It is quite difficult to preserve the beautiful pristine appearance of this handsome man. Add tap water and red stains on your white clothes will make you regret it. Or they didn’t calculate the temperature – voila, the soleplate of the iron looks like an old frying pan. We have collected 10 tools for you to help you cope with these problems.
Lemon acid
If you dilute a sachet of citric acid in a glass of hot water and pour the solution inside the iron, and then leave it there for 15 minutes, you can achieve an amazing result. Then you do not need to pour out the water: set the temperature to maximum and press the steam button. When heated, the acid breakdown reaction will go faster and the dirt will dissolve. Repeat this procedure two times, and no trace of scale will remain.
Mineral water
Here’s another great iron cleaner. Just keep in mind that mineral water can be alkaline and acidic. Acidic water with a pH of less than 7 is better suited for cleaning. Acids, which are found in very large quantities in mineral water, help to cope with impurities. It is enough to pour a small amount of carbonated water into the iron reservoir, heat the device to the maximum level and press the steam release button several times until the liquid runs out.
Vinegar
Mix equal parts salt and vinegar in a saucepan, put on medium heat and wait until the salt is completely dissolved. But don’t let the vinegar boil. Wait for the mixture to cool slightly. Soak a cloth with this solution and gently wipe the soleplate of the switched off iron. If the stains are hard to rub off, use a brush, but check the bristles. It should be soft and not scratch the iron, so brushes with metal bristles are absolutely not suitable. After cleaning with vinegar, wipe the soleplate with a soft cloth to remove any residual solution. Then turn on the iron and iron the old cloth for final cleaning of the appliance.
Special pencil
Pencils like this are often sold in sets with special napkins. If you are not afraid of the specific smell of this product, then you may well use it. The fact is that the pencil for cleaning the iron includes carbamide, which is popularly called urea. This product should be used on a hot iron, which can be a problem. But on the other hand, such a pencil will return the shine to the sole by one or two. The price of a miracle remedy is from 55 rubles.
Cleaning wipes
If you’re not ready to mess around with mixing the solutions yourself, you can buy iron cleaning kits from the store. They include napkins that are impregnated with strong chemical compounds and, due to this, easily peel off dirt from the sole of the iron. The price for napkins starts at 200 rubles.
Salt
Place a piece of paper or a cotton towel on your ironing board to throw it away. Place a tablespoon of coarse salt on the cloth. This method works very well when using sea salt. Turn the iron on at the highest setting and turn off the steam completely. Iron a towel sprinkled with salt without pressing hard on the iron. Carbon deposits from the sole will stick to the salt, and the surface of the iron will become just mirror-like.
Hydrogen peroxide
This method is suitable for heavy soiling – as a preparatory step. Take XNUMX% hydrogen peroxide and dampen a cotton ball or cloth with it, then start ironing dark spots with the iron. The peroxide will help dissolve plaque and make it easier to remove.
Baking soda
This method is popular among housewives, because it is very simple. It is enough to mix baking soda with water to a pasty consistency, apply this agent to a rag and wipe the surface of a cold iron with it. At the end of the procedure, you can remove streaks with a damp sponge. But if the fabric is burnt enough to the sole, this method will make you tinker.
Nail polish remover
If a piece of polyethylene stuck to the sole of the iron, then a nail polish remover will help you cope with this problem. Just wet a cotton pad and wipe off the noxious cellophane like nail polish. When cleaning, try not to touch the plastic parts of the iron: substances in the liquid can damage them.
Paraffin candle
This method, perhaps, can hardly be called simple in execution, but it is very effective. To get rid of carbon deposits, wrap a cotton cloth around the candle and rub the hot soleplate in a circular motion. Make sure that the paraffin does not get into the steam holes, because if it gets into the recesses, then the next time you iron you, you will stain your clothes. Also, worry that the candle will melt and the paraffin will drip down in the process. Prepare a pallet or a layer of newspaper in advance, over which you will hold the iron – then the melted paraffin will not spoil anything.