How do I repair a steam iron that stopped working (won't heat up at all) after cleaning it with salt?
Did you put the salt in the machine or just clean the outside with salt?
If the salt actually went into the water chamber, be sure it is unplugged and cold and pour 1 cup of hot not boiling water with 1 tablespoons of white vinegar into the chamber and turn it on the lowest steam setting. That may melt the salt if it has dried and caked inside blocking the steam holes.
If the salt was used on the outside, take a toothpick and poke steam holes again make sure it is cold and unplugged. Try using plain tap water on a steam setting when done.
If this doesn't work, Google the customer service number for the brand and see what they say.
Minerals in your water can clog the vents in your iron causing it to stop emitting steam. Vinegar can often be used to clean it and return your iron to good working order.
When your steam iron stops heating you can try a bit of troubleshooting, but it may be time for a new one. This is a page about steam iron won't heat.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Why is my steam iron not working after cleaning with salt?
You might have corroded it with salt. Put in a diluted vinegar solution and let it steam for awhile.
Probably some of the salt has not been properly removed from the steam holes. Salt dries very hard and it may take several cleanings of diluted vinegar and water run through your iron to remove it.
Why is my steam iron not working after cleaning it with salt.......its not even switching on
Hello, I just wanted to ask if you found the solution to this problem? The same thing happened to me today! Please help!
Why is my mini steam iron not working, after reaching 20 pounds of pressure? How do I rectify this problem?
By VIJAYARAGHAVAN from Mumbai, India
I would try pouring some plain white vinegar into the iron and heating it up....maybe not to the full 20 lbs pressure but at least til the vinegar is warm, turn off the iron and let it set at least a few hours or even overnight. {leave it to soak in the "down" position as if you were ironing} Let it sit inside a large bowl with a towel under it so the ironing surface doesn't get scratched.
Turn on the iron and once it heats up unplug and pour out the vinegar, {use distilled water only in your steamer and irons,} fill with distilled water, heat up and dump out once it warms up; add more distilled water and let it build to full pressure and see if it steams.
If this doesn't work, repeat the vinegar process and let it heat til the full pressure builds and then unplug and dump out again.
Keep the steamer near the sink or someplace it will not harm anything else in case the pressure & vinegar "pop" out the mineral deposits that have formed in the steam vents.
Continue to do this process until you don't get any hard mineral deposits in the water/vinegar you dump out. {you can dump it into a strainer lined with a coffee filter or paper towel to see if any deposits are coming loose} In the future, be positive to use only distilled water and you won't have a problem again for many years.
