How to clean the iron?

Each of us uses the iron almost every day. When everyday ironing, we do not even think about the dangers that lie in wait for this household appliance. Simple inattention can lead to external or internal pollution, which can confound the inexperienced hostess. If you do not make a competent cleaning, then the iron will have to throw. It is important to know the most effective ways to clean the device.

A serious obstacle on the way to ironed things can be a dirty iron. The steam stops coming out, scale appears, stains remain on things after ironing - just an incomplete list of what happens as a result of the appearance of pollution.

Causes of iron contamination:

• Unfiltered tap water leads to the formation of scale inside the iron. This makes it difficult to take full advantage of the function of steaming or moistening tissue.
• Yellow stains appear on your clothes if salts start to be deposited on the heating element.
• Too high temperature when ironing leads to the formation of soot on the sole. He, in turn, is transferred to clothing.
• Long contact of the hot iron with synthetic fibers.
• Contact with hot sole with gum or glue results in soiled soles.

First, determine the type of contamination of the iron. It may be rust, plaque or carbon. Carefully check the sole for scratches. Remember, not everything can be seen with the naked eye.

It is also important to take into account the material of the sole of the iron, the process of purification depends on it. All these nuances are important, but there are general rules for cleaning the iron:

1. It is strictly forbidden to use hard sponges and brushes. Do not try to pull off a deposit in a mechanical way. Do not use powders with high abrasiveness to clean the sole of the iron. Neglecting this rule will result in scratches.
2. Minor scratches on the sole of the iron must be removed with a mixture of paraffin and salt. Mix the ingredients in equal proportion and pour the mixture onto a piece of paper. Cover the paraffin with a napkin. Heat the iron to the maximum and carefully iron the cloth. After that, your iron will be smooth again.
3. For cleansing the sole, you can use only those agents that enter into a chemical reaction with pollution. This will ensure the absence of mechanical effects.
4. Manipulate the device only after disconnecting it from the mains.

For cleansing, you can choose folk remedies or special store. It all depends on your preferences. Popular and effective cleaning products:

• Special pencil. Heated iron (turned off from the power supply network) must be quickly rubbed with a pencil. This should be done carefully: do not press on the pencil, do not touch the sole with your hands, wear protective gloves on your hands. After the dissolution of the soot, run the iron on the cotton fabric.

• Vinegar. Vinegar is easy to remove fresh soot. Prepare a mixture - 250 ml of water and 2 tbsp. l vinegar. Dampen a cotton cloth or cotton pad in the solution and wipe the warm sole of the iron.

• Ammonia. Substance is applied in several variations. You can mix sal ammoniac and vinegar in equal proportions, or add a few drops of liquid to the juice from one lemon. Sometimes ammonia used in its pure form. In one of the solutions it is necessary to moisten the cotton fabric and wipe the slightly heated sole. In the case of a strong carbon deposit, put the iron on a soaked rag and leave overnight.

• Hydrogen peroxide. Such a tool is particularly popular. The liquid substance can also be replaced with hydropermit tablets. Apply the solution in the same way as the previous ones. Wipe the sole with moistened gauze and iron the cotton flap.

• Toothpaste. Try to overcome the pollution with toothpaste. Apply the product with an old toothbrush on a preheated iron. It is better to cover the entire surface, otherwise you can skip small soot. Next, leave the appliance for 30 minutes. Dampen a napkin in warm water and remove the toothpaste from the surface of the soleplate.

• You can always scrape off the usual soda Simply pour a small amount of powder into gauze and rub the hot surface of the iron. If you understand that radical methods are needed, try cleaning with Schumannom. They should be used according to the instructions.

At home, you can easily clean the platform, even a very old iron. Prepare the surface and additional materials for proper cleaning. Find a home quiet place where you can not interfere with children and pets. There should be a socket, a flat surface and cotton fabric.

Cleaning the bottom of the iron is much easier if you start the procedure immediately. The burnt device should be treated with the chosen remedy, observing safety rules. Be sure to protect yourself and family members from possible burns.

You can get rid of burnt fabric and black bloom from plastic using ordinary foil. This method is not known to everyone, but it is very effective. The sheet of foil should be laid out on an ironing board and ironed with a hot iron. After the procedure, it is necessary to wipe the surface with a cotton cloth.

Iron with holes requires additional attention when cleaning. If you use paraffin or a special pencil for cleaning, then the holes need to be cleaned with cotton buds. Do not forget to drive the steam over them to remove the means that have got deep inside. If you do not do this, then there will be greasy marks on all clothes.

It is possible to get rid of old burning and blackness with the help of a special bath for an iron. To do this, often use the old baking sheet. Pour 2 cm of hot water into it and add a suitable cleaning agent. Also from the burn will help get rid of the classic soap. Just rub the iron, wait for drying and remove with a wet cloth.

It is necessary to clean the iron not only outside, but also from the inside. To do this, use distilled water only ordinary plumbing only exacerbates the situation.

