What solution can I use for taking starch off a clothes iron?
By yvonne from Minneapolis, MN
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Run a hot iron over a piece of wax paper, it should remove the starch buildup.
I turn the iron on to its highest temperature, unplug it from the wall for electrical safety and immediately rub it down with a really damp rag. Make sure the rag is folded several times to help insulate you from burning your fingers. Depending on how much buildup the iron has you may need to do it a couple of times.
I've always used table salt. Pour salt on your ironing board. Turn iron on high and rub into salt. Works every time. My mother taught me and she has had her iron for 40 years and it is still like brand new.
Did not work
I had a couple years of starch build up on my iron. I tried goo gone on it and it took a couple of times before all the old build up come off but now I use it after every time I iron and it stays clean. I do put water in it and clean out the steam holes on the bottom of the iron after using the goo gone so that it is completely clean before I use it again.
What's good for cleaning starch off of the bottom of the iron
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How do you get starch off an iron?
Arthur from Harrisonburg, VA
My mom also used the wax paper method to remove residue from an iron, with one difference, she sprinkled salt on the wax paper before running iron over it. This works as an abrasive. (03/09/2007)
By pepper
There's an excellent product in a medium small blue tube from a better hardware store especially for this purpose that works better than anything I can think of. It seems to be liquefied paraffin? which takes only 1/4 inch squeeze to a hot iron and a paper towel to wipe off the scorch as it instantly melts. Hope you can find it. Wax paper doesn't seem to work as well for me. God bless and help you in this. : ) (03/11/2007)
By Lynda
I just cleaned mine with a "Mr. Clean Magic Eraser" pad. Worked like magic! (05/13/2007)
By Mark
How do you remove starch from an iron?
Henrietta Bell from Houston, TX
The best tip I've seen for removing "gunk" from an iron is to wet an old towel and using the highest heat on the iron, iron it back and forth on the old wet towel until the build up is gone. You can rewet the towel as needed. Also, if your iron isn't a teflon or coated bottom iron, I read that you can use a soap pad (SOS?) and that should work. I think I'd opt for the wet towel. (04/17/2006)
By SL Edens
My mom always did this; put an old towel on board then brown paper bag. Then a wax paper sheet. With the wax paper on top, heat the iron to the hottest setting. Then press on wax paper and run iron over it, then she would run iron over another brown bag and it was clean. Works everytime. My irons are still in box from wedding gifts over 11 years ago and I have one to use for crafts. It's all wash and wear for us. (04/19/2006)
Turn iron on and let it heat up. Then carefully, so you don't burn yourself, wipe off all the gunk with a few dryer sheets - works great! (04/20/2006)
By Darrie
