Having to dispose of irons this frequently?

[Jessica3075]

I’ve no idea what I’m doing wrong.

I gone through so many irons. Some medium cost, some quite expensive. I never leave the water in the spray container, never let it overheat. I always use the correct advised setting for the item I’m ironing and then, I end up with this sticky mess (see photo) which is impossible to clean off!

This one, I bought in April and here I am again.
Any tips/advice would be greatly appreciated.

I’m aghast that someone would throw away a perfectly functional iron just because it was a bit dirty. No wonder the Earth is fucked.

Just clean it if it bothers you.

Regular cleaning and use a presser cloth.

Lots of super helpful advice but honestly if you have an old fashioned bottle of cream Cif in your cupboard a wet paper towel and squirt of that will keep it clean. And iron on a slightly lower setting and use more steam and spray to keep the clothes slightly damp will help prevent it.

Please don't throw away your iron if it still works!!

I am going to try and clean mine with tips from others on this thread. Paracetamol tablet...Will come back with a before and after photo.

I've used nail varnish remover or acetone to clean irons in the past (then wiped over to remove the residue so I don't take the colour out of clothes!)

Your iron is too hot. Turn it down and you won't have this issue.

Absolutely. I can't remember the last time I ironed anything.

If all your irons go like this then it must be something in the way you use them. Only ever happened to me once and I got it cleaned using the steam and ironing it off on an old tea towel but mostly I just don’t use the inbuilt water tank ever.

I wonder whether something you use in your laundry is leaving residues that stick to the iron and burn?

Because of allergies, I use very few products in my laundry: one of two different loose powder or liquid detergents, one of two different fabric conditioners, the occasional spot treatment spray or powder bleach (again, there are only two that I can use). Never soluble capsules, no scent boosters or tumble dryer sheets.

Since switching to the allergen-safe products over 15y ago, I have only had to clean the iron a couple of times. Come to think of it, I got my current iron around the time I made that switch!

Another one for the paracetamol trick. It really works! (Use tweezers)

Do you buy a new car each time it gets a bit grubby op?

Loads of iron cleaning products available - there's nothing wrong with your iron(s), just clean them!

And turn down the heat when you're ironing synthetic stuff - that residue is burnt-on bits of fabric.

I recently went to a funeral where one of the male guests (husband of friend of the deceased) wore an unironed shirt. Felt so disrespectful. Iron your bloody shirt.

I bought a Phillips steam generator iron that self regulates it's heat depending on the fabric. I have no idea how it does it (she's a witch) but it's been bloody life changing! Would highly recommend Op!

What is this thing called an 'iron'?!

🤷🏻‍♀️🤣

Nope I tried it. Didn't work 🤔

Here's a before and after...I used bicarbonate of soda and table salt mixed with water to gently scrub off the mark on the iron.

I tried paracetamol with tweezers. It didn't do a thing!

100% paracetamol
It gets it like brand new
Put iron to hottest setting then rub paracetamol tablet over the black stuff
Wipe quickly with any dry cloth and all residue goes

🤣

🤔 how do I rub a ting paracetamol over a hottest setting iron without ending up in A&E with no fingerprints? Is that what the tweezers are for? Picking off skin particles?

Could always go into thieving as a sideline… no evidence left behind!

Tiny. Tiny tablet 🤦‍♀️

Please don't do this. You'll probably end up needing a skin graft😬

Weird, this doesn't happen to mine. I also, like a few posters, don't use fabric conditioner. Could that be it? I iron a lot, especially in summer (you know, when it's the most fun). But I've only got cotton, so this might also be, as another poster thought, the result of a man made material? I'm curious.

I was just wondering the same thing!

Heat the iron. Hold the paracetonal with the tweezers and rub over the scorch. Then wipe off when the iron is cool enough.

Or lay some salt on a dry towel and iron over the salt. No it won't scratch the plate although it seems like it might.

Is your uniform polyester mix? Always iron this cooler.

This happened to me once, I used a scourer with a tiny bit of fairy liquid and warm water.