During operation, the iron is often burnt, and scale may form inside. If you pay attention to cleaning in time, there is a chance to return the previous look to the household appliance. Otherwise, you will need a new iron soon.
Timely cleaning allows you to return the former shining appearance of household appliances. For this, different recipes are used. How to clean the iron at home, we will tell you further.
Rules for using the iron
Before considering how to clean the iron at home, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules for caring for the named device. This will avoid the need to thoroughly clean household appliances.
- In the process of ironing, you need to set the correct temperature. Otherwise, it will harm not only the iron, but also the fabric. Thin silk, synthetic fabrics should not be ironed at high temperatures, otherwise traces of tan marks will remain on the sole of even the most expensive model.
- After ironing is completed, eachonce you need to wipe the soleplate with a soft, lint-free cloth.
- Do not pour liquid from the tap into the water compartment. In this case, scale is formed. Only distilled or filtered water that does not leave limescale will do. By the way, when steaming, it will fly out of the soleplate nozzles, leaving white marks on the fabric.
S alt and paraffin
There are many ways that allow you to clean the iron at home from carbon deposits. So, on sale there are special pencils with which you can achieve a high result. However, such funds are not always available, therefore, special recipes are used that allow you to quickly deal with soot.
One of the most popular means for cleaning the soleplate of an iron is s alt. It is necessary to pour it in an even layer on a sheet of paper or fabric. Next, the iron is plugged into an outlet and driven over the s alt for several minutes. The action continues until the surface shines.
Another popular way is to use a paraffin candle. It is wrapped in a natural fabric (preferably cotton) and rubbed with it on the surface of the iron (it must be heated). Place a tray under the candle. The melted paraffin will flow into it.
After carrying out such a procedure, you need to clean all the pores, uneven terrain from the remnants of the candle material.
Hydrogen peroxide and vinegar
It is very important to determine what material the soleplate is made of. For Teflon and ceramic instrumentsabrasive products are not suitable.
It is important to choose gentle formulations. In this case, considering how to clean a Teflon iron at home, you should adopt a few simple recipes:
- Need to prepare hydrogen peroxide. A cotton swab is moistened in this substance and burnt spots are rubbed off with it. The iron must be unplugged at this time. Such processing is carried out only for a cold surface. The peroxide softens the burnt layer so it can be easily washed off.
- Vinegar will also help to quickly deal with a dark spot. If the burn is very strong, ammonia is added to the vinegar in equal proportions. In this solution, moisten a cotton swab, which wipe the surface. If this does not help, you can soak a cloth in this solution. It is applied to the sole and left for several hours. During that time, the burn will soften under the influence of vinegar.
Features of aluminum surface cleaning
When considering how to clean a burnt iron at home, you need to consider the type of material of its sole. The most capricious of them is aluminum. Such a surface cannot be cleaned with s alt, as it is easily scratched. And in this case, your ironing device will not work properly.
Experts suggest using a simple recipe:
- If carbon deposits appear on an aluminum sole, you need to make a thick solution of soda and detergent tocrockery.
- It is applied to the surface of a cold iron and left on the sole for several hours. During this time, it will soften the pollution.
- Wash off this composition with a damp cloth. This is done carefully so that no traces of detergent remain.
- Next, the surface is wiped dry, trying not to leave stains or pile on the surface. To do this, you need to use special napkins.
This method will help clean even a surface that is unstable to mechanical damage.
Ceramic iron
There are many ways to solve the problem if the iron is burnt. How to clean ceramic soles at home? It is also quite capricious material. It, as already mentioned, cannot be cleaned with abrasive compounds, so we will use one of the simple recipes:
- You will need to prepare a solution of water and citric acid. The fabric is moistened in this product.
- It is squeezed out and placed on a ceramic surface. Here the fabric remains for several hours.
- Then the surface is cleaned with the same solution. Rubbing the surface with a soft towel is allowed. However, do not use brushes, hard washcloths, etc.
If the ceramic iron is very dirty, you need to mix vinegar with ammonia:
- The fabric is impregnated with this compound.
- Next, plug the iron into a socket and heat it up.
- They iron the prepared fabric until the surface is clean.
- Next, you need to turn off the iron and wipe cleandry cloth.
Teflon iron
When considering how to clean the soleplate of an iron at home, you need to pay attention to Teflon varieties. They also need certain care, which should be as gentle and gentle as possible:
- Recipes with s alt and paraffin are suitable for such a coating. These two remedies can be combined.
- Paraffin is crushed. To do this, rub the candle on a grater. It is better if the crumb is small.
