Have you ever looked at the bottom of your iron? Have you ever noticed there are tons of scorched marks on it? If you see your iron is experiencing this situation, it is time for you to start cleaning it because burnt stains will prevent the iron from working efficiently. They spread an unpleasant smell when you are ironing your clothes. And they make it harder for your iron to move smoothly.
However, a burnt iron, just like a burnt pan, is not so easy to clean. So if you have questions on how to do it, don't worry. We are going to bring you as many solutions as we can. Let's jump right into it!
1. Toothpaste: Useful products to wash out dirt
Firstly, check the iron to make sure it is cool and unplugged. Secondly, put white toothpaste on the areas that contain scorched marks on the soleplate. Then you may use a scrub sponge to rub all over those areas. When you finish, wipe away the toothpaste with a clean cloth. The next step is to start your iron. Set it to steam and place it on top of an old towel. Your iron should be clean after five minutes.
Toothpaste is one of the cheapest options. It can be definitely be found in every household. The cleaning process is also easy to follow.
Toothpaste is one of the weaker cleaners since it is made to use on human teeth. It is not strong enough to clean those tough burnt marks. Or it may take you a lot of trials completely clean your soleplate
2. Vinegar: Effective for severely burnt marks
You will need to warm up a sufficient amount of white vinegar. Take a clean piece of cloth or towel and soak it with vinegar. Then use that wet cloth or towel to wipe out the scorched marks on the soleplate. After the marks disappear, clean the soleplate again using water.
Sometimes, vinegar solely cannot remove extremely tough burnt marks. What you can do in this case is to try mixing a few teaspoons of table salt or baking soda with hot white vinegar. You will have to stir this mixture until everything dissolves. Dip a clean cloth in this solution. Then use it to wipe the soleplate of the iron till all the scorched stains are gone. Lastly, wash the soleplate one more time with clean water. And you are done.
White vinegar is also very cheap. It is capable of dealing with badly burnt areas on the soleplate.
Vinegar is an acid, so it may cause heartburn and nausea if you are not careful. It also has an unlikeable smell.
3. Dish soap: Good to clean steam vents
Because dish soap is usually highly concentrated, you should be using a gentle type of dish soap. If you do not have one like that, you can dilute normal dish soap with warm water. Soak a clean piece of cloth in your newly made solution and begin to wipe the soleplate. Make sure you clean the steam vents as well. Try using a cotton swab to scrub the steam holes if you cannot do so with a cloth. After that, use another cloth damped with water to wipe the soap out. Finally, place the bottom of the iron on a towel and let it dry. In case the burnt stains are still not completely gone, clean the iron one more time with toothpaste.
Like the two options above, dish soap is really affordable. And you do not have to buy it because you will probably find it in your household. As dish soap is more concentrated, it does a better job of cleaning compared to toothpaste.
Dish soap is still not strong enough to wash out severely burnt residues.
4. Specialized iron cleaners: Exceptionally made for iron cleaning
What if you have tried everything that exists in your household to clean your burnt iron, but the result happens still not so promising.
As they are made exceptionally to clean the iron, they are superior at doing this task than any other household products. With specialized iron cleaners, cleaning your iron will not take so much time and effort.
Costly
Faultless Starch 40110 Faultless Hot Iron Cleaner
Some customers even said that the cleaner made their irons look like new. As stated on the website, this product gets rid of residues from the soleplate of a hot iron. It can easily remove melted synthetic fabrics, patch glue, and starch. It is also said to be non-toxic, which is good for your well-being.
A unique feature of this cleaner is that, unlike other household products, you use it on your iron when the iron is hot. Yes, you will need to plug in your iron and choose the hottest setting. Then you will put the cleaner onto a towel and rub it against the soleplate so that the burnt residues will come off.
It sounds surprisingly easy, right? You may give it a try when your iron is badly burnt, yet you do not want to invest in new iron.
Rowenta ZD100 Non-Toxic Stainless Steel Soleplate Cleaner Kit
The way it works is quite similar to the Faultless one. However, instead of containing only the cleaner, this set also includes two towels to put the cleaning agent on.
To use this cleaner, you first need to empty water inside the iron. Then turn the iron on and choose the cotton setting. Place two folded white and green towels side by side. Put about two inches of cleaner on the white towel and move your iron on it. Once the iron is almost clean, move the iron on the green towel to remove the remaining residues.
Though this cleaner seems to result in positive outcomes, many customers complain about how expensive it is (nearly $17). Even so, it all depends on your demand and preference. If you already put lots of money to buy a high-quality iron and do not wish to buy another one just because of the burnt marks, this kit may be worth a try.
Conclusion
All in all, there are many possible ways to clean your burnt iron. If one solution does not work well, you can go on to test another one since they are all safe to try at home. Even though you can clean the scorched marks off your iron, you can preserve your iron better by paying more attention to it and wash it regularly.
Once you leave the burnt residues on the iron for too long, it may take you a lot more time and effort to get them off. On a side note, when attempting any solution to clean your iron, make sure you are using a soft material such as cotton clothes or towel to wipe the soleplate. Otherwise, you may see unwanted scratches that you cannot find any way to remove!
Layton"I am Layton, a gardening and DIY enthusiast, I love to share my experience with the community for essential tool needed for everybody to repair home, take care of their lawn, and other projects and learn back from the others about how they take care of their home, especially from DIY works"
