Practice shows that no matter how expensive and advanced an iron you buy, it, like a regular one, is prone to build-up of plaque, rotting of water in the tank and blockage of steam supply channels. In light of the foregoing, our article on how to descale the iron with your own hands will be useful to the owner of any iron.
Why scale appears
Regardless of the level of water hardness, it always has its own set of mineral s alts, characteristic of a particular region in which the water intake is located. In some places there may be more s alts, in others less, but it is their concentration that affects how soon the iron will be covered with a layer of scale or even clog.
Also, the iron can accumulate deposits that appear due to its improper use. For example, the temperature for ironing synthetic fabrics was set incorrectly, or the water in the steam generator tank stagnated so that the outsidealong with the steam, the smallest microorganisms that have developed in a container that has not been rinsed for a long time are splashed out. Adhering to the surface of the ironing part, they build up more and more, until finally they darken and begin to interfere with ironing, inhibiting the free sliding of the iron.
But more inconvenience is the plaque that accumulates on the steam supply channels. Over time, the layer of scale gets wider and wider, until it finally completely blocks the passages, making steam inefficient.
Cleaning products and how they work
So, how do we usually clean the iron from scale at home? The set of tools is small and, as a rule, consists of improvised ingredients used for cooking:
- acetic acid;
- citric acid;
- mineral water.
Some resort to hydrogen peroxide, acetone, toothpaste and other compounds, many prefer to purchase a special descaler for irons in the hardware store, but their effectiveness is rarely higher than those listed.
The action of all products is based on their ability to dissolve and soften the carbon itself, after which it can be rinsed out of the steam supply channels without residue.
Basic cleaning methods
Usually you can get rid of scale at home without disassembling the appliance. Timely cleaning of carbon deposits / scale on the soleplate itself and blockages in the steam supply holes can completelyrid it of third-party layers and return it to its original appearance. Consider all the options on how to descale a steam iron, in order.
Vinegar
First, let's get acquainted with how to clean the iron from scale with vinegar, which is literally all housewives at home. For this we need:
- vinegar itself;
- cotton swabs (discs);
- cotton buds (better to use a sharpened Korean stick with cotton wool wrapped around it);
- cut (flap) of woolen fabric.
Scheme of action:
- Wet a disk or swab in undiluted vinegar and wipe the surface of the soleplate with accumulated soot so that the soot itself absorbs the acid well.
- Carefully wipe the steam holes with a cotton swab dipped in vinegar.
- Then we take a woolen cloth and thoroughly clean the surface of the sole of the iron from softened deposits.
If carbon deposits are too high, a second procedure may be required. In some especially neglected cases, not even one. And since vinegar itself has a rather pungent odor, cleaning is best done outdoors. But, as can be seen from the above, this method is more suitable for "external" use. And to clean the iron from carbon deposits inside, you should turn to citric acid.
Citric acid (mineral water)
Those who are interested in how to descale an iron with citric acid will be offered a choice of twooption. The first one - the most effective - involves cleaning the steaming system by directly pouring a solution of citric acid (or mineral water) into the steamer tank.
Lemonka, option 1
Scheme of actions in the case of the first option, which involves cleaning from the inside:
- In a 200-ml glass of clean water, dissolve the contents of a 25-gram sachet of citric acid. Stir until the crystals are completely dissolved.
- Pour the solution into the capacity of the iron steamer.
- Turn on the iron to the outlet, setting it to maximum heat.
- As soon as the cut-off switch is triggered when the maximum temperature is reached, turn off the iron from the mains, take it by the handle and start pressing the steam supply button above the prepared bath in a horizontal position. At first, steam will come out of the holes, but as they cool, trickles of water will begin to splash out of them, along with pieces of loose scale.
- As it cools, you can heat the iron a few more times and pump the acid solution through the steamer holes until the container is completely free of it.
- Then you will have to rinse the container and the soleplate several times with clean water from acid residues, including by driving clean water through the steamer pump, as was done when cleaning.
- After we try to iron an unnecessary light thing. If the yellowness remains in the steamer, you will have to rinse the iron a few more times.
In this case, the descaling of the iron inside the appliance itself is more efficient. But after the procedure, as was said, the steaming system will have to be rinsed several times, which takes even more time than the cleaning process itself, which can be concluded by watching the following video. Here the man just started cleaning. It looks, of course, very intimidating, but after running a full tank and rinsing in clean water, believe me, everything will become much more personable.
Lemonka, option 2
In the second case, you can clean the iron both from scale and from various kinds of soot by boiling the sole of the iron in a metal container. This method does not involve pouring an acid solution into the steamer tank, which means that in this case, after the procedure, you will not have to rinse the system itself for a long time.
Scheme of actions in the case of the second option, which provides for only external influence:
- Preparing a solution of citric acid at the rate of one and a half tablespoons per half liter of water.
- We are preparing a metal bath, a bowl or a wide pan that will fit the iron.
- We put a few coins or wooden chips on the bottom of the pan so that the sole of the iron does not press tightly against the flat bottom of the container, since in this case the iron can only be descaled by the boiling solution freely circulating under the sole of the iron, which will be washed out of the openings of the steam blower scale disintegrating and dissolving in acid.
- We install the iron with a sole on improvised coasters (coins or chips)on the bottom of the container, the container, in turn, put on the stove.
- Pour the acid solution into the container so that it reaches half of the metal part of the sole and turn on the stove.
- Bring the solution to a boil, make it a little quieter and boil our iron for 15–20 minutes.
- Then thoroughly rinse the soleplate in clean water.
- Dry.
- Testing. If the white fabric does not show any signs of yellowing when ironed with a steam iron, all the scale has come out and rinsed without residue.
For those who are too lazy to read detailed instructions, you can watch the following video.
Instead of a conclusion, a few words about preventive measures
Sometimes, before you have time to descale the iron, it is again full of savings. This is because the water in the system is unnecessarily hard and the content of alkali metal s alts and other minerals is extremely high. For he alth, such water does not pose a threat. But the iron, dishwasher or washing machine, as well as the heating element of the boiler, will grow scale very quickly.
In this case, in order to protect your iron from deposits, you should pour only purified (filtered) water into it. And so that the remaining water at the bottom of the tank does not rot, it is important not to be lazy, but to rinse it more often and drain the rest of the water from the tank after each ironing. And you and your iron will be happy!
