How to descale your iron: inside and outside cleaners

Sooner or later, you will have to descale the iron even when using a very high-quality appliance. Due to the fact that water is constantly heating inside the steam generator, scale forms on the internal parts of the device and on the holes in the sole.

Features of cleaning the iron from scale

You can descale your iron in many ways - with specialized powerful tools or household household products. But in any case, during the procedure, you should adhere to important rules:

1. The device should be cleaned regularly, at the first sign of lime scale appearing on its sole. The thinner the limescale layer, the easier it will be to clean the appliance.
2. In order to clean the sole of the device, you must use liquid solutions or gels. It is categorically not recommended to rub the sole with abrasive powders, microscopic scratches will remain on it.
3. It is forbidden to clean off dirt from the surface with a knife, the blade will also leave numerous abrasions, due to which the quality of ironing will noticeably deteriorate.
4. You can only remove scale from the cold base of the device, if the Teflon or metal coating is still warm, attempts to clean the surface will only lead to the formation of new, difficult to remove dirt.
5. After cleaning, the iron should be washed very thoroughly with a clean, damp sponge and allowed to dry completely. If you plug in a device with a damp sole or cleaning agent residues on it, it will damage the iron itself.

How to descale the iron inside using folk methods

If the iron is equipped with a steam generator, then the appearance of scale inside it becomes only a matter of time. Steam is generated when water is boiled in a special tank, and even if the water is of very high quality, over time it will still leave a solid residue on the walls of the tank. You can descale the iron steamer without disassembling the device, just pour a special agent into the steam generator that dissolves deposits well.

How to descale your iron with vinegar

An excellent household remedy for descaling is 9% table vinegar. The solution allows you to cope even with old deposits and helps to clean minor deposits.

You can descale the iron at home using vinegar as follows:

1. Half a glass of table vinegar is diluted with an equal amount of filtered water.
2. The solution is poured into the reservoir of the steam generator, about 1/3 of the container, it is not necessary to fill the container completely.
3. The iron is placed vertically, plugged into a power outlet, and then the maximum power of the device is set for strong heating of the sole.
4. In this mode, the device is kept for about 10 minutes.

After the time has elapsed, place a basin under the sole of the device and press the steam button. After all the vinegar water has drained out, you will need to fill the container with plain clean water and repeat the entire procedure from the beginning, this is necessary to remove the remaining vinegar from the container.

Unplug the cleaned iron from the outlet and wait for the soleplate to cool completely. After that, they wipe it with a dry cloth and do not use the device for some time, you need to wait until the water is completely dry even inside.

How to remove limescale from an iron with citric acid

Another effective solvent for cleaning the internal system is citric acid. Due to its caustic composition, it perfectly dissolves solid deposits and helps prevent damage to the device or deterioration in the quality of work:

1. To clean the iron with citric acid, add 25 g of powder to a glass of hot water and stir thoroughly.
2. After that, the liquid is poured into the tank without filling it to the top, plug the device into a socket and set it vertically.
3. At maximum power, the device is heated up for 10 minutes, and then steam and liquid are released from the reservoir into the substituted container.

After all the lemon solution has drained out, the tank will need to be filled with filtered clean water and repeat the procedure again. If this is not done, acid residues can linger in the tank, and then the clothes will be damaged during the next ironing session.

How to descale the iron outside using folk methods

The listed methods allow you to effectively remove scale in the internal system of the iron with a steam generator. However, hard deposits also settle on the outer parts of the device - on the sole and in the holes through which hot steam escapes. To clean the soleplate of the iron, you can also use household products using proven algorithms.

How to descale an iron with soda

Baking soda is an effective cleaning agent, it is used not only in cooking, but also when it is necessary to clean old dirt on household appliances. Soda perfectly dissolves limescale and scale, and when diluted with water, it becomes very soft and does not leave scratches on hard surfaces.

You can clean the iron with powder like this:

• 1 small spoonful of baking soda is diluted in a large spoonful of water;
• the ingredients are mixed well until the gruel is completely homogeneous;
• soda is applied to a cotton swab or disk and the sole is treated with gentle circular movements.

