How to Clean the Metal Bottom of Electric Irons
Mineral deposits found in water added to an electric iron can leave stains on the bottom of the iron. Burn marks can also appear on the metal bottom of electric irons because of the intense heat generated by the iron. Removing such stains could be as easy as filling the reservoir of the iron with a common household liquid. If this does not remove all stains, however, you can create a homemade cleaner that safely cleans the iron without scratching or staining it. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Undiluted white vinegar
- Bottled distilled water
- Clean cloths
- Table salt
- Cooking pan
- Stove
Instructions
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1
Empty any liquid remaining inside the electric iron.
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2
Fill the reservoir of the iron with undiluted white vinegar. The exact amount of vinegar needed depends on the size of the iron.
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3
Set the iron on a flat surface and in an upright position and plug it in.
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4
Turn the iron to the "Steam" setting. Leave the iron on for roughly 10 minutes or until all of the vinegar is removed from the iron's reservoir.
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5
Fill the iron's reservoir with bottled distilled water. Then, repeat Step 4 until all of the water is out of the reservoir. The steam from both the vinegar and the water remove deposits from the bottom of the iron.
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6
Turn off and unplug the electric iron. Wait until the iron's metal bottom cools down.
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7
Wipe the bottom of the iron with a clean cloth.
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8
Inspect the iron and proceed to Step 9 if the iron's metal bottom is still unclean.
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9
Pour 1 cup of both white vinegar and table salt into a small pan. Place the pan on the stove at medium heat for about five minutes. Mix the vinegar and salt to create a paste.
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10
Dip a clean cloth into the paste -- be careful not to burn yourself. Scrub the metal bottom of the iron with the cloth. Saturate a clean cloth with tap water and wipe the bottom of the iron.
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11
Dry the bottom of the iron with a clean cloth.
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1
References
- Photo Credit Polka Dot Images/Polka Dot/Getty Images
