How to clean the iron from scale inside at home?

Even the most expensive iron over time forms a certain amount of scale in itself, which greatly interferes with the operation of the electrical appliance and causes a quick breakdown of the iron. Of course, there is a way out of this situation. And this article will help to find out the reasons for the appearance of calcareous deposits and learn how to clean the iron from scale inside at home.

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The best ways to clean the iron from the inside

So, there are so many methods to clean irons. Let's consider the main ones and choose the most suitable one from them.

Method 1. Self-cleaning

A modern electrical appliance often has a function under the same name. From the name it’s clear that the appliance itself will clean itself of the limescale inside. For this, the maximum amount of water is drawn into the iron. As a rule, the further sequence of actions is described in the instructions for your model.

Usually the process goes like this:

1. First you need to prepare a large empty bowl.
2. When the tank is completely filled with water, you need to turn on the heating controller at the highest power.
3. The device starts to heat up as much as possible and turns off again, repeating the procedure two times.
4. When the equipment turns off a second time, you must turn off the appliance by pulling the plug from the outlet.
5. We keep the prepared container under the iron - steam and numerous impurities will come out of it. Some instructions write that cleaning should take place under the sink, but in this case then it will need to be cleaned of plaque itself.
6. We wash the sole from the scale, rinse the container.

Important! To make the cleaning process more productive, the iron should be shaken strongly.

How to clean the iron from scale inside if it does not include such a function? Next, we look at other popular and effective home cleaning methods that look a bit like the option above.

Important! In order to look neat, things must be properly ironed. It is not always possible to smooth out folds, creases in a matter of minutes.

But there are a lot of secrets obtained experimentally by housewives that can greatly facilitate your task when caring for a variety of things. A detailed selection of tips we have prepared in a post"How to iron things?"

Method 2. Citric acid sachets

This method cleans not only irons, but also other thermal electrical appliances, for example, teapots. There are many variations on how to clean the iron from limescale using citric acid, but many owners of steam irons consider this method of cleaning even more effective than self-cleaning. It will take only a bag of acid and a large bowl.

To clean the device using citric acid, we need:

1. Mix a small amount of citric acid with hot water.
2. Boil this mixture.
3. Carefully add the solution to the device. Water should cover the sole by about 1 cm.
4. Put the iron in a large container that can be heated on the stove, then heat over low heat and boil for 10-15 minutes.
5. Thoroughly flush the device both inside and out.

Important! If citric acid was not found, then mineral water will replace it well. The procedure remains the same.

Important! Did you know that you can not iron things from all types of fabric? Follow the link and read about what fabrics do not need to be ironed.

Method 3. Vinegar

This method will be a little more complicated, but the result will be obvious. To effectively clean the iron from scale inside at home using vinegar, you must:

1. We are looking for a container suitable for heating on a gas / electric stove. We place the device in this capacity.
2. Mix a liter of water with two glasses of vinegar (9%).
3. Pour this solution into the iron so that water and vinegar cover the sole of the iron.
4. Be sure to put something under the back of the iron so that the back of the appliance is higher than the bow - it is necessary that the glass water directly to the nozzle.
5. We set the temperature control to the maximum, as in the first method, then we place the container on the stove and boil the vinegar solution in the iron.
6. Then it is necessary to allow the liquid in the iron to cool and carry out the procedure again.
7. Again, let the appliance cool down, then shake it over the sink and rinse the sole.

Important! After the last two procedures, do not use the iron for 24 hours.

Important! The period of the seasons, when warmer outerwear is replaced by light clothing, and vice versa - rumpled things are taken out of the closet, always associated with additional chores. Our articles will help you easily tidy your clothes:

• How to iron a coat at home?
• How to smooth a leatherette jacket?

Method 4. “Hot tub”

This procedure is the most dangerous in relation to the appliance. Performing it is much more careful than the previous methods. So, here is a short procedure, following which you can effectively descale the iron:

1. We take a baking sheet and put something on it, for example, wooden slats to put an iron.
2. We put the device in the prepared place.
3. Pour any descaling agent into the baking sheet (for example: “Silite”, “Anti-scale”, “Luxus”, etc.) or the same citric acid.

Important! In the instructions you need to see how much money is needed per liter of water, if you have citric acid - 5 tbsp. spoons per liter.

4. Separately, boil the water and carefully pour it into the pan so that the sole is completely immersed in water.
5. We leave the appliance in this position for an hour (you can heat the pan for a larger result).

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We clean the sole

There are situations when not only the inside of the device, but also the sole itself suffer from plaque. This situation is even easier to fix than the first. Here are some ways to descale your iron from the outside:

• Laundry soap. For this method of cleaning, it is necessary to warm up the appliance well and rub it preferably with 70% household soap. After that, allow the sole to cool. When the appliance cools down, wipe it with a cloth, removing soap from the sole.

Important! If soap gets into the holes, then you should clean them with a toothpick or cotton swab, then blow them off with steam.

• Pencil. The method is very simple: we rub the heated surface of the sole with a pencil and erase it along with all the plaque.
• Hydroperite. We rub the sole of the appliance with a tablet. Then, when the appliance cools down, wipe this surface with a clean cloth.

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Some tips to prevent scale formation

To clean the iron less often, you need to follow a few simple rules, which, most likely, everyone already knows. Recall:

• Only distilled or, in extreme cases, boiled water should be poured into the tank.
• Always drain the water after using the appliance.
• Place the appliance exclusively with its nose up.

Important! Probably, everyone faced a problem when they urgently needed to iron clothes, but there was no iron or the lights were turned off. Try to do this with improvised means. You will find more information in our separate article. "How to iron clothes without an iron?".

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In this article, you learned about the basic ways to clean your iron at home, both outside and inside. Remember that if you use this appliance correctly, you will need to resort to cleaning it much less often.