Cleaning the iron at home

The iron is one of the housewife's main tools, which provides the whole family with neat clothes and linen. Sometimes there is a small nuisance in the form of fabric adhered to the sole, it becomes a pity not only for your favorite clothes, but also for the iron. There is hardly anything that can be done with a hole in the fabric, and the surface of the platform can still be salvaged.

Is it possible to clean the iron at home

There are a lot of tools that will save a burnt iron. You can use purchased preparations, they will get rid of carbon deposits in a few minutes. There are also several proven methods that cost a penny and solve the problem no worse than store counterparts.

The main thing is not to spoil things, at the slightest formation of carbon deposits it is no longer desirable to use the device and it is better to start cleaning the dirt immediately, while the burn is still fresh and has not stuck to the sole.

Modern irons are produced with different coatings, each of which needs its own approach, otherwise cleaning will result in throwing away the old one and buying a new household appliance.

Types of spraying on the sole of the iron:

• Aluminum. Most often, such a coating needs to be cleaned, but the sole is easily scratched by buttons and metal zippers and must be cleaned with care without abrasive products.

• Stainless steel. It should be used with caution when ironing synthetic fabrics, which quickly adhere to very hot soles, and will be problematic to clean.

• Ceramics. An excellent coating, to which the fabric rarely burns, it is easy to clean the ceramics by washing with a sponge and soapy water.

• Teflon. The sole of a Teflon-coated iron, at the slightest scratch, is often prone to rust and needs special mild cleaners that will not spoil the delicate coating.

• Titanium. A coating that is rarely found on irons due to the high cost of the material, but it can be cleaned with all available means.

The chemical industry produces various products that can get rid of burns and limescale, but it is advisable for any housewife to know how to clean the sole of an iron at home without going to the store.

Iron cleaning chemicals

Modern models of irons come with non-stick coatings and a self-cleaning function, which save the hostess from constant and tedious surface care. Self-cleaning of the steamer is not provided in all models, even from large manufacturers such as Brown, Bosch and Philips, only the newest household appliances are equipped with this function. The Teflon non-stick coating is also not perfect and a piece of fabric can burn to it.Therefore, sooner or later you will have to clean the sole of the iron yourself.

Chemicals for cleaning the iron:

• Pencil. The simplest remedy that is sold in all hardware stores. The pencil is safe for all types of coatings and is easy to use, you just need to be careful with Teflon, when using it, you should not rub and scrape the surface. To remove burnt tissue, you need to heat the device and smear the hot surface with a pencil. When the cleaning stick melts, all burnt particles are removed, it is enough to remove them with a soft cloth from the platform and after the iron has cooled down, rinse with detergent to remove residues.

• Liquid products. They are often multipurpose products that can be used to clean the platform and to remove limescale and internal deposits of limescale and rust. When applying, you only need to strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions.

If you have an expensive model of household appliance, then such large brands as Philips, Braun and Bosh produce special products for cleaning their products, which are available in a large assortment and are sold in the manufacturer's branded stores.

Burn-off cleaning

In the case when an iron is needed, and the burn must be urgently wiped off, and there are no special preparations in the house, home remedies will help that remove carbon deposits no worse than store counterparts.

Simple tools to remove burn marks on the soleplate of your iron:

• Table vinegar.

Suitable for removing light, fresh carbon deposits. If the iron is hot, let it cool completely, soak a cloth with vinegar and rub the soleplate. If the contamination is severe, it is best to combine it with baking soda. It is necessary to pour a tablespoon on the platform, abundantly moisten a soft cloth with vinegar and put it on the sole of the iron, a hissing reaction should occur, when it is over, you can easily remove the carbon deposits. Next, rinse the sole with water and dry with the platform down for at least two hours.

• Baking soda.

Combined with a detergent, it will perfectly deal with any burn and is safe for all coatings. It is necessary to make a gruel from a thick detergent and soda, apply it to the surface of the platform and stand for about an hour. You can use a dishwashing sponge to remove gruel and burn residues. After cleaning, wash the surface and dry with a soft cloth.

• Paraffin candle.

In effect, it is much like cleaning with a special pencil, but precautions must be taken with a candle. Heat the iron to maximum condition and unplug it. Place a piece of thick cardboard or cloth under the place of cleaning. Rub the hot sole with a candle, melting, the wax will drain along with the carbon deposits. When cleaning, hold the iron at an angle and take care not to get wax into the steam outlet. After the procedure, it is necessary to remove the residual paraffin with a cotton cloth, wash the sole and dry it.

