How to Properly Wash an Iron

Have you ever finished ironing an article of clothing and thought to yourself that the iron doesn't seem to be working properly? Often when this happens the owner of the iron will think it is time for a new iron but it is possible the iron just needs to be cleaned. Often it does not even occur to someone that an iron needs to be washed frequently just like the clothes that are being ironed.

There are two parts of the iron that need to be cleaned. One area is the inner chamber called the reservoir and the second part is the soleplate. If these parts are not kept clean then the steam ducts could be clogged, the water reservoir could be polluted and the result could be that the iron won't work properly or it could even stain the clothes being ironed.

To clean the reservoir you'll need some distilled white vinegar and some clean water. First pour some distilled white vinegar in the reservoir and fill it up about a quarter of the way. Plug the iron and let the iron sit on steam setting for 10 minutes. When the steam setting is done unplug the iron.

Over a sink turn the iron upside down to drain the vinegar out of the reservoir. If this does not clean out the reservoir completely then do the same thing again except just use clean water instead of vinegar. Once the reservoir is clean fill the reservoir with water one last time to rinse it.

Once the reservoir is cleaned the next step is to clean the metal plate. Obviously the iron should be unplugged and turned off so that the iron is not hot. Get a few tablespoons of baking soda and add just enough water to make a paste. Dampen a cloth in water and then apply the paste to the metal plate using the cloth. Once the plate has been covered with the paste clean it off with another damp cloth.

The final step to washing an iron is to clean the remaining exterior of the iron. To do this simply dampen a sponge and wipe down the rest of the iron. If this does not clean the exterior then try it again with a mild dishwashing detergent.