How to Clean a Iron Box – 5 Easy Hacks to Clean

Written by: Shreyal Shingala

Last Updated: October 3, 2023

cleaning iron with a cloth
Wiping and cleaning a burnt iron base with a cloth.

Nobody likes burnt or stained Iron! If you’re a frequent Iron Box user, you might feel the pain on back while ironing. You can get rid of this with iron tables for back pain.

However, the chances of your iron box getting burns is really less if you iron clothes keeping them on the iron table, as it provides proper support.

But Cleaning your iron without getting burnt & returning it to its original shiny form is quite easy! believe us!

If you’re planning to switch to a new steam iron, visit our steam iron guide for a better purchase.

1 How to clean a burnt Iron

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How to clean a burnt iron
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Smfff Smfff…

Something is burning isn’t it?

When you notice that you have burned the bottom of your iron, just unplug it first.

If the scorched fabric can’t be removed in one piece from the bottom of the iron, use a pair of tweezers or wooden chopsticks to extract small bits of melted material from the soleplate after the iron has fully cooled down.

The appliance would not perform well if you don’t remove all the burnt fabric from it.

Don’t lose hope! you can clean your scorched Iron by using these household products & the simplest tricks:

Hack 1: The jack-of-all solution: Vinegar!

Vinegar can be the best solution for very stubborn scorched marks.

Steps:

  • Heat a little amount of vinegar up to moderate temperature.
  • Submerge a cotton swab in this liquid and gently rub it on the scorched spot of the Iron.
  • If vinegar is not sufficient, you can few tablespoons of salt in this liquid or baking soda.
  • Thoroughly stir the mixture.
  • Repeat step 2 with a new cotton swab.
  • Continue this step until the mark is gone.
  • Wipe the iron clean with a water-dipped cloth.
  • Let the Iron dry out before using.

Tip:

Never forget to wear protective gloves before doing the cleaning to avoid any skin allergies.

Buy White Vinegar at affordable prices here:

Hack 2: Dish Soap is good for the Iron Solepalet as well as Steam wents!

Sometimes extreme heat may damage the steam holes of the Iron box too.

Dish Soap Liquid or you can say Dishwasher Detergent at your house can wash out these scorched marks.

Dish Soap is a bit gentle on the steam wents hence avoids any damage during cleaning.

Steps:

  • Melt a decent amount of detergent soap in the mix.
  • Stir the mixture well.
  • Dip a clean cloth piece or cotton swap in this liquid.
  • Rub this swab on the surface and inside the vents of steam wents very well.
  • Once the marks are gone, clean the Iron and let it dry.

Buy Dish Soap at affordable prices here:

Hack 3: Hydrogen Peroxide: Quick and Easy

One of the simplest ways to remove burnt Iron marks is Hydrogen Peroxide,

Steps:

  1. Place a decent amount of Hydrogen Peroxide on the Iron table.
  2. Put the Iron on it & circle the Iron on it until the stain is gone.
  3. Clean the Iron with a clean cloth.

Hack 4: Simple and easy-to-make solution -Lime Juice & Baking soda!

Steps:

  1. In order to make a paste, extract the liquid of one lime and mix it with baking soda powder.
  2. Apply the paste on the areas of the iron that are soiled.
  3. Leave this for at least 5 minutes on the cold iron.
  4. After 5 minutes, examine a segment to see whether the paste has drawn the stain.
  5. Rub the plate gently until the paste is removed.
  6. Clean the Iron with a damp cloth and let it dry.

Pros:

  • Not toxic chemicals
  • No harm to skin subsequently.
  • Quite Affordable & homemade solution

Buy Baking Soda at affordable prices here:

Hack 5: Detergent is a universal cleaner!

Steps:

  1. Mix a good amount of detergent in lukewarm water and make a strong solution.
  2. Dip a clean cloth and rub it on the iron plate.
  3. Repeat the process until the soleplate is cleaned out completely.
  4. Clean the Iron with a damp cloth.
  5. Let the Iron dry before using.

Tips:

This hack is best suitable for nonstick iron plates.

Find out the best detergent solutions here:

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Cleaning an iron

2 How to remove stains from iron

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Here are a few home remedies to remove stains by which you can clean your Iron Box easily.

Hack 1: Any Useless tablet at your home with acetaminophen can get the job done!

You might have never expected one of the best hacks for burnt residue iron cleaning: Expired or Useless Tablets!
Well, you don’t need to stick to any specific brand name for this one.
A good acetaminophen tablet will do it.

  • For applying this tablet, Firstly, Start the Iron at its highest setting.
  • Press the pill above the burnt surface directly once it’s wet.
  • It will melt and transform into a gel that will dissolve at the spot that has been burned, and remove the stain.

Tips:

  • Of course, protecting your fingers is essential.
  • So, wear heat-protecting gloves when using this method to clean the iron box.
  • Don’t try to hold the pill using tweezers or pliers, just one slip and you could end up removing the iron, and there’s no remedy of undoing it!
  • So, All you are doing is wear something to keep your hands secure and you’re all set!

Hack 2: A Handmade Paste of Baking Soda can do wonders!

Baking soda works like magic for cleaning every utensil around you from ovens to dishwashers. It can clean the iron as well.

How to create a Paste of Baking Soda:

  • Take 2 tbsp of baking soda.
  • One tablespoon of water.
  • Mix it well and your stain-fighting paste is ready!

How to do it?

On the iron plate, gently brush it around but try to not jam the baking soda inside the steam holes.

