How to Clean an Iron
It's a fact of life: sometimes a masseuse needs a massage, a barber needs a haircut, and a cleaning device—like your household iron—needs a good old-fashioned cleaning.
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No matter what you spilled on your clothes or furnishings, we can tell you how to get it out.
You Will Need
- An iron in need of cleaning
- 2.0 rags or old towels
- A small bowl of tap water
- Dishwashing detergent
- Cotton swabs or a pipe cleaner
- 8.0 oz distilled water
- A metal cooling rack
- A laundry room, garage, or any safe place to run the iron
- Hot-iron cleaner (optional)
Steps
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Step 1
Unplug iron
Make sure the iron is turned off, unplugged, and completely cool.
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Step 2
Mix solution
Mix a little dishwashing detergent into the bowl of water and dip a rag or old towel into the solution.
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Step 3
Rub soleplate
Rub the "soleplate"—the metal bottom of the iron—to remove any baked-on residue. Wipe it clean with another damp rag or towel.
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To remove more stubborn stains, buy hot-iron cleaner—available at most hardware stores—and follow the directions.
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Step 4
Clean steam holes
Use a cotton swab or pipe cleaner dipped in solution to gently clean out any residue trapped in the steam holes.
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Step 5
Fill iron
Once the soleplate is clean and dry, fill the iron with distilled water and set it on a metal cooling rack in your laundry room, away from anything that might be harmed by heat or water.
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Beware of using water and vinegar, a common recommendation, to clean out mineral deposits, since this solution can create a new problem: brown sludge.
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Step 6
Run iron
Plug in the iron, turn it to the "steam clean" setting, and let it run.
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If your iron doesn't have a "steam clean" setting, turn it to high on the "steam" setting and high on the "heat" setting.
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Step 7
Let steam run
Stand clear of the iron and let the steam run through it for a several minutes, or until all the water is gone.
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Step 8
Unplug iron
Turn the iron off, unplug it, and let it cool.
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The electric iron wasn't commonly used until the 1940s – before that, irons heated by whale oil, kerosene, or gasoline were all the rage.
