Cleaning a Steam Iron

For a severely blocked iron you should use vinegar. You can use either white (distilled) or cider vinegar. That is your choice. whichever you have on hand.

Fill the iron with the vinegar and set the temperature on a steam setting. Allow a few minutes for the iron to get up to temperature and then hold the iron over an old towel and move it forward and backward as you would when ironing. Move the steam selector turning the steam on and off several times until steam starts to come out of the holes in the sole plate. There may be some sputtering and spraying going on so be cautious and keep yourself clear so you do not get burned.

During this procedure move the selector for the steam and dry settings several times to break up the sediment surrounding the pin and opening inside the iron where the water runs into the sole plate.

There will be some mineral deposits coming out of the iron through the steam holes and it can be wiped off onto the towel occasionally.

When the steam is flowing out of the holes in a good steady flow and no more deposits are coming out you are done.

After allowing the iron to cool you can dump the vinegar out and give it a quick rinse and you are ready to do your ironing with steam again.

It is recommended to use distilled water (can be bought at the supermarket by the gallon) to prevent the clogging.