How to clean your iron with aluminum foil
Created: 01/07/2022, 10:21 AM
By: Janine Napirca
Child with a burnt iron © Monkey Business 2 / Imago
Many people iron their clothes so that the laundry is nice and smooth and wrinkle-free.
But how do you clean the iron?
Is
ironing a
chore
or is it even
fun
for
you
?
If you iron your clothes and other textiles regularly,
don't forget to clean your iron
.
Because from time to time it gets dirty and should be cleaned.
You can also do this with home remedies *, for example with
aluminum foil
.
Why does the iron get dirty when ironing in the first place?
When ironing, the iron inevitably comes into contact with residues of
washing powder
or
fabric softener
.
Fats
and
limescale
can also
put a lot of strain on the iron.
Due to the hot temperatures, they stick to the iron and are not only harmful to the iron itself, but also to the textiles that are to be ironed.
Remnants of material such as
plastic fibers
can also impair the performance of the iron.
As soon as you see dirt on your iron, you should clean it before using it again.
Otherwise, the burnt-in residue may leave stains on your laundry that cannot be removed.
Also read : When do
you
start spring cleaning?
How to clean your iron with aluminum foil
When cleaning your iron, you should never use cleaning agents that destroy the surface of the iron.
So hands off scouring milk, salt or scouring agents!
If in doubt, it is advisable to read the instructions for
use
of the iron to find out how to clean it.
A tried and tested home remedy for removing dirt from an iron is aluminum foil.
That's how it works:
Tear off a large piece of aluminum foil from the roll and live it with the
matte
side
up
on a towel.
Heat your iron to
maximum temperature
.
For steam irons: Do not use the steam function to clean your iron with aluminum foil.
Iron over the aluminum foil with the iron for about
five minutes
.
During this process, the dirt on your iron is deposited on the aluminum foil.
Repeat
the process if not all residues have stuck to the aluminum foil on the first pass.
To do this, however, use a new piece of aluminum foil.
Also
interesting
: your sink stinks?
Try mouthwash once.
Tip: Descale the steam iron when cleaning
If you have a
steam iron
, you must
clean the
water tank
to remove or prevent calcification.
Because limescale can also damage your laundry.
In addition, the steam nozzles of the steam iron clog over time.
You can prevent lime scale soiling of your textiles when ironing by using only
distilled
water
for the steam iron and completely emptying and drying the water tank after ironing.
To descale, you can either follow the manufacturer's instructions for use, or you can descale your steam iron with household remedies, such as
vinegar
or
lemon
.
Also read : Can
you
wash the shower curtain in the washing machine?
Descaling the steam iron with vinegar
: mix vinegar and water in a ratio of 1: 2 and pour the solution into the iron's tank.
Heat the device and let the detergent work for about five to ten minutes.
Then empty the water tank and rinse it well.
Descaling the steam iron with lemon
: Mix lukewarm water with lemon juice without pulp and pour the mixture into the water tank of the steam iron.
Do not switch the iron on, otherwise crystallization may occur.
Place the iron in a bowl about an inch high with the same mixture overnight.
The next morning, rinse the tank out with distilled water.
(jn) * Merkur.de is an offer from
IPPEN.MEDIA.