Tip:

  • If some of the paste goes into the holes, do not forget to clean it out very well!
  • In the next step, We have provided a cleaning hack for that too.

Buy baking soda at affordable prices here:

Hack 3: Vinegar is also a good solution for stubborn stains.

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  • Just drench a small towel in vinegar and then put the iron above the towel with the iron plate facing down.
  • Let the vinegar layer set for half an hour.
  • Wipe it clean. Viola! Pretty shiny like anew!

Tip:

This technique can be a real savior if you’re tired of rusting on your iron box.

Buy Vinegar at affordable prices here:

Hack 4: You can thoroughly clean the steam holes too.

The best tool for cleaning out the steam holes is cotton swabs!

To level up the cleaning game, dip the stabs in distilled white vinegar prior to inserting them.

Shiny clean steam holes in minutes!

Hack 5: You can easily clean out the water vents of the Iron Box too.

If you own a steam iron, filling the water tank with a combination of half water and half distilled white vinegar is another way to flush out the vents of the iron steam.

Then take an old towel or cloth and iron it and steam it.

When you steam, all the residue dirt along with the vinegar drains out of the vents.

Hack 6: Your old newspaper and some salt can fight stains!

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Believe us or not, but this is the simplest yet one of the most useful hacks!

Steps:

  1. Start your iron on the hottest setting and put your ironing board on a newspaper.
  2. Sprinkle some decent quantity of salt above the newspaper.
  3. Then iron the newspaper containing salt in circles until it is clean.
  4. Clean the surface of Iron with a fresh cloth.

Tip:

You should use a brown paper bag or aluminum foil if you do not have a newspaper handy; it works just as well.

Hack 7: Got some plastic stuck inside your Iron? Not an issue!

Getting your Iron accidentally stuck with plastic can be a bit messy mistake. But no worries we can remove it too!

Just let the plastic cool down and harden inside the holes, then follow these easy steps.

Steps:

  1. Pick up a plastic knife and chip the plastic away.
  2. Then use a vinegar spray or wet cloth to wipe the surface down.
  3. Before you start using the iron again, it is important to get off some plastic, or the plastic will melt into your fabric.

Tips:

To quickly harden the plastic, fill a metal bowl with ice cubes and put the iron plate on the ice.

Hack 8: The simple Iron cleaning hack.

A dryer sheet can do this job done easily.

Simple steps:

  1. Set the iron on its lowest level.
  2. Rub the plate with dryer sheets.
  3. Toss the sheet repeat.
  4. Change the sheet as soon as it gets too hot.
  5. Repeat until you feel that the iron is clean.

Hack 9: Tough residues? Not an issue! Nail Polish remover can nail it!

Your Nail polish remover can fight the toughest dirt.

Yes, you heard it right!

The acetone in the remover can get the toughest cleaning jobs done without hassle.

You just need to follow these easy steps to drag out the stubborn residues out by nail polish remover.

Steps:

  1. Get a cotton ball and put it into a nail polish remover.
  2. Swipe the cotton ball over the surface of the hot iron using a heat-protecting glove.
  3. The residue will disappear in no time.

Tip:

Keep yourself and your dear ones away from the strong order of acetone.
It is better to do this process somewhere away and along with protecting your nose too while doing this over hot iron.

Hack 10: How about your toothpaste?

Apply and rub a little amount of your toothpaste onto the iron soleplate.

Take a damp rag & wash it clean.

Tip:

Before using the iron again, make sure the iron has dried out absolutely.

Iron cleaner

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Checkout The best Iron Cleaner Products here:

Protect your Iron Box

There’s a famous saying: “If you take care of things, they last!”

People often underestimate the importance of timely maintenance of electrical appliances.

This can help prolong their shelf life, thus removing the need to repair the devices continuously.

We have included some tips to help expand the use of the Iron Box by using simple methods to keep it trouble-free:

Tips to protect your Iron Box:

  1. When not in use, remember to unplug the iron and allow it to cool down before using it again.
  2. As materials from your clothes might get clogged inside, frequently clean the steam iron ports.
  3. Keep reading the above points of How to remove stains from Iron & How to clean the burnt iron for Cleaning your Iron.
  4. While ironing, use distilled water to spray on the garments.
  5. Clean the Soleplate regularly with household products.
  6. Always gently wash the iron off after cleaning.
  7. To avoid any build-up, drain out all the water, and Ensure that the is Iron completely dry.
  8. Store the Iron in an upward place always.

4 Why you should buy a Silicon Iron Mat

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Why should you buy a silicon pad

One of the essential accessories that are important in protecting iron is the iron resting pad.

We all know that iron is responsible for a large number of fire accidents.

So, if you want to safely put iron, a silicon iron rest ironing pad is a simple, safe & affordable solution.

And you can rely on the use for a long time because it is made of silicon.

A most favorable feature of this product:

This product also protects Iron from Burnt stains & ensures its long life.

Iron box protectors

Check out the best Iron box protectors at affordable prices here:

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About This Article

Shreyal Shingala
Written by: Shreyal Shingala author

Shreyal Shingala is a Content Writer and also a Product tester at BestCheck. Overseeing the content and products, she edits our preceding articles too. Along with that, she loves to spend time with her family when she got her leisure time. Previously, she worked as a content writer and researcher for a digital marketing agency and has written in different niches like blogs, comparison guides, entertainment, and many more.

This article has been viewed 2304 times.

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Updated: October 3, 2023
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