How to Clean Your Iron
Stop what you are doing. Run over to your iron and take a look at that heating plate. Is it gross? Chances are, there is a bit of buildup that you need to take care of. If you don’t, that buildup will often start to burn and stain your fabrics when you use the iron in steam mode. Here are some of our favorite easy tips and tricks to clean your iron at home before you resort to buying the expensive tube of iron cleaning cream (or a whole new iron).
Cleaning Inside the Iron
This is necessary to remove the limescale and other impurities left behind by hard water. First, though, you will need to find out if your steam iron automatically de-scales water itself. If it does, then you should either replace the filter cartridge, remove the permanent filter for cleaning manually or follow the calc-clean procedure. In either of these cases, is NOT advisable to follow the vinegar cleaning method shown below as the acidity can damage these filters.
If your steam iron DOES NOT use a de-scaling system, then you can de-scale it manually by using a mixture of one-part water and one-part vinegar (white vinegar is best) and pouring it into the water tank. Get a clean, white towel and continually steam and iron the towel until the water tank is empty. Now, repeat a second time but this time use only plain water.
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Cleaning the Base Plate / Sole Plate
The easiest way to turn freshly laundered clothing into stained rags is by using an iron with a dirty base plate.
Nobody wants to ruin their garments, especially when the problem can be prevented easily.
If the bottom of your iron just needs a good cleaning:
1.Make sure the iron has been turned off and cooled.
2.Make a solution of mild dish soap and water to clean.
3.Using a dishcloth, wipe the bottom of the iron with the cleaning solution
4.Rinse the bottom of the iron complete to remove the cleaning solution
Cleaning the Outside Casing
Allow the iron to cool down fully, and then wipe over with a damp cloth and mild detergent (such as a washing-up liquid), then wipe with a dry cloth.
Removing Scorch Stains
If you have scorch stains try the following:
1.Place one cup of vinegar into a small saucepan.
2.Add four tablespoons of salt and heat this until the salt is dissolved.
3.Let the solution cool until it is lukewarm.
4.Dip a nylon scrubby pad (not a metal pad as this can scratch the bottom of the iron) into the cleaning mixture. Gently scrub the soleplate until all sediment has been removed. This can take a while if there is also a build-up of starch on the metal. You will need to keep scrubbing until the base is shiny and smooth.
5.Once you are finished scrubbing, remove any trace of vinegar residue with clean water.
A clean base plate not only makes the iron more effective but produces cleaner, crisper lines on your clothing.
Any remaining solution can be stored in a glass container for future use. Be sure to let it get to room temperature before storage or the glass could break. Remember to heat the solution before each use.
