Tips on Cleaning Your Steam Iron

I realize that with many of the permanent-press fabrics today that people don't need to iron as much as in the past. Being a fan of rayon, cotton, linen and other fabrics that do need ironed to look their best, I use my steam iron quite a bit. If you're like me, you disregard the steam iron manufacturer's instructions to use distilled water, and use tap water instead. The result is that your iron becomes mineralized inside over time and may not produce as much steam as you'd like.

Starches and other residue will also clog up the steam pores and create a gunky sole plate that no longer glides smoothly over the fabric, causing you to iron wrinkles into the fabric rather that out of it. Keeping your steam iron clean makes this household chore so much easier!

My mother used her steam iron quite a bit, too, and taught me how to clean the mineral deposits and other gunk off the bottom of an iron and return it to a like-new condition without having to buy products made for that purpose. It isn't difficult at all, and you probably have what you need for the cleaning process already around the house. You can return your dirty, gummed-up steam iron to like-new condition by following these simple steps:

You'll want to clean the mineral deposits from the inside of the iron first. This process will push white mineral deposits out of the steam pores and make the bottom even dirtier, so you will want to clean the bottom last. You will need some good ole' white vinegar, a cookie rack, an old towel or two, an old toothbrush or baby bottle nipple brush, table salt, newspaper, and some wax paper.

Place the old towel on a heat-proof surface and place the cookie rack on top. Fill the water reservoir with the white vinegar and put the steam iron on top of the cookie rack. Place it with the sole plate down, as if you were ironing. The cookie rack will hold the iron above the surface of the towel so it doesn't scorch, but keep a close eye on it to be safe. Turn the iron on to a medium-high steam heat setting, and let it sit and steam until all the vinegar has evaporated out of the iron. Refill the reservoir with water and let the iron steam all the water out as before, to remove any traces of the vinegar and minerals still inside the iron.

You will notice ugly white mineral deposits on the bottom of your iron after it has steamed. Let the iron cool and use the old brush to remove any white traces from within the steam pores. If the stains are stubborn, use a little baking soda as you brush, then run the steam iron through the steaming process again to remove the residue.

Now the inside of your steam iron is clean, you can move on to cleaning the sole plate. Remove the cookie rack from the old towel and replace it with several layers of newspaper. If the towel has become very damp you may need to replace it with a dry one so it doesn't make the newspaper too wet and likely to shred. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of table salt on the newspaper and rub the sole plate of the cooled steam iron over the salt until all traces of the mineral residue is removed. Use a clean, damp cloth to wipe the bottom of the steam iron.

Now that you've cleaned your steam iron, you'll use the wax paper to add a slippery finish which will allow you to glide smoothly over the fabric as you iron. Heat the iron again. Remove the newspaper and salt and dispose of them. Tear of a piece of wax paper about 18 inches long and place it on the towel. When the iron is hot, take a few long strokes across the wax paper to give the sole plate a slick surface.

Just be careful to keep an eye on your steam iron while it is going through the steaming process. Place it in a spot where children can't reach it and get burned by the steam or by the iron itself. Don't put it in an out-of-the-way place and forget about it!

Using distilled water in your steam iron, as the manufacturer suggests, will keep you from having to clean your iron very often, although you will still need to clean and polish the bottom occasionally.

Happy ironing!