Here's How:
- Read the User Manual
Reading your user manual with give you a good idea of how to care for your iron. After reading it, you'll know if your iron requires distilled water, or descales itself. Take a moment and read the manual.
- Inside the Iron
To clean the insides of a steam iron, you'll need to know if your iron automatically descales water using a replaceable filter. Make sure to replace your filter on the recommended schedule. Other irons may need to be descaled manually. Pouring a mix of one part water and one part vinegar into the water chamber of the iron and steaming it out will work wonders. Repeat a second time with plain water.
- Non-Coated Sole Plates
For non-coated irons, you can use baking soda or even a metal polish cleaner to clean the sole plate. For sole plates that need a little extra help, extra fine steel wool can be used as a last resort.
- Non-Stick Sole Plates
For non-stick coated irons, clean with a soft cloth, warm water, and mild detergent. Always wait until your iron is completely cool and unplugged. Never use an abrasive cleaner. Abrasives will wear away the coating on your iron.
Tips:
- If plastic has been melted on your sole plate, it can be removed. Place a piece of aluminum foil on the ironing board and sprinkle it with salt. Ironing over the salt and foil will help loosen the plastic. Never try to scrape the plastic off with metal tools. It may permanently damage the sole plate.
- If the vent holes of your iron have become clogged with starch or buildup, cleaning them with cotton swabs dipped in a 1 to 1 ratio of water and vinegar can help clean the holes.
What You Need:
- Vinegar
- Mild dish soap (non-stick sole plates)
- Clean cloth
- Baking soda (non-coated sole plates)
- Metal polish (non-coated sole plates)
- Water
- Fine Steel Wool (non-coated sole plates)
- Aluminum foil (for plastic removal)
- Salt (for plastic removal)
