How to remove a stain from iron

Tired or ironing dirt into your clothes? It’s time to learn how to remove a stain from your iron!

Updated

iron and t-shirt on an ironing board
Floor and surface cleaning

Key steps

  • Always clean your iron when it’s cool and unplugged.
  • Use a paste of baking soda and water to clean the iron plate.
  • Get into small spaces, like the vents in the iron plate, with a cotton bud.
  • Flush the iron reservoir with distilled water to clean the inside.
  • Empty your iron after each use to prevent stains – once you’ve finished learning how to remove stains from the iron, box it back up to keep it protected!

Whether you need to remove creases from silk abayas or cotton shirts, a stained iron is not much use to use. Working with a dirty iron will easily stain your fabrics and then heat involved in ironing could make these marks even tougher to remove than normal. That’s why you need to know how to remove a stain from iron plates – including mineral spots and burn marks. 

Ensure your iron’s reservoir is fully emptied after every use. This will prevent the build-up of mineral deposits which can cause iron stains.

How to remove a burnt stain from iron plates: Your step-by-step guide

With these following steps we’ll show you how to remove burn marks from iron plates, plus mineral stains too!

What do you need to remove stains from iron plates?

  • Distilled water
  • Baking soda
  • 2 clean cloths – one dry, one damp
  • Spatula
  • Cotton buds
Has your stained iron has already caused stains on your clothing? Read our article on how to remove iron stains from clothes to tackle them!

How do you remove stains with these products?

  1. Pour out any water that is still in the reservoir of your iron.
  2. Make a homemade cleaning paste with 1 tbsp water and 2 tbsp baking soda.
  3. Apply your paste to the surface of your iron plates. 
  4. Spread it evenly over the surface using a spatula to coat the mineral deposits well.
  5. Use a damp cloth to remove the paste and wipe the surface of your iron plates down.
  6. Clean out the steam vents with a cotton bud dipped in distilled water.
  7. Fill the reservoir 1/3 full of distilled water or with a mixture of ¼ cup of white vinegar and ¾ cup of distilled water for stubborn stains.
  8. Turn the iron to high and steam-iron a clean cloth. This will allow the distilled water to work through the iron, cleaning any deposits from the inside or in the vents.
  9. Turn off your iron and allow it to cool. Pour out any remaining water.
  10. Put your iron away safely once it has cooled. Remember to empty the reservoir after each use and follow our advice on how to keep your iron clean.

With this guide for how to remove a stain in flat iron plates; you can now protect your clothing from being affected by a dirty, stained iron. 

Originally published