How to clean a steam iron: quick cleaning with a steamer at home

Effective ways to clean a steam iron from scale inside

If this brand provides a self-cleaning system, then to get rid of the resulting contaminants you need to do the following:

This electrical appliance has a water tank. You need to fill it in and turn on the iron. The heating level should be set to maximum.
When it heats up to a certain degree, the thermostat will work and, as a result, the electrical appliance will be turned off. After this, you need to click to begin the self-cleaning procedure.
A powerful jet of steam passing through the iron will wash away the scale.
One procedure is probably not enough. For reliable and high-quality cleaning, it is necessary to perform it several times.

There are brands that have built-in protection. To perform the procedure in this situation, similar actions are taken. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the following features of such electrical appliances:

Inside the body there is a cassette containing special substances in granules.
When dissolved, they soften tap water. The mechanism of their action is that they act on the positive ions of magnesium and calcium, replacing them with negative ones.

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Such granules can be installed once or permanently. There are brands of irons that can be replaced with new ones.

Cleaning accessories

Some models have a special self-cleaning system. For this purpose there is a special button located on the body of the device. According to the manual, heat the device to the required temperature. To start the cleaning process, press the button.

With such a system, any housewife will be able to clean the device without effort.

If rust and scale are not washed out of the iron, it is disassembled and all parts are washed manually. If you do not completely trust your knowledge of technology, it is better to entrust this activity to a professional.

Cleaning the safety valve or anti-lime rod

To combat contamination of the interior, anti-lime rods are used. They are designed for water filtration. The mechanism for using such rods is as follows.

It is located in the hole designed to supply steam to operate the iron.
The rod is not inserted tightly, water flows, contaminating it.
No replacement is required, but cleaning must be done periodically. It is performed monthly by removing the part and placing it in a special composition that contains 1 part water and 1 part vinegar, soda or citric acid.
The duration of the cleaning procedure is 120 minutes. As a result, contaminants are completely dissolved.
After finishing cleaning, rinse it with water, dry it and put it back in place.

Features of internal cleaning

If the iron spits rust, this may be due to the deterioration of the internal elements of the silicone steam generator. These parts are gaskets between the water tank and the base of the device.

During prolonged use, the sole becomes hot. At the right time, the thermostat, which turns off the iron to prevent excessive overheating, does not work.
The metal heats up to such an extent that it begins to affect the insulation of the silicone steam generator chamber.
At a heating surface temperature of about 300 degrees, even heat-resistant silicone material melts.
The iron begins to spit out brownish liquid. This is not rust, but molten silicone, similar in color to it.

It is necessary to replace a thermostat that has stopped working. The new unit will allow you to get rid of excessive overheating of the metal elements of the iron. If this is not done, the device may become unusable.

Real rust occurs not only due to poor quality water, but also due to a violation of the insulation of metal elements from moisture inside the steam generator chamber. If they are corroded, there is no point in repairing the device. If it’s just a matter of rusty or moldy stains due to bad water, the iron can be used quite well after proper cleaning.

How to clean an iron

When choosing a surface cleaning method, you need to consider what the lower part of the iron is made of:

Some models have a ceramic or cermet bottom. Here, when cleaning, it is important not to use products that have an abrasive effect. To remove it, you will need to warm up the sole. Hydrogen peroxide, baking soda, or toothpaste are all suitable options.
There are those whose working part is made of Teflon. In this situation, the best choice of cleaning product is vinegar essence. It must be applied to the hard, rough surface of a sponge, which is usually used for washing dishes. It is possible to use another method, when using a heated iron you need to iron a piece of cotton cloth soaked in vinegar essence.
When the bottom is made of aluminum, you can use plastic brushes or take a wooden spatula for this. With this cleaning method, the surface will not be damaged.

Using household chemicals

There are special products on sale that can be used to remove scale. The method of use is indicated on the label.

Folk remedies

In order to carry out cleaning, it is enough to use citric acid. In order to do this, you need to do the following:

You need to prepare a basin where the waste water will pour.
The solution is being prepared. To do this, dissolve 25 g of citric acid in 250 ml of water.
The mixture is poured into the iron tank.
The regulator is set to maximum temperature, then the electrical appliance is connected to the network.
Heating occurs, then when the iron warms up enough, it will automatically turn off.
Now the iron needs to be slightly rocked from side to side so that the solution can better wash away the scale.
You need to wait until the solution comes out completely along with the steam.
Next, the procedure is repeated several times to ensure that the internal tank and steam holes are thoroughly cleaned.
After cleaning is completed, you need to rinse the inside with clean water and dry.

