Our clothes appear fancy and crisp when we use irons, don’t they? Using them to eliminate wrinkles and creases from clothing is a necessary part of our daily routine. Since their soleplates can become sticky, dirty, and oily, it’s critical to clean and maintain them.
Fabrics can melt in some cases, resulting in an ugly and stubborn mess. If you take care of your iron, it will slide across your dresses, shirts, pants, and more with ease! Which person wouldn’t want that?
So, how do you clean a flat iron? Worry not, for you have come to the correct location to learn more! This article is going to provide you with the right pointers on how to properly clean it.
How To Clean an Iron
How To Clean an Iron with Newspaper
To protect your hands from the heat, preheat them to their maximum setting and put on oven mitts. Cover the ironing board with a clean, dry cloth and a piece of newspaper. With the heated iron, press the paper. The stiff, charred cloth fragments left on the metal plate will collapse if you repeat this a few times. Moreover, scrub it’s soleplate with some crumpled newspaper. You can also use a paper handkerchief for the same.
How To Clean an Iron with Nail Polish Remover
This is a fantastic way to dissolve and wipe away the dirt from your iron. Turn it on and wait for it to heat up. Using acetone nail polish remover, soak a cotton ball.
Quickly dab the moistened cotton ball on the hot surface while wearing oven mitts. Acetone nail polish remover is quick to evaporate, but it performs a fantastic job of removing any dirt! Wipe the area clean with water and cloth once you are done.
How To Clean an Iron with Baking Soda
Baking soda is a miracle worker when it comes to cleaning ovens and dishwashers. It can also clean your iron. This procedure is excellent for dissolving any gunk that has taken refuge on it. Combining just two tablespoons of baking soda and one tablespoon of water, you can make a stain-fighting paste.
Subsequently, scrub it’s soleplate with this mixture using a soft brush or towel. Simply wipe it away with water. Before using it, make sure the paste is entirely removed though and that it is absolutely dry.
How To Clean an Iron with Vinegar
Using distilled white vinegar, dampen a cloth. Wipe the iron soleplate to eliminate any crud. Some residue may remain in some cases though. Hence, soak a clean towel in distilled vinegar and rest the cool soleplate on the towel to suffice. Simply soak it for 15-30 minutes before wiping it clean.
How To Clean an Iron with Vinegar and Baking Soda
Simply soak a towel in a solution of vinegar and baking soda for a few minutes. Place the moistened towel flat on the table. Further, with it switched off, rub it over it as though ironing it.
How To Clean an Iron with Dish Detergent
Pouring a few drops of liquid dish detergent into some water is a great way to clean a flat iron. Wipe away any residue on its soleplate using a soft rag, towel, or paper towel dipped in the solution.
How To Clean an Iron with Kitchen Sponge or Scrubber
Scrub its surface with soap and water using a non-scratch kitchen sponge or scrubber. After you are done, wipe it clean with a towel and allow it to dry completely before using.
How To Clean an Iron with Salt
On a piece of paper, sprinkle a generous amount of salt. Subsequently, using a warm iron, rub that piece of paper to help remove stains and other dirt. Run it a few times, however, before unplugging it to cool. Wipe away the salt with a dry and gentle towel once it has cooled.
How To Clean an Iron with Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is a powerful cleaning agent that dissolves even the toughest grime stuck to the device’s surface. It is one of the quickest ways to clean a soleplate. Moreover, you can use it on any type of surface, including ceramic and Teflon. Simply soak a delicate cloth in lemon juice. Subsequently, rub the scorched area until the black marks are gone. While pressing a fluffy towel soaked in lemon juice, you can get comparable results.
How To Clean an Iron with Toothpaste
Simply brush the soleplate with some white non-gel toothpaste. Leave it alone for 2-3 minutes though. Wipe the surface with a soft cotton towel in gently circular motions to polish it. In addition, rinse the toothpaste thoroughly. To clear any toothpaste residue left in the steam vents, set it to the highest temperature. Besides, make use of the steam button. Subsequently, use a moist cloth to wipe it away. Before using it again, ensure that it is totally dry.
How To Clean an Iron with Dryer Sheets
Reduce its heat to low and cover the soleplates with a few dryer sheets. Nonetheless, continue rubbing until the muck is gone.
Use a damp cotton swab to clean up the steam holes (steam vents). Dip a cotton swab in a solution of water and liquid detergent. Further, insert the damp cotton swab into the steam holes and scrub them.
How To Clean an Iron with Tylenol
One of the most effective ways to clean it with charred residue is to use Tylenol. It doesn’t have to be a name brand; any acetaminophen tablet would suffice though. Set its temperature to the maximum setting. When the pill is hot, place it directly on the burned area. The tablet will dissolve the scorched region by melting and turning it into a gel. Clean the soleplate with a moist cloth or paper towel. Further, repeat as needed until the char is totally gone.
While using this method, be sure to use an oven mitt or heat-resistant gloves to protect your fingertips. If you use pliers or tweezers to grip the pill, you will wind up scratching it. There is no other way to fix it though.
How To Clean an Iron with Paracetamol
To clean it with paracetamol, firstly make sure it is really hot. Using tweezers, apply paracetamol to the rusted areas. However, once you have finished, wipe it down with a cloth. Be cautious since it will definitely still be hot. Surprisingly, you will notice later on that it is sparkling clean!
How To Clean an Iron with Cotton Swabs
Cotton swabs are the ideal tool for cleaning the steam holes from the inside out. To increase the grime-fighting efficacy, dip them in distilled white vinegar before inserting them.
