How to Clean an Iron

Six Methods:Cleaning the Soleplate with Coarse Salt Cleaning the Soleplate with Vinegar and Salt Cleaning the Soleplate with Commercial Cleaner Cleaning the Entire Iron with Gentle Detergent Cleaning the Steam Vents Other Ways to Clean Your Iron

Are your clothes iron experiencing a midlife crisis? Is it caked with smudges of dirt, or sputtering over fabric where it once glided smoothly? Fear not, citizen! Cleaning your iron can be quick, simple, and even fun if you know some of the proper procedures. Here are several different ways to clean your iron; experiment with different methods based on what's handy!

Method 1 of 6: Cleaning the Soleplate with Coarse Salt

1
Prepare an ironing board by placing a paper towel or a cotton towel on it. Any grime, dirt, or over residue that's currently on your clothes iron will eventually smudge off onto your towel, so be sure to choose a used one that you won't miss.

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2
Sprinkle one tablespoon of salt onto the surface of the towel. The coarser the salt, the better, as it usually has more surface area. Try working with sea salt, for example.
3
Plug the iron in and heat it to the highest setting. Turn off steam completely.
4
Iron the surface with salt by pressing gently. The dirt will stick to the salt, leaving the iron surface sparkling clean. Once you've gone over the salt a couple times — enough to remove any dirt from the iron — you should be good to go.

Method 2 of 6: Cleaning the Soleplate with Vinegar and Salt

1
Take equal parts white vinegar and salt and warm them gently over a stove.Over medium heat, wait for the salt to dissolve completely, but don't let the vinegar start to boil. This homemade soleplate cleaner won't win any awards for smell, but it sure will clean your iron.
2
Remove the vinegar solution from the burner and allow to cool somewhat.You want the vinegar to still be warm but not scalding hot. Wear dish gloves protect your hands from the heat and to avoid smelling like sour vinegar for the rest of the day.
3
Dip an old rag in the heated vinegar solution and start to gently wipe the soleplate of the iron with the rag. For really stubborn deposits or even burn marks, use a thick-bristled brush to clean the soleplate.
- Do not, however, use a metal wire brush to clean your soleplate. Wire brushes can scratch the surface of the soleplate, creating small divots that will ultimately make ironing harder and less enjoyable.
4
Wipe your soleplate off with a cloth soaked in a bit of vinegar and give the iron a test-run. Use a little bit of vinegar on a towel to wipe off any remaining cleaning solution. Then heat the iron up and give it a test-run over a clean but old piece of cotton.

Method 3 of 6: Cleaning the Soleplate with Commercial Cleaner

1
Remove any water from your iron. Make sure your iron is off, and that any water in its basin has been removed, per instruction on the hot iron cleaner.
2
Turn the iron on high and calibrate it to its cotton setting, if it has one. Wait for the iron to reach the hot temperature.
3
Lay down a thick piece of cotton on your ironing board and squeeze the recommended amount of hot iron cleaner onto the cotton cloth. Check your commercial hot iron cleaner for amounts and instructions. Some cleaners will instruct you to place the cleaner directly on the soleplate of the iron, while others will recommend placing it on a cloth first.
4
In circles, iron the cloth containing the cleaner, being sure to apply even pressure. Move the iron over the entire cloth, coating all portions of the soleplate evenly. Turn the iron off. Once the iron is cool, check to make sure that the soleplate and the steam vents are free of residue and debris.

Method 4 of 6: Cleaning the Entire Iron with Gentle Detergent

1
Mix a very small amount of liquid dish detergent in warm water. Use enough detergent to barely produce suds. Your goal in using detergent isn't to clean the iron in the same way that you clean dirty dishes; you just want to give it a gentle once-over.
2
Dip an old cloth in the soapy water and begin the clean the entire iron, paying particular attention to the soleplate. Dishwasher detergent is safe to use on the soleplate, but is also effective in giving the rest of your iron a healthy clean.
- Detergent is especially helpful for irons with teflon coating. These teflon-coated irons glide smoothly over fabric but are more prone to scratching, so be extra careful when cleaning.
3
Wipe away soapy residue with a damp cloth. Your damp cloth can be soaked in water or in vinegar. Either way, make sure the iron is dry before using.

Method 5 of 6: Cleaning the Steam Vents

1
Take a Q-tip and soak it in vinegar or the vinegar-salt solution used in Method Two.
2
Insert the Q-Tip into each vent, one by one, and twist it around. This twisting action wipes away residue from each steam vent and ensures even application of steam when you turn the iron on.
3
After cleaning each steam vent with vinegar, take a clean Q-tip and briefly twist it inside each vent, removing any remaining vinegar. Make sure there isn't any cleaning solution stuck in the steam vents.
4
Use iron as directed.

Method 6 of 6: Other Ways to Clean Your Iron

1
Use a baking soda paste. Take equal parts baking soda and water, mix them together to form a paste, and buff the bottom of your soleplate with a rag and the baking powder solution. Clean off the paste with another rag and set the iron on steam to clean away any additional paste that might have gotten in the vents.
2
Use distilled water and vinegar in the reservoir. Fill the iron's reservoir with equal parts distilled water (tap water has impurities in it, and thus won't do) and white vinegar. Turn the iron on steam and iron a thick cotton cloth for five minutes. Dump the vinegar solution from the reservoir and clean off the soleplate with a clean towel.
3
Use toothpaste to clean off the soleplate.^[1] Buff a bit of toothpaste directly onto a cool soleplate, being sure to hit trouble areas. Rub the toothpaste off with a clean cloth, then set the iron on steam and steam a cloth for five minutes.