Can I clean my iron with citric acid? 6 simple tips

A layer of burnt scale has appeared on the iron, steam is not well received, and things are ironed worse? It’s time for you to clean the iron, and you don’t need special tools for this: use citric acid. Experienced housewives make extensive use of these granules, in particular, they remove scale.

Why the iron gets dirty, why wash it

Any water to one degree or another pollutes the iron from the inside. The walls of the tank are growing, the channels supplying water to the sole are clogged, nozzles on the platform itself. The harder the water, the faster the process.

Table. How quickly lime and rust accumulate in the iron:

Never place mineral water in an iron, be it Aqua Mineral or Shishkin Forest. The salts in this water are only good for humans. They will destroy the technique.

Many housewives forget to pour water from the tank after ironing - this exacerbates the situation, especially if the iron is stored on a stand, and drops of water constantly flow into the supply channels.

How iron works
Under the handle and regulator is a water container. Through special channels and holes on the sole, water drops drop onto the sole. Due to high temperatures, it is quickly converted into steam, moisturizing the tissues and facilitating the process of smoothing them.

Thus, it is necessary to clean the iron from scale inside and out to prevent it from breaking and to protect things from white stains and red dirt.

Citric Acid Cleaning: Three Good Tips

Citric acid is widely known as a descaler in an electric and conventional kettle, as well as plaque on plumbing parts. The substance well softens lime growths, while it is safe for the human body, devices and the environment.

1 - tank

In the case of an iron, it is not necessary to boil a solution of citric acid in advance. Just fill it into the tank and connect the device. The water inside will heat up.

How to prepare a solution for cleaning: you need to dilute a pack of powder in cool water and mix well to dissolve all crystals. Proportions - 25 g lemons per glass of water (200 ml). A strong concentration is not recommended, as rubber and silicone gaskets of the device may suffer.

We clean the iron from scale inside at home:

1. Pour the solution into the water tank, close the lid.
2. We connect the device to the network and set the maximum temperature.
3. In modern models of "Tefal" and others there is a shutdown function when overheating - after about 2-3 minutes. We are waiting for this time, then we repeat the cycle. Now you can unplug the cord from the outlet, the solution in the tank is heated to the desired temperature.
4. You will need a container to collect water coming out of the sole. It can be a basin or a large pan. Some housewives use an unnecessary dense piece of cotton cloth, but it lasts longer.
5. We place the heated iron parallel to the dishes and begin to evaporate the solution. We use a special button to supply steam. Water begins to flow from the appliance with pieces of softened lime.
6. In the process of washing, the solution bubbles and emits an unpleasant odor - do not get scared.
7. If necessary, repeat the cleaning, only prepare the solution again.
8. Heavily soiled devices may need 2-3 procedures. We make sure that all the pieces of limescale come out.
9. In addition, it is worth rinsing the tank with clean water from the remains of citric acid.
10. After cleaning, wipe the sole of the iron with a damp and clean cloth.

2 - sole

External pollution interfere no less than clogging the water tank. The sole of the iron can also be cleaned with lemon. Instruction:

1. In a liter of water, dissolve 50 g (two packs) of citric acid.
2. Pour the solution into a wide baking sheet, put it on the stove and heat it.
3. Carefully apply the sole of the iron to the solution so that it does not cover more than 1.5 cm. Other parts of the body - strictly above the water.
4. Hold the iron for about 10 minutes.

Tip
A milder way to clean the soles is to iron the fabric soaked in a solution of citric acid.

3 - feed channels

If the channels are so clogged that steam from the tank is not able to break through them, then you have to resort to one trick:

1. Prepare a disposable medical syringe.
2. Fill it with lemon solution.
3. Enter the fluid from the outside by piercing the calcareous deposits.
4. After a while, try steaming the iron.
5. If this does not work, moisten small pieces of cotton wool (from cotton buds) and place on the sole. The solution should corrode a small part of the plaque so that it becomes possible to clean the channels in a standard way.

After all stages of cleaning, you need to check the iron: iron with moisturizing an unnecessary piece of light matter. If there are no spots, stains and deformations, then you can use the technique as usual.

Note: three alternative cleaning methods

We offer three more ways to clean the iron inside and out. You will need the same affordable means as citric acid: in any home there is baking soda, vinegar and salt.

The first method, with vinegar:

1. Mix water and food vinegar in equal proportions. Do not use concentrated acid!
2. Fill the solution so that a third of the tank in the iron is filled.
3. Heat the iron to maximum temperature. Do not forget to place it vertically so that the solution does not leak ahead of time.
4. Evaporate completely, repeat with clean water.

The second method, soda + vinegar:

1. No need to pour soda on the sole so that small scratches do not appear. In cracks, dirt accumulates quickly, such a device will be worse to iron, the likelihood of tissue deformations will increase. It is better to use a solution of soda in the form of "pulp" or a composition with soda and vinegar.
2. Mix the baking soda with the liquid to make a thick paste and apply it to the soiled sole. First heat and then turn off the iron. The surface should be slightly warm.
3. Wipe contaminated areas with a thick cloth to remove plaque.

The third way, cleaning the sole with salt:

1. Salt, like soda, is a fine abrasive, so you should not use it in its pure form on the Teflon soles of the iron. Instead, wrap a small handful of salt in wet gauze.
2. This method is useful when a large rusty growth has formed on the iron. Salt as a solid means will help scrape off lime, and gauze will protect the surface from scratches.
3. Iron, as in the previous method, should be a little warm.

Tip
Do not use metal and other hard brushes, knives and scrapers, this will damage the sole of the iron irrevocably.

Mistresses also use other available means for cleaning: mineral water, toothpaste, hydrogen peroxide, laundry soap, special anti-scale agent, etc.

Be careful when cleaning the iron: hot temperatures are harmful to the skin. It is best to keep the device at arm's length. Do not forget to tidy the body of the iron: wipe it with a damp cloth and soapy water. Neat household appliances are another plus to the cozy atmosphere in the house.