How To Clean an Iron with Magic Eraser
Magic erasers and other melamine foam sponges are more like exceedingly fine sandpaper blocks than sponges. They are made of super-dense melamine foam. Their structure is as hard as glass on a microscopic level, with small air pockets throughout. Therefore, this allows them to lift difficult-to-remove stains and markings easily on just about any hard surface. And they use just a drizzle of water to do so – no extra cleaners or chemicals. Hence, they remove stains by scratching them away.
A magic eraser can help you clean it, especially if it has been scuffed by hard water. Wet your magic eraser, then wipe your cold iron over the sponge to remove the stains. If necessary, re-wet the sponge.
How To Clean an Iron with Ice
You will have a bit of a mess to deal with if it comes into contact with something plastic. However, it is not difficult to clean that up. Unplug it as soon as it comes into contact with plastic and let it cool. To quickly harden the plastic, fill a metal basin or pan with ice cubes. Subsequently, set the soleplate on top of the ice. Nonetheless, you can skip this step if the plastic is already hardened on a cool iron. Scrape away the plastic with a plastic knife, then wipe off the surface with vinegar spray or a damp rag. Before you use it again, make sure any plastic is removed. Otherwise, the plastic might melt into your clothes.
How To Clean an Iron with Hydrogen Peroxide
To clean a burnt iron, soak a towel in hydrogen peroxide. Subsequently, lay it flat on an ironing board, and press over it until the stains disappear.
How To Clean an Iron with Metal Polish
If you burnt an iron without a coated soleplate, save it by rubbing a few drops of metal polish solution. With a rag, rub the polish on the scorch marks until they disappear. Further, wipe away any moist places with a clean towel.
How To Clean an Iron with Brillo Pad
If it has stuck-on glue from a craft project, such as patching a hole, a Brillo pad can help. It removes the glue easily, without harming the soleplate.
How To Clean Burnt Fabric From an Iron
Plug it in and set the temperature to the lowest level. Allow time for it to heat up. The charred fabric should soften as it heats up. With a wooden spatula or another flat-edged wooden implement, scrape the scorched fabric off. If the soleplate is nonstick, replace it with a moist nylon mesh pad.
However, if any burnt fabric still remains, use equal amounts of baking soda and water. Wipe the burnt marks away using a towel dipped in the solution. If the burnt cloth is polyester, you can remove it using acetone nail polish remover. Further, using a pinch of table salt, sprinkle a sheet of plain paper. To remove any remaining sticky residue, run it over the salted paper a few times.
Allow it to cool after unplugging it though. To remove any salt, baking soda, or other debris, wipe the dish with a moist cloth.
How To Clean Melted Polyester From an Iron
Turn it to the lowest heat setting and plug it in. Allow it to continue to heat until the solidified melted polyester softens. Furthermore, with a wooden spatula, scrape the melted fabric from the soleplate. Using tweezers, pick off little fragments of leftover polyester. As soon as you remove the melted polyester, throw it away.
Unplug your iron and produce a mild abrasive cleaner with equal parts baking soda and water while it cools. Subsequently, scrub the soleplate with a clean towel dampened with baking soda. Thus, this helps to remove any remaining melted polyester residue. Wipe away any remaining traces of the stains with a clean towel soaked in acetone-based nail polish remover. As you lift the stain, switch to a new spot of the cloth and continue to remove the stain.
How To Clean Your Scorched Iron
- Fill it with a half-cup of distilled white vinegar and a half-cup of distilled water.
- Inspect the steam vents for any white residue or other build-ups.
- Clean them out with a toothpick or toothbrush dipped in vinegar.
- Wait about 5 minutes after plugging it in and setting it to steam.
- Press and hold the steam button for 30 seconds, or until the steam reaches maximum force.
- Repeat the last step 5 times more.
- Turn the iron off, disconnect it, and set it aside to cool.
- Remove the remaining vinegar and water.
How To Clean an Iron Water Reservoir and Steam Vents
While cleaning it, remember to clean the interior as well. Minerals from hard water can accumulate inside an iron’s steam vents, thus reducing its efficacy.
To get rid of stale odors and clogged steam vents, empty the water reservoir and replace it with distilled water. Place the iron on a high setting with full steam and position it upright. Nonetheless, allow it to cool before using it. Therefore, this will allow steam to escape and clear the vents. You can also press an old towel for a few minutes to flush the particles onto the cloth using steam. Remove any remaining water from the reservoir once it cools. If necessary, carefully loosen deposits from the steam vents with a cotton swab or toothbrush. However, do not pour vinegar into the water reservoir.
How To Make an Iron Work Longer?
- Follow the instructions and recommendations of the manufacturer.
- Wipe the iron soleplate right before you use it.
- Press over delicate fabrics through a cotton cloth.
- Clean the soleplate only after it has cooled down.
- Get rid of any leftover water from the container every time after pressing.
- Descale your device on a regular basis.
- Do not rub the soleplate against sharp surfaces, at all.
- Avoid using strong chemicals, which are intended for metals.
How To Maintain an Iron
- Clean your iron as needed. However, do so at least twice a year or as the manufacturer recommends.
- Minerals and deposits in tap water can clog steam vents, corrode metal, and harm it. Henceforth, use only distilled water.
- When it is cold and switched off, fill the water reservoir. Moreover, wipe the moisture off the outside before plugging it in.
- After each usage, empty the water reservoir in it. Furthermore, wipe the moisture off the outside before storing it.
- To avoid leaks, store it upright when cool. Additionally, face the soleplate away from other items to avoid scratches.
- Use the suggested ironing settings for certain textiles. Besides, avoid pressing over snaps, buttons, decals, hooks pins, metal or plastic zippers.