You want to clean the sole of the iron qualitatively - consider its material. With the wrong approach there is a risk of completely spoiling the appliance. Modern irons come with soles made of Teflon, stainless steel, aluminum, ceramics and metal ceramics:

• Device with non-stick teflon coating grieve you only because of your fault. The only reason - the wrong choice of temperature when ironing. Such contamination is easy to remove using classic cleaning products. You can use pencil, acetic or citric acid, peroxide or liquids with acetone. Teflon does not tolerate powders and soda salt. Because of them, scratches may appear imperceptible to the eye. Damaged coating slips worse.
• Next in popularity is ceramics. These soles are reliable and durable. Ceramic outsole keeps temperature well. Cleaning the device with a ceramic coating at home is not so easy. Ceramics is particularly sensitive to mechanical stress, requires special care. Many models with a ceramic coating are equipped with a self-cleaning function, but limescale may interfere with its operation. When cleaning the sole, you can use only liquid products. In the fight against soot, lime and scum, your allies will be lemon juice, ammonia and the usual peroxide.
• Devices with soles stainless steel and aluminum are less popular. As a rule, these are old irons, which have been serving for a very long time. Named materials are prone to the appearance of soot. Cleaning such irons is not very different from cleaning the previous options. It is important to know that aluminum cannot be cleaned with acids. Otherwise, corrosion and dark spots may appear on the surface, it may be deformed. Such a sole when ironing completely ruin your clothes.
• Main advantage metal sole - the possibility of using abrasives. Aluminum and stainless steel are absolutely not afraid of mechanical damage. It is very easy to clean fresh contamination even with an ordinary kitchen knife.

Steam iron requires close attention, often look into the water tank. There may appear all sorts of pollution up to green scurf, mold and rust marks. To prevent severe pollution, use filtered drinking or distilled water for the iron.

If a scum appears inside the water tank, you will immediately notice it. When ironing with moistening or steaming, your things will start to become covered with yellowish spots.

Many modern irons can be cleaned on their own. You can use this property in this way:

1. Pour the cleaned liquid into the water tank.
2. Turn on the iron to maximum power, wait until the sole is fully heated.
3. After about 5 minutes, completely turn off the appliance and click on a special button that activates cleaning.
4. You will see the steamer turn on. Steam will come out of the holes along with dissolved contaminants. It is better to carry out this manipulation of the basin.
5. For better cleaning, gently shake the appliance and wipe with a cotton cloth.

Sometimes there are so serious pollution that self-cleaning is powerless. In this case, you will have to move to more aggressive methods. Steam iron can be washed with the help of such folk remedies:

• Lemon acid. You will need 25 grams of substance and a glass of water. Dissolve the powder and pour inside the device. Heat the iron to maximum power and disconnect from the power supply. Hold the appliance over a convenient water tank, turn on the steam function. Thus, flakes of limescale will come out of the tank and the openings of the sole. After cleaning, be sure to rinse the iron with plain water and wipe the sole with a napkin.
• Sparkling water. The principle of cleaning is similar to the previous version. Instead of a mixture with citric acid, in the tank you need to pour carbonated water. In such water there are substances that are capable of dissolving scale.
• Acetic solution. Mix water and vinegar in equal proportions and pour the resulting liquid into 2/3 of the tank. Install the iron in an upright position and heat to maximum temperature. Leave the device alone for 5-10 minutes. During this time, the device will randomly turn off and on again, do not interfere with this.

Now hold the appliance horizontally above the basin or sink, turn on the steam function. Keep the device at a distance so as not to inhale the vines of vinegar and dissolved dirt.To eliminate the vinegar, pour already plain distilled water into the tank and repeat the procedure.

Special industrial substances are presented on the market for cleaning the iron reservoir from various kinds of pollution. Pretty effective remedy - "Antinakipin". You will need ½ tbsp. l funds for a glass of water. The solution is poured into the tank and the iron is heated to the maximum. Then the iron should cool down, and the tank should be freed from the mixture and rinsed with clean water.

Rust and scale stains can be removed with Cillit. Place the iron with the sole upwards and heat it up. Using a syringe or pipette, drip the agent into the steam holes and allow time to infuse. After 7-10 minutes from the holes will begin to ooze dirt, remove it with a damp cotton cloth. Wash the iron itself from the inside with purified water.

All industrial products are composed of acid. You need to work with them strictly according to the instructions. The principle of use is no different from the use of folk remedies.

It is important to know effective methods of combating iron contamination, it is equally important to know about the prevention of their occurrence. Experts give such recommendations:

1. Be sure to read the instructions for your iron. Manufacturers describe in detail the rules of operation, do not neglect them.
2. Use only purified water for ironing. Conventional plumbing is too contaminated with salts and other heavy elements. All of them lead to serious contamination of the reservoir and the holes for steam.
3. The sole of the iron should be wiped with a damp cotton cloth after each use.
4. Do not leave the iron with water in the tank. Such a rash act can lead to the formation of plaque inside the tank.
5. To the appearance of soot can cause your carelessness when setting the temperature. To avoid such trouble, do not remove the labels from the clothes and follow the recommendations that the manufacturer indicates. Be especially careful of synthetic fabrics and wool, they can seriously burn to the bottom of the device.
6. Delicate fabrics should be ironed through wet gauze. When ironing wool, use cotton fabric. Silk clothes are recommended to be steamed without touching the sole with the fabric.
7. Modern irons can not be cleaned with metal wool, coarse brushes and abrasive powders. Such an incorrect approach to the cleaning procedure will result in scratching. Mechanical damage affects the sliding of the iron, complicates the process of ironing things. Moreover, such an iron can completely ruin your clothes.

For more information on how to clean the iron, see the following video.