Attention! After completing the procedure, it is recommended to take a piece of unnecessary fabric and iron it. In this case, it is necessary to check whether scale residues contaminate the fabric during ironing. Only after this can you begin normal procedures.

You can clean it in a similar way using a vinegar solution (1 glass per 1 liter of water).

During the ironing process, carbon deposits accumulate on the soleplate of the iron. In order to remove it, you can use folk remedies:

You can use nail polish remover to remove melted polyethylene or similar residue from the outside of the iron. To do this, you can use a cotton swab and wipe the bottom, paying attention when cleaning all the small parts of the sole, if any.
To clean dirt, you can use citric acid dissolved in a small amount of warm water. To ensure proper cleaning, the bottom of the iron needs to be slightly warmed up. For this purpose, you can use a tampon or cotton swabs. The latter are convenient for processing small parts of the iron sole.
An effective cleaning agent is a hydroperite tablet. It must be remembered that when using it for this purpose, it should not be crushed. Cleaning is done by rubbing this tablet on the places where carbon deposits are visible. If there is a large burnt area, it is easier to clean it than a large number of small ones. As a result of the treatment, the carbon will begin to peel off, after which it can be easily washed off with water.
To use soda, you need to add a little water to it, making a paste. You need to moisten the cloth in it, and then wipe away the carbon deposits on the sole of the iron. The iron must be warmed up before the procedure. After cleaning is completed, all that remains is to rinse the surface with warm water and dry.

Household chemicals

Anti-scale for irons Un Momento, super concentrate
If brownish or whitish stains appear on the sole, different from an ordinary burn, you can use Anti-scale. The process is simple. Following the instructions, dilute the product in water, then pour it into a container and heat the iron strongly. Turn it off and wait about 30 minutes. Drain the contaminated liquid and clean the container with clean water.

German-made compounds containing organic acids and anti-rust components also help: Topperr, Bosch, Filtero 605.

To clean the iron from rust inside with such preparations, follow this procedure:

Dissolve the product in water in a ratio of 3:1.
Preheat the iron by setting the control to maximum, and then turn it off.
Pour the composition into the water inlet, place the device horizontally and wait 2 hours.
Pour out the product and rinse the inside a couple of times with water.

Immediately before ironing, check the cleanliness of the appliance by releasing steam.

The drug “Silit” perfectly removes corrosion and scale. To clean the iron, you need to turn it upside down and carefully pour the cleaning agent drop by drop into the sole holes. After a few minutes, traces of rust will appear on the outside. Remove them with a dry cloth, then add water, and press the steam release buttons several times.

Prevention

An effective way is to use special cassettes, which are used to pre-treat the water. They are designed to make it softer and cleaner. This cannot completely eliminate the occurrence of scale, but it can significantly slow down this process.

Another method of prevention is the use of anti-lime rods. They are located inside the tank and during operation they collect most of the contaminants on their surface.

It is recommended to use clean water for ironing, which should be drained after finishing using the iron.

You can quickly clean your iron with a steamer. But do not forget that you must follow all recommendations, otherwise you can damage the device.

Features of internal cleaning

If the iron spits rust, this may be due to the deterioration of the internal elements of the silicone steam generator. These parts are gaskets between the water tank and the base of the device.

During prolonged use, the sole becomes hot. At the right time, the thermostat, which turns off the iron to prevent excessive overheating, does not work.
The metal heats up to such an extent that it begins to affect the insulation of the silicone steam generator chamber.
At a heating surface temperature of about 300 degrees, even heat-resistant silicone material melts.
The iron begins to spit out brownish liquid. This is not rust, but molten silicone, similar in color to it.

Real rust occurs not only due to poor quality water, but also due to a violation of the insulation of metal elements from moisture inside the steam generator chamber. If they are corroded, there is no point in repairing the device. If it’s just a matter of rusty or moldy stains due to bad water, the iron can be used quite well after proper cleaning.

Hydrogen peroxide and soda - simple methods to combat mold

When you need to clean a container of water from mold, hydrogen peroxide will help remove green deposits from the bottom and walls, providing protection against new formations for the future. The antifungal agent works well against mold, is safe, and does not contain toxins.

Removing mold with peroxide is easy. To do this, pour it into a container for no more than 10 minutes, speed up the process with a narrow, hard brush.

A simple and safe remedy is baking soda. The product is safe, does not release toxins, has a gentle effect on the walls of the tank, delicately removing traces of mold. The advantage of this method is the ability of soda to absorb moisture, which prevents the formation of bacteria in the future. To clean, mix soda with water at the rate of ¼ tablespoon per glass of distilled water.