A new iron looks perfect: clean, shiny and smooth. But if you set the temperature wrong when you iron a silk blouse, you’ll notice it’s soiled. If you pour in untreated tap water by mistake, limescale will form. And they not only spoil the aesthetic appearance, but also affect the operation of machinery.
The good news is that even if your iron burns badly, you don’t need to buy a new one. It can be easily cleaned using products that every housewife always has on hand.
How to clean your iron from limescale and carbon deposits.
When choosing what you will clean your iron with, pay attention to its soleplate. Teflon and ceramic should never be cleaned with abrasives, use the gentlest means possible. Here are the 6 easiest ways to clean your iron from soot.
Method 1. Salt
Salt is poured in a thin layer on a sheet of paper and driven over it with a hot iron until the soot comes off. Salt should be chosen as fine as possible, but remember that it is an abrasive.
Method 2. Paraffin
For this you will need an ordinary paraffin candle. It should be wrapped in a cotton cloth and rubbed in circles on the surface of the soleplate, preheating it. Do this over a container or newspapers, which you will then throw away: the paraffin will melt and flow down, and may stain the furniture.
This method is not recommended if the iron’s soleplate has notches for steam or reliefs – the wax can get caught in them and then stain the clothes as you iron.
Don’t forget to clean any wax residue off the surface after you’ve removed the soot.
Method 3. Hydrogen peroxide
Use a 3 percent solution, moisten a cloth or cotton swab with it, and use it to scrub the soot off the sole of the iron.
Method 4. Vinegar
Use table vinegar in the same method as hydrogen peroxide. For very heavy soot, you can mix vinegar with ammonia alcohol 1 to 1. Use this tampon to wipe the soot off the sole. If it did not come out immediately, leave the soaked cloth on the surface for a few hours – softened soot will come off faster.
Method 5. Soda
Ordinary baking soda should be dissolved in a glass of water, and then in this solution soak a rag and scrub soot from the soleplate. Do not forget to then remove the streaks from the surface – a sponge soaked in clean water will help with this.
Method 6. Nail polish remover
You will need it if there is a piece of polyethylene stuck to the soleplate. Work very carefully and avoid getting the solution on the plastic parts of the iron, the components of the nail polish remover can damage the surface.
The best way is prevention.
However, it is better not to fight the fouling, but to avoid its occurrence. That’s what it helps with:
- Strict adherence to the temperature regime, which is determined by the type of fabric;
- Ironing delicate items (e.g. wool) through wet gauze;
- Wiping the soles with a wet cloth after each use.
3 methods of cleaning limescale
Limescale leads to poor steam delivery and red stains on clothes when ironing. To get rid of it, you can use one of three simple methods:
Method 1: Using the self-cleaning function
All modern models are equipped with this function. The manufacturer has taken care to make it as easy as possible to remove limescale. The cleaning algorithm is as follows:
- Fill a full tank of water;
- set the maximum temperature;
- place the iron over the container into which the water will drip;
- turn on the self-cleaning function, and the scale will come out of the steam holes together with the water.
After that, you should rinse the tank with distilled water and wipe the iron dry.
Method 2. Citric acid
The principle of action is similar to descaling the kettle. A tablespoon of acid (30 grams) is poured into the reservoir filled with water. The iron is heated, after which you need to press the steam button. The procedure should be repeated several times and do it over a container, where the water will drain off. After that you need to rinse the reservoir with clean water.
Method 3. Soda
Instead of the citric acid solution, mineral carbonated water can be used – it contains elements that can dissolve scale.
How to prevent limescale?
To prevent limescale build-up, only fill the tank with distilled purified water.
Follow these simple tips and your iron will always be clean and in good working order!