- Next, paraffin is mixed with s alt.
- Prepare a thick natural fabric. A mixture of paraffin and s alt is laid out on it.
- She is covered from above with a thin cloth.
- The iron needs to be heated. It is optimal if the temperature is set at about 110 ºС.
- The prepared composition is ironed.
- When the soleplate is clean, the iron is turned off and allowed to cool, and the surface is wiped with a dry, clean cloth.
Steel outsole
Earlier all irons had a steel sole. They were not afraid of mechanical influences and other adverse factors. Considering how to clean the iron coating at home, if it has a steel sole, you can use different methods.
This material can be cleaned with an old toothbrush:
- To do this, prepare a soap solution. It is mixed with baking soda.
- Then the surface is rubbed until it is clean.
You can use a variety of detergents. Also, a steel iron can be brought into proper shape whenhelp of almost all of the above recipes. The choice depends on the degree of contamination of its surface. For a strong burn, you need to use a mixture of vinegar and ammonia. With their help, the surface is soaked for several hours. After that, you can clean with soda.
More recipes
There are several more recipes for how to clean the iron at home. They are quite simple, so they are often used. If the stain has just appeared, it should be immediately rubbed with a bar of soap. Then the iron is unplugged. When its surface has cooled, you need to wipe the soot with a damp cloth and wipe dry.
If polyethylene or other artificial material accidentally sticks to the sole, it can be easily removed. Acetone is used for this. A cotton swab is moistened with nail polish remover, which is used to treat the contaminated surface.
You can get rid of soot with alcohol. But this method works only in the case of medium surface contamination. It should be remembered that a knife, sandpaper or other abrasive products are not used to clean the soleplate of an iron made of any material. This can significantly damage the equipment.
Descale
It often becomes necessary to descale the iron at home. If this is not done, the nozzles will become clogged with limescale. This will leave stains on the clothes. In order not to damage things while using the iron, you need to properly clean the internal water tank.
Many models of equipment have a built-in self-cleaning function. Whether it is or not, you need to clarify in the instructions, which describes in detail the cleaning algorithm:
- As a general rule, pour as much water as possible into the iron chamber first.
- Next, set the temperature control to the highest position. Plug the iron into a socket. It will heat up and then cool down.
- Then it is tilted over the sink or prepared container and the self-cleaning button is pressed.
- Scaling together with steam will be removed from the tank, after which the iron is turned off and wiped dry.
Citric acid
There are other ways to clean the inside of the iron at home. Not every model has a self-cleaning function. If the manufacturer did not provide for its presence, then you need to use simple recipes. They will help you quickly solve the problem of scale that has appeared in the tank:
- You need to take two teaspoons of citric acid.
- It is dissolved in a glass of water. This solution is poured into the iron.
- After that, the device is plugged into the outlet. It needs to be heated to the maximum.
- The iron is shaken vigorously several times and the steam release button is pressed.
Please note that this procedure must be carried out over a pre-prepared bowl, as scale will fly out of the soleplate nozzles. It may have a dark tint or be yellowish. The color depends on the composition of the water in the area.
Aftercleaning, rinse the tank with distilled water and wipe the soleplate dry.
Soda water
You can also clean the iron from scale at home with ordinary sparkling water. It contains acids that act on lime sediment. After such treatment, the deposits are destroyed and brought out.
You need to pour mineral water into the tank. And then proceed in the same way as in the recipe with citric acid. The iron is heated and the steam button is pressed. When the procedure is completed, you need to rinse the device inside with distilled water.
After the scale passes through the nozzles, it may remain in small amounts in these holes. They can be removed with cotton swabs for cleaning the ears. With their help, dirt is removed from the nozzles. If necessary, they can be moistened with vinegar.
How to prevent scale?
There are many ways to clean your iron at home. However, it is better to take a number of preventive actions. This will help prevent frequent clogging of the internal reservoir. The quality of the water determines how often you need to descale the iron.
As already mentioned, distilled water is best for refilling the tank. It can be purchased at gas stations and bus stations. This is not the only option. Suitable for iron and drinking water, which is sold in bottles in almost any supermarket. It undergoes high-quality cleaning, which allows you to use such a liquid in the ironing process.
If there is a filter at home, water from itcan also be poured into the tank. The main thing is to monitor the frequency of replacing the cassette. Otherwise, hardness s alts will still settle on the walls of the tank. You can also simply infuse tap water for several hours. Hardness s alts will precipitate overnight.
Having considered how to clean the iron at home, you can perform the correct care yourself. And your household appliance will regain its former shine and retain its functionality for a long time.
