The tricks of American housewives: how to clean the iron and why it is needed
'31.10.2022'
Source: Good Housekeeping
If your iron is getting worse at its job, or if you have marks or stains on fresh clothes, it looks like it wants to tell you something. Namely - it's time to descale. Here's how to properly clean your iron.
Signs that the iron needs cleaning:
- From the iron on the things pour small white deposits, resembling chalk or limescale.
- On the sole of the iron there are sticky remnants of molten tissue.
- Iron pulls, and does not slide on things.
- The iron leaves marks and stains on the surfaces.
Ideally, you should clean the iron every three months, if there are no obvious problems, writes Good Housekeeping. But a lot depends on how often you iron. Ignoring pollution, you risk spoiling your favorite clothes and especially delicate fabrics.
We clean the sole of the iron
Take a large piece of clean, damp cloth and wipe the iron's slightly warm sole. If you are using anti-static paper (dryer sheets), turn on the iron in low temperature mode and wipe the iron sole with this paper to remove accumulated deposits and dirt.
You can also use some white toothpaste - dab it on a damp cloth to gently remove any build-up of dirt on the base.
- Do not use abrasive cleaners: they damage the soleplate.
We clean the iron from the inside
Most recent generations of steam irons have some form of self-cleaning system - use them regularly following the manufacturer's instructions.
Alternatively, pour equal parts white vinegar and water into the water tank about a third of its volume (see instructions first - not all models can use vinegar!).
- Turn on the iron at medium temperature and leave on the 5-10 minutes for all the vinegar to evaporate. Then fill the chamber with fresh water and turn on the iron again to wash away traces of mineral deposits and vinegar.
- Wipe the base of the iron and steam traps with a paper towel. Use a cotton swab moistened with water and a solution of vinegar to clean clogged steam traps.
- To prevent lime build-up in the iron, always remove excess water from the chamber after ironing is completed.
Clean the soleplate of the steam generator iron in the same way as irons. Most of them have built-in descaling systems, so follow the instructions. Rinse the container with distilled water several times.
