3 weeks ago we’ve shared nice tricks for cleaning a spot on the upholstery using iron. But what if the iron also needs to be cleaned? Dirty or scorched iron is an unpleasant problem – no matter if you burned a garment and there are pieces left on the metal plate, or there are mineral spots on it. When the bottom of the iron is not perfectly clean the risk of burning your cloths rises. This is why we picked 7 of the most efficient methods for DIY cleaning the iron.

Clean a Scorched Iron

The burn spots on the iron’s soleplate look hard to clean, but you can easily remove them with one of the following recipes.

Newspaper

Heat the iron to the highest temperature. Put a clean, dry cloth on the ironing board and cover it with a piece of newspaper. Iron the paper with the heated iron. Go though the paper a few times and the firm, burn fabric pieces left on the metal plate will fall. You can also use a paper handkerchief.

Sea Salt

Set the iron on the highest temperature. Lay dry cotton cloth on the ironing board, and sprinkle generously sea salt over it. Iron onto the salt a few times
until the burnt wipes off.

Baking Soda

Prepare a thick paste of 3 tbs. soda bicarbonate and 1 tbs. water. Cover the plate
of the cold iron with the mixture. Take a clean towel or cotton cloth and carefully scrub off the stains. After this “peeling mask” there won’t be a trace of the burnt spot.

Dishwashing Detergent

If you don’t want to risk by using abrasive substances like salt or baking soda, try this method. Dilute 2 tbs. dishwashing liquid in a large bowl of warm water. Soak an old towel or cloth into the mixture and lay it in plastic basin. Put your iron on the wet towel ad let it soak for couple of hours. Wipe the metal plate with sponge, gently scrubbing away the residues.

Remove Mineral Buildups and Polish the Plate

If the metal bottom of the iron has mineral buildups and doesn’t slide as easy as when the iron was new you’ll need to clean up and polish it. Try these easy and green polishing tricks.