How to Clean Your Iron When It Starts Sticking
When your clothes iron sticks to your clothing, you should check for any kind of residue on the soleplate. Even though you might not think keeping your iron clean is important, it is still necessary to some extent.
Not doing any maintenance on your iron won’t just only shorten its lifespan, but also ruin your clothing. To make matters worse, the soleplate often retains residue from synthetic fabrics that can stain your light-colored clothing.
How can you clean your iron at home? There are actually several ways to do it. Below, are some of the most effective methods described for you to know what to do.
Easy tricks for cleaning your iron
Among all home appliances, the iron is one thing people forget to clean the most. Despite the fact they are used frequently, people almost never take the time to check it to see if it needs cleaning.
As a result, it sticks a little to clothing while ironing. In the worst case scenario, you can end up ruining your clothes. Has this ever happened to you? Then today is your day to learn from the tips below.
1.- Lemon juice and baking soda
By combining lemon juice with a little baking soda, you can make a powerful cleaner for a metallic iron solplate. Due to its acidic components, this cleaner eliminates fabric residue and leaves your iron shining.
Read this article too: 6 Health Benefits for Lemon Juice.
Ingredients:
- 2 squeezed lemons
- 2 tablespoons of baking soda (30 g)
Instructions:
- Juice the lemons and mix the lemon juice with the baking soda in a bowl.
Use:
- Let the mixture bubble up and rub the paste onto the iron, the soleplate should be cool.
- Let it to work for 5 minutes and wipe off with a wet cloth.
- Clean at least one a month.
2.- Distilled water and white vinegar
Making a solution with distilled water and white vinegar can help eliminate the dark spots that formed by clothing residue stuck on your iron. If you have any of those ingredients at home, then give them a try on your iron.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of distilled water (125 ml)
- ½ cup of white vinegar (125 ml)
Instructions:
- Thoroughly mix the ingredients in a bowl.
Use:
- Dip a clean cloth into the solution and rub it onto your iron, it should be warm.
- Clean 2 or 3 times a week to keep your iron in good condition.
3.- Coarse salt
Coarse salt is an alternative cleaning product that can help when clothes sticks to your iron. Its texture allows it to help remove synthetic clothing and other residues.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of coarse salt (30 g)
- Newspaper sheet
Instructions:
- Spread out a newspaper and cover it with the tablespoons of salt.
Use:
- Heat up your iron for a few minutes and iron the salt as if you were ironing a piece of clothing.
- Repeat the process until the iron’s soleplate becomes shiny and spotless.
- Afterwards, let it cool and wipe it with a soft cloth.
Check out this article too: Which types of salt is the healthiest?
4.- Candle wax
Using candle wax on your iron can easily remove sticky fabric that could ruin your clothes. Candle wax has a runny texture that softens residues, thus it can leave your iron nice and clean.
Use:
- Plug in your iron for a few minutes and rub a candle over its soleplate.
- Leave the wax on for a few minutes until it warms up, then wipe off the excess with a soft cloth.
- If the spots are still there, heat up your iron again and iron wax paper.
5.- Toothpaste
Did you know that toothpaste can be used as an alternative for cleaning an iron? Thanks to its components, it’s great for removing burned clothing stains or any leftover material that could make your iron stick.
Use:
- Squeeze out a small amount of toothpaste and apply it onto your iron’s soleplate while it’s cold.
- Afterwards, take a clean cloth and buff your iron.
- Then, use the steam function for a few minutes and let it cool.
- Finally, rub your iron again with the cloth and remove all of the toothpaste.
Do you know any other iron cleaning techniques? Share them in the comment section.
If you still haven’t done any maintenance on your iron, choose one of the methods listed in our post and get your iron working just like new again.