• Chalk.

The chalk must be crushed to form a powder. Heat the device at maximum power, but disconnect from the mains before cleaning. Sprinkle the powder over the burn and rub with a dry cloth.In order not to burn your hand, put on a potholder mitten.

• Nail polish remover.

This tool has an excellent property of cleaning the surface from stubborn dirt, while being careful about the coating. With this method, you do not need to heat the iron, it is enough to apply a little liquid on a dry cloth and rub the burned spots, if the pollution is not too strong, then you will cope with the problem in a couple of minutes.

• Salt.

Only fine salt is suitable for cleaning, and this method cannot be used for devices with a Teflon coating, the granules will scratch the delicate surface. It is necessary to pour a pile of salt on a thick sheet of paper and heat the iron to its maximum state. Use a gentle circular motion to iron the salt until it is dark in color and the sole is clean. You can use salt cold as an abrasive, apply a little salt to a damp cloth and rub the burnt area. Then it is enough to wipe the sole with a damp cloth from residues and dry it.

Descaling the iron

The quality of the water in our homes is poor, which is why manufacturers offer us models with a self-cleaning function that prevents deposits and corrosion in the steaming vessel. But not all models provide this function and it does not always perfectly cope with its task.

How to descale your iron:

• Lemon acid. A citric acid solution will help to rid the steam chamber of deposits: a tablespoon in a glass of water. It is necessary to pour the solution into the chamber and wait 10 minutes to soften the deposits. Turn the iron on at full power, heat it up and turn it off. Press the button of the steam generator and release the steam until the solution runs out, if necessary, the device can be reheated.
• Self-cleaning function. In models equipped with this function, a special rod is provided, which softens and attracts solid particles, but it also needs to be cleaned regularly. With the device turned off, drain the water from the steam generator container and remove the valve on which the rod is installed. It must be dipped in a vinegar solution in a 1: 1 ratio with water or lemon juice to soften solid particles for half an hour and wash it off with a soft brush.
• Mineral water with gas. It will perfectly cope with lime deposits in the steam generator tank. Pour water into the chamber, heat the iron to maximum temperature and turn on the steam button until the chamber is clean. This method works only under the condition of not very strong deposits and for prevention purposes.

The main thing is to be careful when cleaning the container, steam from the holes of the iron comes out under high pressure, you can get burns. It is best to carry out this procedure over a bathtub or sink and protect your hands with gloves or mittens.

Then these methods will allow you to wash the container from deposits without effort, burns and in a short time.

Prevention of the appearance of burns and limescale

It is always easier to prevent a problem from occurring than to solve it. An incorrectly selected operating mode will ruin the clothes and lead to the need to remove carbon deposits on the soles, and careless handling of the steam generator chamber will make you wash away lime deposits, rust and mold.

Preventive measures to avoid burning and limescale:

• Before you start using a new device, read the instruction manual, each manufacturer has its own nuances that you need to know.
• Choose the ironing mode in accordance with the labels on the clothes; it is better to steam and iron synthetic fabrics through a piece of gauze.
• To avoid the appearance of deposits and mold, use boiled water or special ironing solutions that are sold in stores for steaming.
• Drain the solution from the steam generator chamber after each use of the appliance, this will prevent the appearance of rust on the parts.
• Depending on the frequency of use, the aluminum and steel platform needs to be cleaned once a week, the ceramic needs preventive cleaning once every three months, and the Teflon rarely burns, so it needs to be cleaned as needed.

Prices for cleaning chemicals

In any hardware store, you can pick up products in a wide price range, which depends on the manufacturer. If you have an expensive model of household appliance, it is better to choose the products recommended by the manufacturer.

A pencil for cleaning the surface of the sole can be purchased for one hundred rubles, and a universal liquid for two hundred, but you should pay attention to the manufacturer, chemical products from world brands cannot be cheap. Therefore, if there are doubts about the quality of purchased compounds, and there is no way to purchase expensive household chemicals, pay attention to home remedies, which will take more time to clean, but they are more delicate with household appliances.

With proper preventive measures and proper operation, your iron will cease to cause trouble and will only delight the hostess and the whole family with ironed clothes and linen.

VIDEO: How to quickly and easily clean the iron from carbon deposits.