Each house has a wide variety of household appliances. Iron is an essential technique. But with frequent use, pollution forms on it - both inside and on the work surface. And the problem immediately arises - How to remove the formed scum and burn on the iron?
The main problems with the iron
Modern steam generators have special working surfaces that facilitate sliding on the fabric and eliminate its damage. But not a single model is protected from such a problem as scale in an iron.
Before you start cleaning the iron, you should find out what type of sole the device has. Different coatings imply specific cleaning conditions.
Coating Materials:
- teflon;
- ceramic;
- enamel;
- sapphire;
- cermets;
- aluminum;
- stainless steel.
Consider the type of coating and take all precautions to avoid damage.
There are the following types of pollution:
- scale inside the tank with water;
- mold inside the water tank;
- dirt on the case;
- scale in the steam holes;
- burning particles of tissue on the sole;
- the appearance of rust on the sole.
Each pollution impairs the functionality of the iron, increases the risk of tissue damage. To extend the service, the operating conditions of the equipment should be observed, and if scale or burn is formed, carry out immediate cleaning.
Special tools
Home appliance manufacturers produce a variety of iron cleaning products. They are designed specifically for these purposes.
Pencil
Specialized pencil that helps clean working sole of ironsis considered one of the most popular means. Many of them have proven to be effective. It is sold both in the departments of household appliances, and in ordinary household departments.
The operation of the pencil is very simple. The packaging also contains detailed instructions. It is necessary to heat the iron and turn it off. Remove the packaging from the pencil and carefully rub it with a contaminated work surface.
Give the tool time to act. After 20 minutes, remove the remaining pencil and dirt from the sole with a coarse cloth. After complete cooling, rinse the tank thoroughly with plain water.
When processing a hot surface with a pencil, a strong odor is emitted. This is the evaporation of ammonia. It quickly erodes and is absolutely safe.
A pencil is an inexpensive and effective way to remove contaminants from the sole; it is very simple and convenient to use. The minus is a pungent smell, which, however, quickly disappears.
Decalcifier
There are also professional scale preparations. They are produced by different manufacturers. These are special compounds that allow you to clean the iron from scale.
They are available in powder form and are sold in boxes, or as a liquid in a bottle.
Instructions for use are available on each package. The principle of operation for almost all brands is the same: dilute the powder or liquid in water in the desired proportion, pour the resulting solution into the tank and heat the device. It is required to place the device with the working surface down or vertically. After a certain time, the solution must be drained and the tank rinsed with water.
Antiscale very well removes scale, easy to use. The downside is the strong odor emitted during cleaning.
Self cleaning
Most recent models have a self-cleaning function. It allows you to clean the iron from accumulated scale without the use of any special preparations.
The instruction manual contains information on self-cleaning. Usually you need to fill the tank with the maximum amount of water, bring the iron to the maximum temperature, tilt it over a container that can withstand extreme heat, and turn on self-cleaning.
Steam will escape through openings on the working surface of the appliance, and with it dirt and scale.
For a more effective cleaning, lightly shake the iron. When it has completely cooled, rinse the tank with clean water.
This feature will help to clean the iron well without the use of chemicals. However, there is a chance of getting burned during steam production. Caution should be exercised.
Folk ways
Folk recipes offer many methods that allow you to clean the iron from dirt and scale at home. All tools used are available and available in every home.
Salt
For a very long time, salt has been used to clean dishes. It will also help in cleaning the iron.
Salt cleaning methods:
- Preheat the iron and a handful of salt wrapped in a piece of cloth, it is good to rub the places of contamination. Salt perfectly eats away all burnt particles.
- Mix salt and liquid detergent, apply this mixture to the warm surface of the appliance and wait about 30 minutes. Then rinse with water.
- Another way: pour a little salt on a rag or piece of paper, and then iron the salt with a hot iron. All pollution will remain on salt.
Salt also quite effectively removes dirt from the work surface. But it is absolutely not recommended to clean the Teflon coating with such a method - scratches may appear on it.
Vinegar or alcohol
To clean the working surface of the iron, a 9% solution of vinegar or ammonia is suitable. For efficiency, it is possible to prepare a mixture of these two ingredients in equal proportions.
Vinegar cleaning methods:
- You need to moisten a cloth with vinegar, alcohol or a mixture of them and wipe the warm surface of the iron well. After that, warm up the device and iron some old thing, all the dirt will remain on it.
- Vinegar will help to easily get rid of the formed scum in the iron. You need to take a suitable container, pour water and a little vinegar into it and put on a slow fire. Put wooden sticks in the container at the bottom so that the working surface of the device does not touch the bottom. The device is placed in a dish so that water covers only the working surface of the sole.
