7 homemade tricks to clean your iron

You may have heard of a homemade trick to clean the base of an iron that involves candle wax and steel wool. This is a very old tip, but it’s not the best way to do this cleaning.

Wax leaves residue on the soleplate of the iron which, when heated again, can stick to clothes and cause a yellowing effect.

Steel wool, in turn, can produce small scratches on the sheet, which you may not even notice with the naked eye. The problem is that, when ironing the fabrics, these scratches can end up wrinkling your clothes instead of smoothing them.

Before cleaning your iron correctly, consult the manufacturer’s manual and always observe the material with which the plate is made and whether it has a non-stick coating. Knowing that, take a look at our tips:

Cleaning the iron base without non-stick

If your iron plate does not have a non-stick coating (Teflon), you can use substances with abrasive power to remove residues that are stuck to the base.

Always unplug the iron and wait for the iron to cool before starting any type of cleaning on your appliance. Know the methods to clean this type of device:

1. Vinegar and salt

Make a mixture of salt and vinegar in equal parts and heat until the salt dissolves, without letting the vinegar boil. Soak a cloth in this solution while it is still hot (wearing rubber gloves to avoid burns) and rub the base of the iron until it is clean. You can take the opportunity to clean the outside of the device as well.

If the cloth is not able to remove the accumulated residue, use a sponge or a brush that is not made of metal. Remember to scrub the steam vents too.

Since vinegar can damage marble and other stone surfaces, it is wise to line the area where you will be cleaning with a towel or newspaper.

2. Water and sodium bicarbonate

In a container, make a paste with 1 tablespoon of water and 2 tablespoons of baking soda. With the help of a spatula, spread this paste on the base of the iron, even covering the steam vents.

Rub the plate with a soft cloth, emphasizing the stains. To clean the steam vents, use a cotton swab dipped in water. At the end of cleaning, discard any liquid that may have entered the iron.

To ensure that all the baking soda has come out of the holes, fill the iron with normal water and use it to wipe the highest temperature with a cloth until all the liquid is used up. Caution: Choose a cloth that you can throw away, as it could be damaged.

3. Salt trick

Place a handful of salt of any kind on a sheet of paper or cloth. With the iron very hot, rub it over the salt. When the plate cools, use a damp cloth to remove the grains and let it dry.

4. Sugar and detergent

Make a sugar paste with neutral detergent and spread it on the base of the warm iron with the help of a damp cloth, always taking great care not to burn yourself. Rub the dirt that is stuck and remove all the paste with a clean cloth.

5. Soap

With the help of a soft sponge, rub a soapy product only on the most resistant dirt, which has not come out with the other methods. Be careful that the product does not enter the steam holes.

To avoid damage to the device, choose one of the following cleaning methods, always checking what the manufacturer’s manual says:

Cleaning the base of the iron with non-stick

If the base of your iron is coated with a non-stick material, such as Teflon, you should not use abrasive products such as salt, sugar or soap to clean it, as they can damage the coating.

1. White vinegar

Mix half a cup of water with half a cup of white vinegar and wipe the surface of the warm iron with the soft side of a sponge. Remove the mixture with a damp cloth, passing it several times over the base of the appliance.

Always make sure the grill is at a safe temperature to avoid burns.

2. Neutral detergent

If you don’t have white vinegar at home, you can use a mixture of water and detergent instead. However, you will need to scrub the iron harder and longer, as the detergent is less potent at loosening stuck-on fibers.

To remove the cleaning product, use a cloth dampened only with water until all traces of the detergent are removed.

Cleaning the tank and steam vents

The steam iron reservoir can also accumulate some residues, such as the minerals present in the water we put inside it. To clean this compartment and the steam vents, fill a third of it with white vinegar. If the vinegar is too strong, you can dilute it with water.

After that, turn the iron to the highest temperature and let the steam out until all the vinegar has evaporated (5 to 10 minutes). You can do this by passing a floor cloth, for example, which will collect all the dirt from the iron.

To ensure that there is no vinegar left in the compartment, fill the tank with water, switch on the appliance and let all the steam escape. Clean the outlets with a cloth to remove any residue that is still there.

Always remember to unplug the appliance before starting cleaning and check that the griddle is already cool enough not to cause burns. Also, before storing the iron, wait until it is completely dry.