Learn to clean an iron like a pro

What does your iron look like at home? If you use it frequently, there's a good chance that your iron also has stains on the soleplate. This is often due to ironing synthetic fabrics.

These brown discolorations are ugly and can also leave marks on the clothes you iron. Isn't it annoying that something meant to help make your garments look better can actually damage them?! But don't despair – we’ll teach you how to clean your iron in just a few minutes.

Here's how you can quickly and easily clean your iron from stains

1. Use iron cleaner

What could be more effective than a product specifically designed for cleaning irons? This product usually comes in stick form and, besides cleaning the iron from dirt and limescale, it also makes the soleplate glide more easily over the fabric. Moreover, it is very easy to use. Heat the iron to 2 dots and then rub the stick on the soleplate. Make sure the entire surface is covered with the product. Turn off the iron and wipe clean with a soft, clean cloth.

2. Salt against dirt

Did you know you can use salt to remove stains from your iron? It doesn’t get any simpler! All you need to clean your iron with salt is an old, clean towel and salt (preferably coarse salt).

Sprinkle a generous layer of salt on the towel. Heat the iron to maximum temperature and then iron over the towel with the hot iron. Repeat several times until the stains disappear. The stains are absorbed into the towel, hence the recommendation to use an old one. If you don’t have a towel available, you can use kitchen roll instead. Then simply let the iron cool and wipe clean with a damp, clean cloth. Additionally, the soleplate surface is polished during the salt treatment, which in turn helps the soleplate glide more easily over the fabric.

3. Eco-friendly stain removal with vinegar and bicarbonate of soda

Here’s a super tip that’s also kind to both the environment and your wallet – try cleaning your iron with vinegar and bicarbonate of soda next time you spot a stain on the underside of the soleplate. The mixture of vinegar and bicarbonate dissolves the stains without scratching the soleplate – we like that!

Mix equal parts water and vinegar and moisten a sponge with the liquid. Sprinkle a tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda onto the cool soleplate and rub the stains away with the sponge. To clean all the small holes where the steam comes out, you can use ordinary cotton swabs dipped in the ready vinegar mixture.

Didn't manage to remove all stains? Some more stubborn stains require a tougher treatment before they disappear. Mix a paste from one to two tablespoons of bicarbonate of soda and a little water, then spread it over the soleplate. Leave it for 5-10 minutes and wipe the surface with a damp, clean cloth. Finish by heating the iron – this is to avoid ugly water stains on the underside.

If your iron still has some stains, you can try mixing a stronger paste from bicarbonate and vinegar instead and then repeat all the steps.

4. Shiny clean with silver polish

This polish can work wonders on a dirty iron! For a gleaming iron, you only need a couple of cloths and silver polish. Rub thoroughly on all stains until they disappear. For stubborn stains, you may need to change cloths to avoid rubbing deposits back in. Moisten the cloth with warm water to rinse off the silver polish. Polish with a clean cloth for a better result. Don’t have any silver polish at home? This tip also works well with toothpaste – give it a try!

5. Lime juice and bicarbonate of soda

The following ingredients are found in almost every home – namely lime juice and bicarbonate of soda. We mostly use them in cooking, but when you combine lime juice with bicarbonate, you get a very effective cleaning agent for burnt-on stains on the iron. Besides getting rid of the stains, the iron also becomes extra shiny. We like that!

Mix a tablespoon of lime juice with bicarbonate of soda until the consistency resembles a thick paste. Cover the soleplate with the paste and wait 5-10 minutes. Then wipe off the paste with a damp cloth and heat the iron for a few minutes to avoid ugly water stains.

Don’t forget to clean your iron inside

It’s easy to focus only on what you can see when cleaning an iron, i.e. the discolorations on the soleplate. And rightly so – the stains can after all cause damage to the garments you iron. In addition, you should also regularly clean or descale the water reservoir. This is especially important if you live in an area with hard water.

If you have a more modern iron, it should have a built-in descaling function. Feel free to read the manual to know how to proceed. Usually, it’s enough to press a button intended for this purpose while holding the iron horizontally and let the steam do its job.

If your iron is an older model, there are a few simple steps to follow. Pour 1 tablespoon of vinegar into the water reservoir and then fill up with water. Turn on the steam function and let the iron heat up. Iron over a clean towel until the water reservoir is completely empty.

If you don’t feel like doing that, it’s equally fine to use the steam function on max and wait until the water tank is empty. Repeat the same steps with only water. Done! Now you can enjoy a clean iron for several months before it’s time for another round.

Is it already time to clean your iron again?

Isn’t it hard to keep track of how often something needs cleaning? We have prepared a cleaning schedule that covers everything.

Cleaning an iron is often one of those things at the bottom of the priority list for obvious reasons. Then you end up with a never-ending list of things to clean, everything from cleaning the fireplace glass to cleaning the whole kitchen.

Let us help you with deep cleaning in Stockholm and get a truly clean home without lifting a finger.