Step by step on how to clean an iron

Since people are now dignifying the importance of appearance, no one would like to go out with wrinkled clothes so iron is an indispensible appliance for every family. Most people only think of cleaning their irons when an accident happens such as they forgot to turn off the iron when they stop ironing to answer a phone call and let the iron burn, leaving a dark color burn in the face of the iron. If you are not aware of how to clean an iron or how to clean an iron that is burnt, you are not the only one in this situation. Follow our guides to resolve the problem in a very simple way.  

When it comes to cleaning an iron, you may just think of cleaning the bottom surface of the iron since it contacts directly to your clothes. In fact, it is not the only part of the item you must concern, the vent which releases steam from the iron can be clogged gradually because of water build-up after a long time of usage so it is needed to be clean, too. 

1. What do you need to prepare for iron cleaning?

Here are something you need to have before starting your cleaning work:

• A microfiber cloth or scrub sponge: Using soft fabric to wash the iron so that the surface of the soleplate won’t be scratched. The soleplate of the iron should not be cleaned by metal sponge as it may scratch the soleplate.
• Old toothbrush or small wooden stick: It is used for cleaning small vents of the iron in case it is clogged. 
• Iron cleaner: you can use artificial iron detergent or some natural detergent mixture to help you clean the iron such as white vinegar, lemon or baking soda,… 

Tip: How to clean an iron with vinegar, lemon and baking soda? 

If you have lemon, baking soda, white vinegar in your kitchen, they are exactly what is needed to clean your iron even if it has plastic or fabric burn on the soleplate’s face (as long as the surface has not been damaged). Here are some recipes to create an iron cleaning mixture using two of them. 

Recipe 1: White vinegar + baking soda (with the ratio of 50 – 50). Reactions between them will make a foamy liquid so you should use a large bowl to contain them. 

Recipe 2: Lemon juice + baking soda (squeeze 1 – 2 lemons to have juice and mix with a small spoon of baking soda). The result is also a foamy liquid but the acidity of lemon is a little stronger than vinegar so do not use too much juice each time.

2. How to clean the bottom of an iron (the soleplate of the iron)?

• Step 1: Mix a cleaner solution. You can choose one from the above recipes to make iron cleaner. 
• Step 2: Absorb the solution with the cloth or sponge you prepared previously and scrub the whole surface. 
• Step 3: If the dirt seems hard and can not be removed immediately,  paste the cleaner onto the surface and wait for about 5 minutes, then scrub it again until it is clean. 
• Step 4: wipe the bottom face with a dry cloth or clean rag to remove all the paste and make the iron’s soleplate dry.  

3. How to clean the vents of an iron?

• Step 1: Mix a cleaner solution. You can choose one from the above recipes to make iron cleaner.
• Step 2: Pour the solution into the iron water reservoir. Do not pour too much paste into the iron unless it can run to other plastic covers of the iron and darken or damage them. 
• Step 3: Then, let the iron stand upright in a secure base. 
• Step 4: Plug and turn on the iron. Set the work to steam feature. The iron will need to heat for some minutes before it releases the steam, you should hold it until you see steam flows out freely. 
• Step 5: Observe the steam flow to see if there is any blocked vent. Any clogged vent won’t have steam. 
• Step 6: Turn off the iron and unplug, wait for the iron to cool and clear blocked vents again with a toothpick or small brush. 
• Step 7: Empty the vent and dry the iron. For water build-up, as the steam has vinegar and baking soda, it will have you to soften the dirt so that you can easily swipe it by rag or cloth. 

4. How to keep the iron clean as long as possible?

• Using distilled or bottled water to iron clothes. As our iron uses water to create heated steam to soften the fabric for flattening, using no-mineral water is the best way to keep both our iron and our clothes clean.
• Keep the water reservoir blank after using. This tip makes sure that the reservoir is always blank after using and will prevent any leaking water from damaging your iron. 
• Store the iron in a discreet and clean box or bag. Dust in the air can make your iron dirt and get into the vent so it is better to store the bag or box. Remember to cool the iron before storing. 
• To prevent your soleplate from damage, never iron over a plastic zipper or plastic mark on the cloth. In case it must be ironed, you must use pressing clothes. 

Conclusion

Although iron is an every-one-know appliance, it is so complexly structured that it makes us confused when cleaning it. However, with our tips, cleaning iron has never been so easy like that. Having cleaned almost every common housing appliance, we can also share with you How To Keep Your Laundry Room Clean with a lot of helpful tips for cleaning other devices in laundry. Out of that, Sparking and Beyond have a range of services that could help you clean up your house. Give us a chance, our well-trained cleaning specialists will save you from all the boring housework!

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