How to clean the iron at home from scale?

Irons with a steaming function have long been deservedly popular - they can easily smooth out any type of fabric. But with prolonged use, scale forms inside. If you do not remove it in time, it can ruin the device. Scale is formed due to hard water, and the inside of the appliance is covered with a thick layer of limescale that clogs the holes. As a result, either the steam is not supplied at all, or it comes out unevenly, white flakes of plaque fall out of the holes, which can ruin your things. Do not wait for this, you just need to timely descale the iron. How to clean the iron at home from scale? - You will learn about this from this article right now.

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Self cleaning function

Modern models of irons are often equipped with a self-cleaning function, that is, they clean themselves from the inside themselves. To do this, you need to collect the maximum amount of water into the tank of the device, turn it on at full power and start the self-cleaning function.

Important! Iron is a household appliance item that absolutely no modern person can do without. And how did our Slavic and Asian ancestors cope with the problem of ironed things? We figured out this issue and provided interesting information on than the Chinese ironed clothes in the old days.

Before doing this, carefully read the instructions. But in general, the scheme is as follows:

1. The switched on device heats up, then turns off and heats up again.
2. After the second shutdown, you need to unplug the plug from the network, press the button that launches the self-cleaning function.
3. When the cleaning process begins, it is best to hold the iron on some container, for example, above the basin. You can use the sink, but then you have to clean it too.
4. Periodically, the device must be shaken intensively.
5. Limescale pieces will enter from the holes along with the steam.
6. After cleaning, you will need to rinse the sole of the device.

Important! When ironing a certain type of fabric, so as not to spoil it, it is very important to set the correct temperature of the iron and adhere to some rules. We have provided all the necessary information, as well as small nuances of ironing, depending on the type of fabric, in several more articles of our site:

• How to iron silk?
• How to iron flax?
• How to iron polyester?

Important! When cleaning, the iron heats up very much and does not immediately cool down. Do not touch its surface while it is hot and do not iron things immediately after cleaning.

If your iron does not have such a useful function, then you can use folk methods.

Important! In order to look neat, clothes should always be clean and smoothly ironed. This is especially true for T-shirts, as these are the most frequently worn items in the warm season. It’s much easier to cope with than you imagine, if you follow our practical recommendations regardingironing t-shirts.

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Mineral water cleaning

How to clean the steam iron from scale inside at home? There is a safe and accessible method for all housewives:

1. Fill the appliance tank with sparkling mineral water and turn on the iron to maximum temperature.All further manipulations, as in the case of self-cleaning, are best done over the basin or sink.
2. Press and hold the steam button until all the liquid has evaporated.
3. Together with the steam, scale flakes will fly out through the holes.
4. Then repeat the process, but with ordinary water - it is best if it is boiled.

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Citric acid cleansing

In such a case, such an indispensable thing in the kitchen as citric acid can help us. How to descale citric acid iron? The principle of operation is the same as with mineral water:

1. In a glass of water, dissolve a bag of citric acid, pour the solution into the device.
2. We set the maximum mode.
3. We are waiting for citric acid to dissolve.
4. During vaporization, the device must be shaken - this will improve the separation of limescale.
5. Then you need to evaporate 2-3 servings of water to remove the remnants of the product.

Important! Probably, every housewife thinks about the question of whether to iron the sheets, especially if after washing it is not completely wrinkled. We decided to help you figure this out and found the answers to all your questions, setting them out in a separate article“Is it mandatory to iron the sheets after washing?”.

Hot bath with citric acid

With the help of citric acid, you can clean the sole of the iron. For this:

1. Dissolve citric acid in boiling water (5 tablespoons are used per 1 liter of water).
2. Pour into a flat container - either a large frying pan or a baking sheet is suitable for this purpose.
3. We put two slats on the bottom so that the sole of the device does not touch the bottom of the tank.
4. The iron is placed on the slats with the sole down. The fluid should completely cover the sole.
5. Leave for a couple of hours. During this time, citric acid will corrode contamination, and the iron can simply be cleaned with a sponge or a soft cloth.
6. For more effective cleaning, the pan can be heated over low heat.

Important! The liquid should only cover the sole of the iron. Elements made of plastic, rubber, as well as electrical parts of the device cannot be immersed in the solution - this can lead to breakage.

Such baths can be carried out using not only citric acid, but also special chemicals for cleaning irons from limescale.

Important! You can make yourself a liquid for cleaning the iron from scale. The composition is as follows: 1 tablespoon of vinegar + 2 tablespoons of soda + 1.5 tablespoons of citric acid. This mixture is poured with boiling water in the right amount.

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Vinegar cleaning

Another popular descaler is table vinegar:

• To clean the tank, vinegar must be diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 1, and then do the same steps as in other methods.
• To clean the surface of the device, you need to wipe the sole with cotton dipped in vinegar, or iron a rag or gauze with a hot iron, dampened with plenty of water in a weak solution of vinegar.
• If traces of limescale are old, then you can put the iron for several hours on a rag soaked in a solution of vinegar with water.
• For the best effect, you can wrap everything in polyethylene, and then just iron the unnecessary flap several times.

Important! If the steam holes are clogged, they can be cleaned with cotton swabs dipped in vinegar.

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Peroxide descaling

To clean the sole of the iron, you can use hydrogen peroxide:

• Moisten a cotton pad and wipe the surface of the appliance with it.
• If the dirt is quite strong, soak a piece of cloth in the peroxide, attach to the surface of the iron and leave for a couple of hours.

Then wipe the appliance with a tissue or iron it with an unnecessary piece of cloth.

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Pencil and other special tools

To clean the sole of the iron, as well as the steam outlet, use a special pencil:

1. Draw water into the tank and turn on the iron to maximum temperature.
2. Rub the sole of the iron with a pencil.
3. Take an unnecessary piece of fabric and iron it using the steam function.The pencil will melt, cleaning the sole of the device and the steam hole. And all the dirt will remain on an unnecessary scrap of fabric.

Important! When cleaning, a strong odor appears, so you need to carry out the procedure in a well-ventilated area.

In addition to pencils, there are other special anti-scale products on sale that contribute to the gentle cleaning of various surfaces. They contain components that protect the metal from damage and allow you to clean the device both outside and inside.

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Scale Prevention

If you follow a number of rules, then it is possible, if not to get rid of the problem with scale, then at least reduce the likelihood of its occurrence. So, here are these useful tips that you probably heard about, but which you diligently ignored, and now you need to clean the iron from scale at home:

• Using distilled water will protect your iron from scale - it is sold in a pharmacy, at a gas station or in an auto parts store. But her constant purchase will cost you dearly, especially if you have rather big ironing volumes.
• Instead of distilled water, you can use filtered or settled water. Some use boiled water. You can soften the hardness of water with special products that are sold in household departments.
• After ironing, drain the water and press the steam button several times. This procedure can extend the life of your iron.
• Iron should be stored upright.

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Stock footage

Descale using any method convenient for you at least once a week, without waiting for the moment when white flakes fall out of the holes. Then about thorough cleaning or unscheduled purchase of a new device, you simply will not think at all.