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How to clean an iron

Dirty iron? It’s a pressing issue.

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Ironing is one of the UK’s least favoured chores. For some people, ironing is unpopular because it can take a long time – but that can be alleviated when you get your ironing technique down. If you struggle with this, check out our article on how to iron a shirt for beginners for some handy tips.

But for lots of people, the problem might be the frustration of marking your clothes as you iron them. At one point or another, everyone has experienced the panic of leaving a dirty smudge on a newly washed gleaming white shirt. But follow this handy guide to keeping your iron clean, and that’s one less thing to worry about.

How to clean an iron plate

The bottom bit of the iron that comes into contact with clothes is the iron plate – also known as the soleplate. After a lot of use, iron plates generally get covered in burn marks, stains and crusted on limescale – where the steam comes out of the sole plate. Always check your iron plate before starting to iron - you don’t want to heat up the iron plate and then press it onto your freshly laundered fabrics. It’s a recipe for job interview disaster!

And while there are sticks and sponges especially marketed as iron cleaners, the truth is that you can do it with common household products you most likely have in the cupboard anyway. They include vinegar, baking soda, toothpaste and paracetamol.

Cleaning the soleplate of an iron - Homemade DIY cleaners

So, here’s how to clean a burnt iron with common household products. Follow these steps to remove stains on your iron. Best of all, none of them require any kind of hard scrubbing – which is likely to damage your iron. You just let your DIY cleaner do most of the work.

For most of these, you’ll want to make sure your iron is off, unplugged and cool. Except for the paracetamol method – which requires a hot iron, tweezers an some steady hands!

How to clean an iron with vinegar

This method is super simple and is great if your iron has any signs of corrosion. All you’ll need is some distilled white vinegar and an old towel. Here’s how:

  1. Soak your towel in vinegar and then put the iron soleplate face down on the towel.

  2. Let it sit and soak for 30 minutes.

  3. After 30 minutes, give your iron plate a wipe down. Good as new!

How to clean an iron with toothpaste

Before you start, make sure your iron is unplugged and the soleplate is cool and the water tank is empty.

  1. Rub a small amount of toothpaste onto the soleplate.

  2. Take a soft cloth or sponge and gently rub with circular motions – just like when cleaning your teeth.

  3. If black stains are stubborn, use a toothbrush instead.

  4. Wipe off the toothpaste with a clean cloth.

  5. Any residue can be removed by filling the iron with water, switching it on to a steam setting and holding the iron over a sink or a towel and letting it steam for a few minutes.

  6. Now you have a clean and slightly minty iron soleplate!

How to clean an iron with paracetamol

Some people might find ironing a headache, but paracetamol can help! For this method, you actually have to have a warm iron. You’ll need a pair of tweezers to make sure you don’t burn your hands.

  1. Make sure your iron is warm, as dirt can be dried on and this will help soften it.

  2. Pick up the paracetamol with tweezers and rub it over the dirty areas.

  3. Allow the iron to cool and then wipe with a damp towel or cloth.

  4. Shiny iron!

How to descale an iron?

If your iron soleplate has chalky white marks on it, it could be limescale from the water. This can also take the form of sticky residue, which makes it harder for your iron to glide across your clothes and leaves marks on your clean laundry. It’s descaling time!

The tail tale sign is white marks around the steam vents – so we’ll show you how to clean an iron’s steam vents.

How to descale an iron with vinegar

  1. Mix equal parts distilled white vinegar and distilled water and then pour it into the iron’s water tank.

  2. Dip a toothpick or toothbrush in pure vinegar to remove any limescale build ups.

  3. Switch on your iron to steam for about five minutes.

  4. One descaled iron!

How to descale an iron without vinegar

The other option is to use a dedicated iron descaling product. Just follow the instructions on the packet to shift that nasty limescale build up.

Still not an ironing fan?

If you’d like to cut down your ironing pile to (nearly) zero, look for a clothes steamer washing machines with a steam programme. It’ll take care of the ironing for you – leaving you to do something more fun with your evening! Our washing machine buying guide will help you find what you need.

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Iron in no time flat!