To achieve the best effect, it is advisable to leave the soda on the sole of the appliance for 15-20 minutes. After that, the iron is wiped with a clean, damp sponge, and then with a dry soft cloth. Throughout the entire procedure, the device must be completely cold; in this case, it is prohibited to heat it up.

How to descale your iron with salt

Common salt has good solvent and cleaning agents. It can also be used to clean the iron, although the procedure will be slightly different from the traditional one:

1. To remove scale from the outer surface of the device, sprinkle the salt evenly on a sheet of thick paper.
2. Gauze is laid on top, folded in a couple of layers, and it is properly smoothed to create a flat surface.
3. After that, the iron is warmed up and, with light movements, run a hot sole on gauze with a salt "backing" for several minutes.

Salt, when heated, even through cheesecloth, affects the deposits on the surface of the device and allows you to get rid of scale. The video on how to clean the iron from scale confirms that it is not recommended to press the device strongly against the gauze and, moreover, to treat it with salt without additional protection, hard crystals will leave scratches on the sole of the device.

Another way to use salt is to make a caustic solution using vinegar:

1. Salt powder and table vinegar are mixed in equal proportions and wait until the salt is completely dissolved.
2. Then moisten a cotton swab or a soft brush in the solution and gently clean the surface of the device.
3. At the last stage, the iron is washed with a damp sponge and wiped dry with a clean cloth.

You can descale the holes in the iron separately with a cotton swab.

How to descale a steam iron with laundry soap

Deposits on the steam iron can be cleaned with laundry soap, which perfectly dissolves difficult dirt, including scale. There are two ways to clean the device:

• grate a bar of soap on a fine grater and generously sprinkle the sole of the household appliance with the resulting shavings;
• just rub the sole of the device with soap so that it forms a thin layer.

In both cases, the soap-treated iron must be plugged into the network, set to the minimum heating temperature and wait until the laundry soap softens.

The limescale structure will become less resistant when exposed to hot soap. After the sole of the device has cooled down, you will need to clean it carefully, but with the application of force, with a soft cloth. Then the iron is washed several times with a damp clean sponge, the holes on the sole are properly treated with toothpicks or cotton swabs, and the surface of the device is wiped dry with a cloth.

How to remove burnt scale from an iron with toothpaste

Toothpaste is a fairly effective cleaning agent you can use to descale a perforated iron. Apply it like this:

• a small amount of paste is applied to a cotton swab or soft bristle brush;
• evenly distribute the cleaning agent over the surface of the appliance, paying particular attention to the holes for the steam;
• plug into the outlet, warm it up properly and iron a piece of unnecessary cotton cloth right along with the paste.

After that, you need to turn off the iron, wait for it to cool and clean the lower part of the device with soapy water. The soap will also need to be washed off with a moistened sponge; from the holes, the remaining paste is cleaned with a cotton swab. A cleanly washed iron is wiped dry with a soft cloth.

How to descale the soleplate of an iron with vinegar

Teflon or ceramic irons are successfully descaled with 9% vinegar. When it comes to cleaning the outside of the appliance, the vinegar should not be poured into the steam tank, external cleaning will suffice:

1. The vinegar is mixed with water in equal amounts to reduce the concentration of the product.
2. A sponge or rag is moistened in the resulting solution and the cold surface of the device is wiped properly.
3. Then the iron is left for 5 minutes, and then again wipe the sole with vinegar solution and try to clean the holes with cotton swabs.

The cleaned device should be wiped several times with a cloth dampened in plain clean water. If traces of vinegar remain on the surface of the appliance, the appliance may stain clothes the next time you iron it.

Only use diluted vinegar solution to clean the device, and even then wear rubber gloves to protect your skin. It is advisable to cover your face with a mask, as the vapors of the vinegar are corrosive and can be harmful if inhaled.

How to properly descale your iron with hydrogen peroxide

An excellent cleaning agent is simple hydrogen peroxide, which is found in almost any home medicine cabinet. The antiseptic solution has pronounced cleansing properties and copes well with dense scale on household appliances.

In order to clean the iron, you just need to pour a cotton pad with hydrogen peroxide and rub the cold sole of the appliance properly, and treat the holes for steam with a cotton swab. You need to continue processing until the scale is gone and the surface is completely clean.

