If an iron is used frequently, the bottom will soon lose its original shine and it will no longer glide effortlessly over the laundry mountains it has to work on. There are two reasons to clean your iron regularly.
And that’s not all: More and more dirt is being deposited on the so-called soleplate, for example due to fine dust particles resulting from the clothing. If you iron the wrong material, stains can also burn in.
Not only does the work slow down, it also consumes more energy and may even damage your clothes.
In the following list you will find very different ways to prevent such problems or to remedy them quickly in an emergency. With these 14 Life Hacks you can remove the annoying stains:
Eraser or dirt eraser
If the fabric remains stuck to the soleplate, an eraser or a dirt eraser will help. Just let the iron cool and rub with the rubber over the soleplate.
Stainless steel polish
If you find any plastic scraps on the underside of the iron, you should do the following: Apply a little of the polish to an old towel and use the hot iron a few times. Do not forget to ventilate the apartment afterwards.
Oven spray
Oven spray is perfect for stubborn dirt on all flat irons except steam iron with aluminum surface. Spray the foam on the lukewarm iron and remove it with a cotton cloth after a few minutes of exposure.
candle stub
Baked textiles come off when you insert a candle stub. Wrap the remainder of the candle in a cloth and drive it over the warm sole some times.
cooking salt
Sprinkle the salt on a flat, heat-resistant surface and set the iron to the lowest level. Use it to drive over the fine grains. The dirt should be rubbed off. Alternatively, you can also put the salt on a moistened cotton ball or a cloth and use it to rub off the soleplate.
Toothpaste
For lighter soiling, the good old toothpaste is also suitable for cleaning. Put a strip on a cloth with which you then rub the plate. Wipe with a damp cloth or rinse with warm water.
Glass ceramic cleaner
Put some glass ceramic cleaner on a damp cloth, apply it thinly on the soleplate and then rub it off. Then polish with a dry cloth.
Lemon juice or concentrate
The still slightly warm soleplate is cleaned a microfiber cloth on which one previously dripped lemon juice or concentrate. This method has the advantage that the ironing afterwards also receives a pleasantly fresh fragrance. It also works with any type of iron.
vinegar
Vinegar is especially useful if you want to increase the lubricity of the iron. Place the cold or lukewarm iron on a vinegar-soaked cloth for a few minutes and then rub the plate with a pot sponge.
Silicone spray
Another method to increase the lubricity: Spray some silicone spray on a kitchen towel and rub it over the previously cleaned soleplate. Repeat this once or twice if necessary.
Aluminum foil
The all-purpose material in the household, aluminum foil, is also very popular for iron cleaning: Just iron with a hot iron over the film, then it will slide better again and any deposits are a thing of the past.
If you have a steam iron, it is advisable to descale it regularly so that the nozzles do not clog and prolong the life of the appliance. In addition, you prevent white limescale, which can otherwise be left behind on the clothes while steam ironing.
Paracetamol
This is certainly one of the more unusual methods, but if you have stains on the iron, you can use paracetamol and pliers . Grab the tablet with the forceps and rub it on the stain on the hot plate.
Newsprint
For wax or oil stains and other sticky substances on the underside of the iron, you should set it to the highest temperature with the steam function switched off. Then iron with a hot iron over a newspaper until the machine is clean again. For stubborn soiling of this kind you can repeat the procedure with a little salt on the paper.
Baking soda with water
If it does not steam properly when ironing, this can have various causes. One of these are mineral deposits that form in the ventilation openings. To remove them, mix baking soda and water in a 2: 1 ratio into a paste and apply to the soleplate. Then wipe the mixture with a damp cloth and pick up cotton swabs that you previously dipped in distilled water or vinegar. With them you clean now the openings.
Then pour a little distilled water into the empty steam tank. If you then turn the steam function on fully, all deposits are removed.
As you can see, there are many methods for cleaning the “hot iron”. What you should definitely do without, however, are cleaning objects that could leave scratches on the surface. However, glass ceramic field scrapers , which do not pose this risk, are an exception – provided that they are used correctly. Scratches are not only visually unattractive: The flat iron glides so bad and it settles in such wells easily dirt.
