Introduction to Cleaning Irons

Series Summary

Irons and other machines used to smooth fabrics have been used for centuries, beginning in China in the 1st century B.C. There have been many designs for irons since then, including cast iron slabs heated in fire or with coal, liquid fuel irons and electric irons. Most irons work in a similar fashion, by using heat, pressure and steam to remove wrinkles or form creases in clothes. Ironing is typically performed on an ironing board, which is a heat resistant folding table.

In this free video series, our expert will show you how to maintain and clean irons with household items. Keeping your iron clean is important for proper clothing care, so let our expert give you the tips and advice for cleaning any iron. Learn how to use baking soda to clean irons, as well as how to clean iron steam holes, reservoirs, and details. Get tips on preventing a dirty iron, cleaning inside an iron and cleaning professional irons. If you do a lot of ironing clothes, let our expert show you this important cleaning process.

Video Transcript

"Hi, I'm Marti on behalf of expertvillage.com and we are going to talk about how to clean your iron. Many times your iron will end up with this black or brownish mark on the bottom of it. Often caused by starch or chemicals perhaps in your fabrics perfumes or other things can cause it as well. Although it doesn't look pretty it doesn't hurt the iron what can happen though it can grab your fabric and disrupt your ease of ironing. So it's real important to keep your iron clean like I said it's not uncommon for it to happen. There are many ways you can do it you can actually buy products at the fabric store or craft centers that are used specifically for removing those starch scales on the bottom of your irons. I like to try and use one natural organic things or things that you already have around the house. "