Over time, clothes irons often develop problems with the base, from accumulated dirt to stains and water spots. This is especially true in the case of Teflon nonstick irons. Even in "nonstick" irons dirt eventually accumulates and becomes difficult to remove. With Teflon irons, the root of the problem lies in that Teflon is easily scratched, and the iron loses that characteristic smoothness that allows it to straighten up clothes so fast.
Stay with us at oneHOWTO and learn how to clean a Teflon nonstick iron at home; if you have your own cleaning tricks, tell us in the comments section!
The first thing to do in order to clean a Teflon nonstick iron at home is to heat it to the minimum level.
Meanwhile, take a bowl and mix the juice of a lemon with a few drops of vinegar and sodium bicarbonate until you've got a smooth paste.
Once you've got the homemade cleaning paste, take a clean rag and let it soak in the lemon, vinegar and sodium bicarbonate mixture. Make sure you unplug the iron once it's a bit warm.
Rub the rag over the Teflon nonstick iron - especially over the dirtier surfaces - while taking care not to burn yourself. Repeat the process for as long as necessary until your Teflon iron looks clean.
Another alternative method to clean a Teflon nonstick iron at home is to heat up the metal plate, disconnect it and then place it iron-down in a glass container with 0.5 cm (0.2 in) vinegar.
After a minute, remove the Teflon iron and rub the remaining dirt away with a clean cloth or rag.
Another method toclean a Teflon nonstick iron at home requires emptying the water tank of the iron beforehand.
Turn on the iron and use it to iron down a cloth or rag soaked in an appliance cleaning product. This way, by rubbing the cloth with the product the Teflon iron will become clean. Let the iron cool and make sure it's fully clean before storing it away.
These are our methods and tips on how to clean a Teflon nonstick iron at home. If you have any doubts, advice or alternatives, please tell us in the comments section!
Here you can learn more tricks to clean your clothes iron and how to clean stainless steel. Remember that using a dirty iron on freshly laundered clothes is a waste of your time and efforts - check the state of your Teflon nonstick iron every once in a while.
If you want to read similar articles to How to Clean a Teflon Nonstick Iron, we recommend you visit our Home cleaning category.