Despite clean laundry, an iron needs to be cleaned every now and then. This is because synthetic fibers and fabric labels of textiles stick to the iron itself and clog or gum up the steam vents. In order not to soil the laundry, you should therefore clean your iron regularly.
Effectively cleaning an iron
Cleaning with vinegar
What you’ll need:
- Vinegar
- Cloth
- soft, dry cloth
Instructions:
To ensure it iron glides wonderfully again, place the cold iron on a cloth soaked in vinegar. Let it soak for a while and then wipe it off with a soft cloth .
Cleaning with oven spray
What you’ll need:
- Oven spray
- cotton swab
- damp cloth
Instructions:
High-quality irons can be excellently cleaned of stains with a commercially available oven spray. You just have to make sure that the iron is still slightly warm. It must not be too hot, as the spray could burn onto the iron soleplate.
After spraying, the steam vents of the iron can be easily cleaned with the help of cotton swab. Then the spray residues are removed with the damp cloth.
Extra tip: A grill cleaner also works instead of an oven spray!
Cleaning with a candle
What you’ll need:
- Candle
- Cloth
Instructions:
If you don't have oven spray at hand, you can also clean the iron with this tip: the iron is slightly heated so that it is lukewarm. Now you can wrap a normal candle in a cloth and treat the iron soleplate with it. Through this inexpensive and safe method, you get the iron sparkling clean again.
Note: Caution with steam irons with aluminum soleplates. The surface is very sensitive on these devices. You should avoid working with chemical agents here if possible. Also, working with rough aids like sandpaper or polishes is not recommended. This roughens the iron soleplate and the device no longer glides smoothly. To clean these irons, you should use lukewarm water and, if necessary, a glass scraper.
Removing stains on the iron with toothpaste
If unsightly stains have formed on the ironing surface, then toothpaste can help. First, spread the cream on the cold ironing surface, then wipe it off while still damp.
Iron glides perfectly again
Beeswax can help so that the iron glides easily over the laundry again. To do this, rub a beeswax candle over the slightly heated iron surface. After cooling, polish with a soft cloth.
Aluminum foil makes the iron glide
If the iron can no longer be moved smoothly over the fabric, you have to pull it briefly over aluminum foil. Afterwards, it glides very easily again.
Cleaning steam irons
Sometimes it happens that you run a steam iron over the print of a T-shirt and suddenly everything is stuck to the underside. You can get this problem under control again with a white eraser. Rub the cooled soleplate of the iron with the eraser, and it will glide wonderfully again.
Photo by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
Read also: Cleaning stainless steel pots
