How to clean an iron with white vinegar
White vinegar is one of the go-to non-toxic cleaning solutions for a reason and this method saves you from having to put in too much elbow grease.
According to MyJobQuote.co.uk’s cleaning and laundry expert, Sarah Dempsey, you’ll want to soak a clean, old towel in white vinegar and squeeze out any excess
‘Lay the towel on a flat surface such as your kitchen worktop and put the iron on top of the towel with the soleplate resting flat on the towel’
For the best results, try to leave the iron there for at least half an hour to 45 minutes
Pick the iron up and wipe the soleplate clean with a dry cloth. The vinegar should have removed all the dirt, grime and water marks from the soleplate.
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How to clean an iron with toothpaste
For tougher marks and stains, did you know that toothpaste can work wonders on your iron’s soleplate?
Making sure the soleplate is dry and cold, squeeze a small amount of toothpaste onto it
Then work the toothpaste into the soleplate with your fingers (you can wear gloves if you want) or if the iron is badly stained, use an old toothbrush to work it in
Leave it to work for a couple of minutes, but no longer than this or the toothpaste will start to dry and harden
Use a clean, dry cloth to wipe off the toothpaste
Fill the reservoir with distilled water and turn on the iron to activate the steam, with you holding the iron above a sink or basin of water to remove any of the remaining toothpaste
Finally, once the soleplate is cool, wipe it with a damp cloth.
How to clean the water reservoir
If you’re wondering how to clean a steam iron and in particular, its water reservoir, fortunately in most cases all you’ll need to do is empty and rinse it periodically to keep it spotless. Something as simple as running its steam cycle a few times over, making sure to use clean water, can also help to flush the system out.
In addition to this, most modern steam irons come with a self-clean button or function, which you should get into the habit of using regularly in a bid to keep the steam vents clear and your iron working at its best.
You may need to descale your iron and water reservoir, depending on where you live in the UK and whether or not hard water is an issue for you in your home, but we’ve got a full rundown on how to do exactly that below.
How often should you clean an iron?
This question depends on a few things – how often you use it, whether or not you use distilled water instead of tap water if you happen to live in a hard water area and if you notice any scorch or burn marks on the iron’s soleplate. As a general rule of thumb, once a month should more than suffice to keep it in tip top condition. However, if you iron daily or have hard water, once every two weeks might be more suitable.
As with most things, it’s better to keep on top of this task than waiting until it gets to the stage where it’s much tougher to tackle. Giving your iron a wipe with a damp microfibre cloth after each use will keep the soleplate clean, while using distilled water will reduce how frequently you need to descale it.
How to remove stains from an iron’s soleplate
There are a few handy tricks for removing brown marks and stubborn stains from an iron’s soleplate. For light marks and stains that have just started to appear, these can often be cleaned with a damp cloth dipped in soapy water by taking the time to slowly wipe away at the stains.
If the stain or stains haven’t budged or they’re a bit more scorched on, you can also try dipping a cloth in white vinegar, or making a paste of baking soda and water and allowing this to coat the stains or areas of heavy limescale. In both cases, it’s best to use a separate clean cloth to clean off the residue. And doing so should leave you with a stain-free and gleaming soleplate.
How to descale an iron
If you happen to live in an area with hard water – or high mineral deposits such as calcium and magnesium – you might not be aware, but you shouldn’t actually be using tap water in your iron. This is because it can cause limescale to build up, which can stop the iron’s heating element and steam vents from working correctly. And if it continues to build up, over time it can ultimately shorten the iron’s lifespan, meaning you’ll have to fork out for a new one much sooner than you should have to.
You may have also noticed limescale in the form of white chalky marks or residue on the soleplate, which can be another big indicator that you’re dealing with limescale as a result of hard water.
To combat this you can either use a mixture of half distilled water and half white vinegar, or a dedicated iron descaling solution, to run through the iron to descale it. Simply pour the solution into the iron’s water reservoir and set it to a medium heat. Then you’ll want to let it steam for around ten minutes or for however long it takes for the tank to empty. You can repeat this step if necessary, with Sarah also recommending "holding the iron over an old towel or the sink and pressing the steam burst and spray buttons to clean them out too. You can even use cotton buds dipped in vinegar to clean in and around the steam vents, once it has cooled."