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).