The steam control is switched to the maximum value. Slow boiling water allows vinegar to penetrate the iron and effectively clean it of scale. The procedure can be repeated twice after complete cooling. Then the tank is washed with water and dried.
- It is necessary to dilute vinegar with water in a ratio of 1: 1, pour 1/3 of the volume into the iron.
Place it vertically and heat to maximum power. With the heating of water, steam will escape. After 10-15 minutes, tilt the iron horizontally above the container and turn on the steam. With the steam all the remaining scale will finally come out. Repeat the procedure with clean water to remove traces of vinegar and dirt.
The methods are quite effective. But the minus is the pungent smell. Clean in this way in a room with windows open.
Soda
Like salt, soda is often used to clean dishes. It will also help clean the working surface of the iron.
Soda cleaning methods:
- Wrap a small amount of soda in a cloth and rub the working surface of the iron. Contaminants quickly dissolve when reacted with soda.
- The second method is suitable for severe pollution and consists in the preparation of gruel from soda and liquid detergent. The prepared mixture is applied to the surface of the sole and left for 30-40 minutes.Then washed with water. The method will very effectively remove all contaminants, even without additional heating.
Soda is very fine and dissolves quickly. Therefore, it can even be used to clean Teflon coatings.
Lemon or citric acid
Lemon just enough to clean the iron from burnt dirt.
Ways to clean with lemon:
- To do this, moisten a cloth with lemon juice or diluted acid and clean the work surface.
- If the pollution is sufficiently resistant and does not rub off, you can slightly warm the iron. And stroke a cloth that will be moistened with lemon juice. Under the influence of temperature, citric acid will clean any contamination.
- The method of getting rid of scale using citric acid. It is required to dissolve 1 teaspoon of acid in a glass of water. Pour the mixture into the tank.
Preheat the iron and unplug it. Place it over the bathtub or basin and activate the steaming mode a couple of times. Scale will be released with steam. Then you need to rinse the tank with clean water and dry.
Hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is another effective way to clean the iron from dirt. To do this, moisten a cotton swab in peroxide and wipe the working sole. And with a wet cotton shelf, you can simply clean all the holes on the surface. It is not necessary to heat the appliance.
Peroxide very carefully and efficiently cleans the working surface of the iron. This method can be used for all types of coatings, even for Teflon and ceramics.
Laundry soap
Laundry soap can help clean the iron from the resulting dirt. To do this, slightly warm up the equipment and gently rub the work surface with soap, paying particular attention to the places of contamination. Under the influence of temperature, the soap begins to melt and soften burnt particles. After that, you need to thoroughly wipe the sole with a cloth and, if necessary, clean the holes with a cotton swab or a toothpick.
Acetone
Synthetic fabric fibers, and sometimes polyethylene, often stick to the iron. Acetone or nail polish remover will help clean such impurities. To do this, moisten a cotton swab with a product and wipe the burnout area.
Paraffin
An old cleaning agent is paraffin. The cleaning method is quite simple: warm up the device strongly, take a paraffin candle and carefully rub the work surface with it. It is advisable to keep the iron tilted over any container, since molten wax should not flow into the holes of the iron. Along with the wax, dirt will also drain.
Toothpaste
Toothblock will cope with burnt particles of dirt and tissue. But only plain white, no additives, will do.
There will be no effect from the gel. You need to warm the iron a little, squeeze out a small amount of paste and wipe the place of pollution with a cloth.
Care Tips
Compliance with the basic rules of operation will avoid excessive accumulation of scale and burnt dirt on the work surface. Preventive measures will also allow you to keep the equipment clean and not think about how to remove scale and dirt from the iron.
Terms of use and preventive measures:
- adjust the heating mode according to the type of fabric;
- fill the tank with water, which is indicated in the passport of the device;
- pour out the remaining water at the end of each application;
- wipe all surfaces of the iron with a damp cloth immediately after the end of work;
- in the event of a burnout, never use metal brushes or hard sponges or abrasive cleaners.
There are many tools that are used to clean irons, folk tips offer very effective and inexpensive recipes for effective cleaning.
All of them are quite simple and convenient to use, however, compliance with preventive measures and the rules for the use of technology will allow for a long time to maintain the cleanliness of the device and extend its service life.
Some modern models of the steam generator are already equipped with special filters from the scum - these are containers with a mesh, inside which all the scum accumulates. Such a filter can simply be washed under running water.
