Gunk on your iron got you steaming? That gunk is simply a result of synthetic and natural fibres melting onto the iron’s soleplate when it’s too hot. In typical morning mayhem, we flip the iron to its highest temperature setting, so we can quickly smooth a few key wrinkles from our favourite blouse. But it’s time to stop this terrible habit. Melted fibres can snag and stain fabrics – or worse, burn holes through your favourite clothes.
Always iron low-temperature fabrics like nylon and silk, first. Then turn up the heat to iron high-temperature fabrics, like cotton and linen, last.
Of course, should some unwanted build-up occur, removing gunk is not an arduous task. With a little elbow grease and a household favourite, gunk can be eliminated painlessly.
The remedy? Baking soda.
Baking soda is a very effective (but gentle) natural abrasive cleaner. Dampen a microfibre cloth, dip it into the baking soda and rub the iron soleplate clean (the iron should be completely cooled to do this, of course).
Once the gunk is gone, wipe the soleplate again with a clean microfibre cloth to be sure you have removed all of the baking soda. Pay extra attention to the iron’s little holes that release steam, where baking soda can get trapped (a Q-tip can get into those tiny spaces to help).
(Photo by Filip Mroz)
