Don’t let a dirty iron ruin your clothes. Learn how to clean an iron with items you have on hand. Any one of these easy methods will do the trick.
Ironing is supposed to unwrinkle your clothes and make them look better. But when you notice brown stains on your garments or a funky smell on freshly pressed items, it’s time to pull out your cleaning tools. That’s when knowing how to clean an iron comes in handy.
Be sure to first check the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning recommendations in case there are dos and don’ts for your specific model.
1. How to clean an iron with newspaper and salt
Iron And Salt On Newspaper
This may sound weird, but it works! The coarseness of the salt acts like sandpaper to remove marks and grime.
Set your iron to warm.
Place a piece of newspaper on the ironing board.
Sprinkle a thin layer of salt on the newspaper.
Quickly run the warm iron over the salt in a circular motion.
Repeat, adding more salt as needed.
Unplug your iron and let it cool completely.
Use a damp microfiber cloth to remove the remaining dirt and salt from the iron.
2. How to clean an iron with baking soda
Cleaning Iron With Toothbrush and baking soda paste
A safe and natural multitasker, baking soda has so many surprising uses, including cleaning your iron.
Create a paste by mixing two parts baking soda to one part water.
Cover the iron plate with the baking soda paste. Be careful not to get it in the steam vents.
Leave it on for a few minutes, then scrub it with a clean toothbrush.
Use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe it clean.
3. How to clean an iron with vinegar
Vinegar is another miracle cleaner. Use it alone if your iron shows signs of corrosion, such as rust stains, which can be caused by water left in the reservoir. Or pair it with baking soda to get rid of almost any buildup (more on how to do that below).
For corrosion:
Soak a clean towel in vinegar.
Place your iron, with the plate facing down, on the towel. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
Wipe the iron down.
For scorch marks:
Dampen a clean microfiber cloth with vinegar.
Wipe the scorch marks with the damp cloth.Use a clean part of the cloth to keep wiping the marks until they’re gone.
4. How to clean an iron with baking soda and vinegar
Baking soda and vinegar are cleaning staples, and together, they’re a powerful—and safe—combination.
Create a paste by mixing equal parts vinegar and baking soda (or salt).
Dip a clean microfiber cloth into the paste.
Use the cloth to rub the paste in small circles around the iron plate.
Dip another clean microfiber cloth into distilled water (this is especially important if you have hard water) and wipe off the paste until the iron is clean.
5. How to clean an iron with toothpaste
Cleaning Iron With Cotton Swab and toothpaste
Because of its abrasive ingredients used to clean teeth, toothpaste is a good option for cleaning scorch marks off your iron’s soleplate. For best results—for both the iron and your teeth—you may want to use a toothpaste that contains baking soda.
Use a cotton swab to rub a little plain white toothpaste into any scorch marks. Try to avoid getting the toothpaste in the steam vents.
Wipe off the paste with a damp microfiber cloth.
If toothpaste gets into the steam vents, fill the water tank with distilled water, place the iron in an upright position on a towel on your ironing board, and set the iron to steam. Let it sit for a few minutes. Then hold the steam button for about 20 seconds to release the toothpaste. Wipe it with a damp cloth and repeat until the steam is flowing freely.
6. How to clean an iron with Tylenol
Yes, the same Tylenol (or any white acetaminophen tablet) you take for headaches also works wonders on a rusty iron. There’s a whole science behind it, but all you really need to know is that it works.
Set your iron to the highest heat setting and let it heat up.
Wearing an oven mitt to avoid burning yourself, rub the pill onto the stain. The heat will melt the pill and turn it into a gel, which will dissolve the stain. Some people recommend using tweezers to hold the pill, but that’s not ideal. If your tweezers scrape the soleplate, they can scratch it permanently.
Repeat as necessary.
Place a clean, damp microfiber cloth on your ironing board and rub the hot iron over it to remove the residue.
7. How to clean an iron with dryer sheets
Thanks to their light abrasiveness, dryer sheets can also double as iron cleaners.
Get your iron to the lowest setting. You just need a little heat.
Wearing an oven mitt, rub the dryer sheet over the soleplate to remove any gunk.
Repeat as necessary.
8. How to clean an iron with nail polish remover
Acetone nail polish remover will also remove residue from your soleplate but should be used outside—or at the very least with the windows open—so you don’t breathe in the chemical fumes.
Heat your iron to high.
Turn it off once it gets hot.
Dip a cotton ball or cotton pad into acetone nail polish remover.
Using an oven mitt, wipe the cotton along the hot iron to dissolve any black gunk.
Finish by using a damp cloth over the surface.
9. How to clean an iron with a Magic Eraser
There’s a reason it’s called a Magic Eraser: It magically erases all kinds of stains, including hard water spots on your soleplate.
Wet your Magic Eraser.
Rub it on the stains or spots.
Repeat as necessary.
