the heated iron. Simply remove the remaining soot with a dry cloth.
• If the pollution turned out to be more serious, try this option. Dilute the vinegar with water in a ratio of 1:1. Soak a cloth in the solution and place it on the ironing board. Preheat the iron to maximum temperature and start ironing the fabric. Nagar should disappear. Important! Steam with an unpleasant odor will be released during ironing. Therefore, open a window for ventilation or arm yourself with a medical respirator, which you definitely have left somewhere from the time of covid.

Many even make a solution of vinegar to clean the iron from the scale that has accumulated inside. But citric acid will do it better.

Using Baking Soda to Clean an Iron

This is an equally popular method that you need to take note of. All you need is baking soda, water, and a small piece of cloth.

• Pour a tablespoon of baking soda into a small container. Add some water to form a paste-like consistency.
• Soak a cloth in the solution and work the cold soleplate.
• When finished, wipe the surface with a damp sponge to remove any remaining baking soda.

If soda gets into the holes on the sole, use a steam generator to get rid of it.

Using Salt and paraffin

At first glance, it may seem that this method is very dubious and unlikely to work. But online reviews say otherwise. Well, we have no choice but to add it to our rating of quick ways to clean the iron.

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Prepare a paraffin candle, fine salt, and several sheets of white paper. Ready? Then let’s get started.

• Grate the paraffin from the candle.
• Spread crushed paraffin and fine salt on a piece of paper.
• Heat the iron to maximum temperature.
• Walk the device well over the mixture on paper. Don’t worry, paraffin is very easy to remove from the surface.
• Take clean sheets of paper and go over the iron again to get rid of the wax residue.

Voila! The working surface of the household appliance again pleases with its cleanliness.

Hydrogen peroxide

The sole of the iron can be wiped with hydrogen peroxide, which is in every home first aid kit.

Soak a cotton swab or cloth in peroxide and thoroughly wipe the cold soleplate.

When choosing one of the ways to clean the iron, it is important to consider the surface that you have to work with. Metal ones are more resistant to scratches and less finicky in care. If we are talking about ceramic or Teflon coating, then we must be extremely careful here. Such surfaces require delicate cleaning without the use of objects that can leave unpleasant marks.

How to prevent the formation of scale and burns

Let’s highlight a few important points to prevent the appearance of various contaminants:

• Choice of ironing temperature. In order for your things to retain their appearance and not get traces of iron, choose a certain temperature for ironing. Not to be mistaken about it, labels on clothes will help you, where there is all the necessary information.
• The quality of the water used. Pour purified water or settled tap water into the tank. In this way, you will minimize the risk of contamination of the steam system.

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