How Do I Clean a Clogged Steam Iron?

Steam irons are made to work for years. From time-to-time, though, they can become clogged. When that happens, the steam can either be partially or completely blocked from coming out of the vents. With a few materials and these instructions, you can easily clean your clogged steam iron and make it work like new again.

Things You'll Need

• Vinegar
• Distilled water
• Old clean, thick towel
• Toothpick

Instructions

1. Clean the hard water deposits out of the spray nozzle on your iron by using a thin, sharp needle. Then, clean the hard water deposits out of the plate vents. Flip your iron upside down. Use a toothpick or two to reach just inside each vent. Clear away any deposits and other accumulations of minerals, starch and other gunk.

2. Clean the hard water deposits out of the water reservoir of your steam iron. To do this, fill the reservoir with 1 part distilled water and 1 part vinegar. (Distilled water is completely free of minerals so it won't clog your steam iron even further.)

3. Plug your iron in and set it to a hot "steam" setting. Allow it to heat up for a few minutes. Then, spray the steam and run the iron over the towel. Continue this until the reservoir is empty. The vinegar will dissolve minerals and build-up. Running your iron over the towel will help further clean the vents. If your steam iron still isn't completely unclogged, repeat the process.

4. Fill the reservoir of your steam iron with only distilled water a few more times. Spray the steam and continue to iron the towel until the reservoir is empty after each fill up. This step will rinse the vinegar out.

Tips & Warnings

• If you use hard water in your steam iron, keep it clean by following the above steps on a regular basis. To avoid a mineral build up inside the water reservoir, as well as inside the steam vents, use distilled water instead.