6 effective ways to clean your iron sole at home

No one is safe from the appearance of a burn on the sole of the iron, it is worthwhile to take a break for a few seconds, and the working surface is already covered with adhered burned fibers or a dark coating has appeared. Before cleaning the iron at home, it is necessary to determine the type of contamination and the cause of its appearance.

iron cleaning

An equally important role in choosing a product is played by the quality of the material from which the sole of the device is made. It is not so difficult to clean the iron from carbon deposits, the main thing is not to abuse the mechanical exposure options, preferring household chemicals. In any house you can find a reagent suitable for solving the problem.

In order not to regularly look for tools that will help remove carbon deposits from the iron, the following rules must be observed in the process of ironing:

  1. Always consider the type of fabric and not exceed the recommended parameters in pursuit of a faster result.
  2. Wipe the working surface of the iron regularly with a soft cloth, removing invisible fibers. Over time, they turn into a dense coating that is difficult to wash.
  3. It is highly discouraged to work in an environment of distractions like a TV.
  4. If possible, laundry should be ironed on the wrong side. Due to the constant physical impact and characteristics of matter, it is on it that the shortest pile.

If trouble nevertheless happened, immediately clean the sole of the iron. The hardened mass will be much more reluctant to leave than a fresh burn.

How to remove plaque depending on the type of contamination

Today, there are many ways to clean the iron from soot. Some of them are universal, others are specialized. Choosing the best one can be guided by the nature of the pollution and the degree of its resistance.

  • A pencil for cleaning the iron. An inexpensive and effective tool with which you can wash a dense layer of burnt dirt in a matter of minutes without damaging the surface. It is better to stock up in advance with an effective tool, because maximum results are guaranteed in the first minutes after contamination. First we heat the device, then we take a pencil and begin to carefully drive it on the sole, while the product should melt, and not break. Then you need to take a piece of cotton cloth and use it to wipe off the plaque. It is not necessary to drive the sole on matter, because of this, holes for the exit of steam may clog. The option is suitable for processing a household appliance with any coating.

pencil cleaning

Tip: To clean the iron from carbon deposits with a pencil, you must open the windows in the room or go to a ventilated balcony. The smell produced by the melting agent is very harsh and unpleasant. He is able to deliver a lot of discomfort to his family.

  • Vinegar. The ideal option is to clean the iron from carbon deposits at home and not have a negative effect on the surface with a smooth relief. A tablespoon of 9% vinegar is diluted in a glass of boiled water, moistened in a solution with a flap of soft tissue. We heat the iron to a hot state, but not to the limit, and begin processing the sole. Working with acetic acid is accompanied by the appearance of a rather pungent odor, so we keep the device away from the face. To remove dirt from the outlet openings, use cotton swabs or toothpicks wrapped in cotton wool.

cleaning iron with vinegar

  • A mixture of lemon and ammonia. Processing of lemon mixture will help get rid of traces of burnt matter. To prepare it, mix the juice of half a lemon with a few drops of ammonia. We wipe the surface with the resulting product without applying strong pressure.When working with an expensive coating, we act very carefully, do not leave the used product on the sole for more than a few minutes. It is worth considering that the juice is not recommended to be replaced with citric acid. Such an abrasive can scratch the sole, causing the device irreparable harm.
  • Soap. It will help clean the iron from the burn that has just appeared. Just take a small piece of the product and drive it over the warmed sole, bypassing the holes. After this, dirt must be removed using a slightly damp cloth.

soap cleaning

  • Nail polish remover. A mild detergent that can be used to eliminate traces of molten polyethylene. We drip a little liquid onto a cotton pad and run it over a still warm iron.
  • Hydrogen peroxide. To work with the coating, it is necessary to use not a liquid form of the product, but hydroperite tablets. We carry the drug on the hot sole of the device, remove the remaining dirt with a soft, damp cloth. If the pollution is negligible, you can first try the peroxide solution. It is strictly forbidden to increase the effectiveness of the method using citric acid! Such an aggressive effect leads to scratches, in which then dirt is actively collected.
  • Toothpaste and soda. It is recommended to use these two soft abrasives as a last resort, only to wash old carbon deposits that other approaches could not handle. The selected product is slightly diluted with water, the resulting mass is rubbed into the problem area. For machining, take a soft cloth or sponge.

cleaning the iron with toothpaste and soda

Some housewives clean the contaminated surface with a paste made from citric acid or salt. According to experts, these options do more harm than good. The dirt does move away, but as a result of a violation of the integrity of the coating, the functionality of the device is noticeably reduced. And if you regularly use salt, then you can spoil even a strong and reliable steel coating.

salt cleaning

How to choose the best tool?

In order to qualitatively clean the iron from soot at home using one of the above methods and not to harm the relief of the sole, you need to consider the following recommendations:

  1. The pencil is considered a universal tool and successfully cares for ceramic, metal and teflon coatings. However, before purchasing a product, you need to pay attention to what material it is intended for.
  2. Vinegar, nail polish remover, hydrogen peroxide, lemon mixture. With their help, it is possible to process a ceramic, teflon and metal surface, but only if it is not covered with special expensive non-stick or self-cleaning material.
  3. Soda and toothpaste. Only metal outsole.

Compliance with the above rules will allow for a long time to operate a household appliance without any discomfort, restoring its functionality if necessary.

material author changes from
leave a comment
  1. Natalya
    03/05/2016 at 22:59 Reply

    Thanks for the article, all of the above methods really help. Personally, I use liquid soap to clean the iron. First, I dilute it with water in equal proportions and wash the surface of the still cold iron. Then I dry the appliance, warm up the sole and put on the remnants of the dirt that has not passed away, I apply a slightly concentrated composition with a cotton swab. Already rubbing it with a raid without a lint. So you do not have to suffer from an unpleasant smell, and the result is decent!

  2. Olga
    03/12/2016 at 14:26 Reply

    I just didn’t understand one thing - when do you clean the sole with toothpaste do you need to heat the iron or is it better to work in the cold?

    • Svetlana
      03/20/2016 at 11:51

      Olga! I also asked this question, as a result I tried both approaches. In general, I act both, but if you work with the iron turned off, you will have to use a lot of water and rub the sole for a long time. With a dense coating, it can be scratched. But on a preheated basis, the mass melts, as it were, and the process goes faster. The main thing is not to overheat the device, otherwise the whole composition will simply burn out and become another layer of burnout.

Cleaning

Wash

Stains