I have to clean my Iron?
Ann Brebner ??
?? The ‘A’ of Jamhelpingout - raising awareness of local charities by offering hands on support as well as fundraising.
It’s bad enough I have to clean and Iron the clothes but now I have to clean the Iron?
Not sure to be honest that I have ever descaled my iron?
Well I want to get through my ironing pile quicker maybe I should have. Most manufacturers recommend we clean our irons every 3 months and when limescale builds up inside the iron it blocks the holes where the steam comes out and makes it less effective.
Sticky bits
We all dread that feeling when you glide over your favourite trousers and there is a little resistance and you realise that something sticky has now transferred from the iron to the fabric and has now been embedded into the design.
If you have residue on the bottom of your iron cleaning beforehand is obviously preferable but if it’s appeared since you started ironing be very careful when attempting to clean it off. We would advise that you let the iron cool down completely, then use either a mixture of water and white vinegar, baking power mixed with water or wait for it…toothpaste.
Add any of these to a soft damp sponge or cloth and wipe it over the soleplate. If needed sometimes a cotton bud can help clean the holes, but don’t use an abrasive pad as this could damage the material of the soleplate.
Get a dry cloth and dry off the residue and polish it until clean and shiny.
How to descale an iron
Most irons come with a built-in cleaning system to descale an iron. They vary between irons that use steam jets to flush out the vents to others that have a self-cleaning system integrated into the design. It’s worth doing your research if you are considering buying a new one.
If you don’t have one of those…
Fill the water tank to the maximum fill level with equal parts water and vinegar. Turn the iron to the highest setting for at least 4 minutes. Press the steam button a few times. Switch of the iron and leave the mixture for 30 minutes
Alternatively you can purchase a descaling powder / liquid that you can put directly into the water chamber and follow the instructions accordingly.
I am sure you feel well and truly told off now!
Happy Ironing all