One day you put on your favorite music to get ready to iron , you start your first step that you always do in your “ironing moment” (this time you are taking it in a positive way), you grab the iron and… Disaster! Your clothes have stuck to the iron, your iron no longer releases steam and you don’t understand what’s happening, or that beautiful white shirt that you like so much ends up with a kind of brown stain. Yes, your iron is dirty and you definitely need to clean it. In Women’s Daily we tell you some infallible ways to clean the clothes iron that you should know if it has been filled with lime, if the clothes are stuck or if your iron has burned. Take note!
My iron has become lime scale: how should I clean it?
In places where the water is hard, it is common for the iron to fill with lime, both at the base of the iron and inside (holes and tank). For this reason, manufacturers usually recommend using distilled or demineralized water when using the iron and emptying the tank after each use, to avoid lime scale (yes, we already know, who pays attention to the instructions of the iron manufacturers? ). Anyway, now that you know, maybe you can start using the correct water for ironing , but first, let’s clean it:
Steam cleaning for your iron
If it’s not that dirty, a steam clean might be enough. Half fill the tank of the iron and start steaming it continuously until all the water evaporates. You will thoroughly clean the iron, removing all the dirt it may have, so do not forget to put a container under it to collect all the dirty water. Most current irons have this cleaning function included (now, it’s time to check the instructions).
Cleaning the soleplate of the iron
If the soleplate of the iron has lime scale, clean it with a paste of baking soda and cold water . With a soft cloth, spread it on the soleplate of the iron and gently remove the stains. This method is valid for metal soleplates, ceramic ones could be scratched .
Cleaning the platen holes
This grandma trick never fails. With the iron warm, she begins to pass a candle over the surface of the soleplate of the iron and immediately activates the steam function. Next, she rubs the iron on a piece of butcher paper or a clean cloth. The candle wax that was poured over the holes will drag all the dirt and embedded lime scale into contact with the steam. When the holes have been decongested, do not forget to clean the base of the iron with a damp cloth while it is still hot.
How to clean the clothes iron if it has been burned
It happens to all of us at some point in our lives, the iron burns and we think that we have completely ruined the iron. Using a burnt iron is synonymous with destroying a garment, but, like everything in this life, iron burns also have a solution .
Use toothpaste: what toothpaste will be made of that seems to be used for everything. With the iron cold and unplugged, spread the base with toothpaste . Plug in the iron and heat it up. Activate the steam function for a few minutes and rub the iron on a clean cotton cloth until the burnt stains are removed . When you’re done, let it cool and wipe off any leftover toothpaste with a damp cloth.
The coarse salt trick : put some coarse salt on a cloth and rub the hot iron over the salt , back and forth, gently so it doesn’t scratch. This trick works with most griddles, even those with non-stick soleplates, as careful rubbing won’t scratch the griddle. When cool, wipe it down with a damp cloth and a little dish soap.
The clothes stick to the iron, what can I do?
This usually happens when some fibers get stuck to the soleplate of the iron with the heat. To avoid this, always try to check the labels on your garments to find out the correct ironing temperature. Anyway, if the tragedy has already happened, no problem, because we have a unique homemade solution, baking soda and lemon!
Make a paste with baking soda and lemon and wipe the surface of the griddle with a clean cloth. This is a powerful cleaner that will leave any metal base plate looking new, but also the kitchen surface if it is made of metal.