A Very Short Guide for Cleaning Your Iron and Your Ironing Board and Its Cover

If you’re using the iron on a regular basis, it’s only a matter of time until your iron needs some cleaning. But it’s not only your iron that may stain your clothes, but your ironing board cover too, ruining all your hard ironing work.

There are several ways to clean your iron, as you want to expand its life span and to keep your clothes clean while ironing too.

How to clean your iron?

You need to clean your iron any now and then, depending on how often you’re using it. However, don’t hesitate to do it every time you think your iron gets all dirty.

· The coarse salt method

Your iron has to be unplugged and cool before starting to clean it.

Get a clean paper towel on a flat surface, sprinkling 1 tablespoon of coarse salt over the surface of your iron. You need to turn your iron on the highest heat setting, but you should turn the steam off entirely.

Continue by pressing your iron down on the salted paper towel, but use a gentle pressure. Move the iron back and forth a couple of times. Don’t stop until your iron is entirely clean.

Once you’re done, unplug your iron, allowing it to cool entirely.

· The water and vinegar method

Your iron needs to be cool and unplugged for this method as well. Get a bowl and pour 1 teaspoon of water and 2 teaspoons of baking soda. You need to obtain a paste, so make sure you stir until you get the right consistency.

Apply the mixture on the whole face of your iron, but use a sponge or a cloth for scrubbing it. You also need a clean and damp cloth for wiping off the paste afterward. You need to remove the whole paste from your iron.

Make sure you also clean the holes of your iron. Get a wet cotton swab into the holes of your iron, scrubbing until you’re happy with the results.

Fill the reservoir of your iron with ¼ of vinegar and ¾ cup of water. Turn on the iron, allowing the steam to escape through the vent holes. This mixture is going to clean the face of your iron from all buildup and grime. It’s also going to reduce the risk for clogging.

Don’t forget to pour out the excess liquid, giving your iron time to cool down. Keep in mind to always remove any excess water out of the reservoir after each use, so that you don’t let grime and mineral deposits build-up in the reservoir of your iron.

Does the ironing board need cleaning?

You should set up the ironing board and put aside the cover and the pad. Use a damp cloth for wiping down the board. Make sure you don’t miss any cobwebs and clean the legs of the board as well. Give the ironing board some time to dry completely.

Not only you need to clean the ironing board, but you should also make sure it stays in good shape for a good amount of time. Here are some useful tips:

· Clean the cover any now and then. You don’t want the dirt and dust to get to your clothes

· Keep the face of the iron away from the cover. don’t let it sit on the cover as you may ruin both the cover and the pad. Let’s not forget the risk for a fire, which is far more important not to mention.

· Always wait until the pieces of your ironing board are completely dry before putting it back together again. Trapped moisture means mold in time.

· Don’t forget to check the tag before you start the cleaning. It’s better to be safe than sorry, right?

What’s the best way to clean the ironing board cover?

You need to begin with removing the cover from your ironing board. Take a good look at the label, as it may come with instructions for cleaning. Not all ironing board covers take machine washing, but the better ironing boards do. If it’s safe to clean it in the washing machine, simply throw it in the washer. Stay on the safe side and use the delicate cycle.

The cleaning gets a bit challenging if the cover cannot be machine washed, especially when it comes to the spot areas.

If you need to remove some sticky starch spots, make an effective solution with 1 cup of vinegar, 1 cup of water and 3 tablespoons of baking soda. Spray this solution on the spots, allowing a minute or so for more efficiency. Use a damp cloth for wiping the mess away.

Even if the ironing board cover takes machine washing, you should never put it in the dryer. The high heat is going to ruin the cover, most of the time. It’s better to air dry it on a drying rack.