After that, the iron is plugged into a power outlet, heated and ironed on an unnecessary clean cloth. When the sole of the device has cooled, it is washed with a mild soapy solution and clean water, after which the device is wiped dry with a soft cloth.

How to descale the soleplate with acetone

If you decide to clean the iron for the first time in a long time, and the deposits of scale on its lower surface are very dense, you can use strong household solvents. For example, acetone or nail polish remover containing this substance has a good effect.

It is necessary to wet a soft cloth or cotton pad in the solvent, and then rub the sole of the device for several minutes until the scale is completely removed. Then the iron must be washed very thoroughly with a damp sponge and wiped dry.

Before use, the device must be tested on an unnecessary rag. This will make sure that the acetone is completely rinsed away and will not leave unwanted marks on the garment during the ironing process.

How to descale a steam iron using specialized products

Even powerful home remedies do not always help remove stubborn, stubborn limescale. If traditional methods have not brought an effect, and the sole of the device is still covered with lime deposits and carbon deposits, it makes sense to resort to powerful commercial products.

Anti-scale

This cheap powder has a very aggressive composition and is perfect for descaling any household appliances. To clean the iron, you need to dilute the powder in clean hot water according to the instructions on the package, then soak a cloth in a solution for scale for the iron and thoroughly treat the surface of the device.

After that, the surface is washed several times with a wet sponge and wiped dry, and before use, a test ironing of an unnecessary piece of fabric is carried out. A solution of Antiscale for irons can also be used to remove scale from the walls of the water tank, in which case the liquid is poured into the tank, the iron is heated as much as possible, and then turned off and left for half an hour.

Liquid Topper

The modern liquid descaler inside the iron helps to clean even the most difficult deposits. In the proportion indicated by the manufacturer, the chemical solution is diluted with water and then poured into the steam generator or the surface of the device is wiped properly.

In the first case, the iron will need to be heated to maximum values, left for 2 hours, then reheated and released water and steam over the prepared container, after unplugging the device from the outlet.

Pencil for cleaning irons

An unusual cleaning agent such as a special pencil helps to get rid of scale. It is a solid rod in the shape of a long candle, which contains corrosive acids and urea. It is very easy to use the device - the iron needs to be heated as much as possible, and then thoroughly clean its sole with a pencil.

Under the influence of high temperature, the pencil will begin to melt, while the acids in its composition will interact with carbon deposits and scale and weaken the structure of dirt. Usually 2-3 treatments are enough to restore the cleanliness and shine of the sole. An important advantage of the pencil is that it does not scratch the surface of the device at all.

Tablets

Iron tablets that remove scale have shown a good effect. They must be dissolved in warm water in accordance with the instructions, then pour the solution into the reservoir of the device. Then, in the steaming mode, release all the water, thanks to the iron descaler, the dirt will come out through the holes on the sole along with steam and liquid.

How to descale your iron using the self-cleaning function

Manufacturers are well aware that scale builds up in steam devices, which often becomes the cause of device breakdown. Therefore, some modern irons are equipped with an anti-scale function in the irons; if available, it is not necessary to resort to cleaning agents.

You can clean the device using the appropriate function as follows:

1. Distilled water is poured into the inner container level with the maximum mark on the tank scale.
2. The iron is plugged in and set to maximum heating until the appliance turns off automatically.
3. After that, the steam supply regulator is set to zero, and the device is placed over a basin or bathtub and the self-cleaning button is pressed.

Most of the liquid will pour out into the substituted container; for better water removal, the iron will need to be shaken several times, then the scale particles will definitely not remain inside.

Then the device is turned off, placed vertically and waited for complete cooling, after which the tank is rinsed with clean water, and the sole is wiped with a soft dry cloth. After using the self-cleaning iron from the iron, it is recommended not to turn on the device for 24 hours.

Conclusion

You can clean the iron from scale not only with special chemistry, but also with improvised means. It is quite easy to clean hard deposits, but only on condition that the iron is cleaned regularly, not allowing scale to form a dense coating and carbon deposits.

Reviews on how to descale your iron