Few things are more frustrating than ironing your clothes only to end up with black stuff all over them.
We don’t know what the black stuff is exactly – we don’t pretend to know – but let’s just call it that black burnt stuff, because that’s what it is.
Now we've established that, how exactly do you get it off your iron?
Well, we've scoured the internet and found two ideas that actually seem to work well. The first is the quickest, but also the riskiest. So if you'd rather spend a little more time scrubbing than risk burning your fingers, try option two.
Option one: Paracetamol tablets.
You need:
Two or three long-shaped paracetamol tablets (or more depending on how dirty your iron is.)
A damp cloth
- First turn your iron onto a high heat and wait for it to warm up.
- Next - and this is the bit where you may risk burning the tips of your fingers if you're not careful - rub a paracetamol tablet all over the burnt part of your iron. It will dissolve as you do this.
PRO TIP: You could use pliers to hold the tablet if you have them on hand. - Once the tablet has dissolved so much you're risking your fingers, move on to the next one. You can wipe the iron with a damp cloth in between to check your progress.
- Once all the gunk is dissolved, wipe with a damp cloth and voilà - clean!
Check out Paul Scanlon's video for a demonstration:
Option two: Sea salt.
You need:
Rock salt
A piece of paper towel (something to protect your ironing board)
- Turn the iron on to maximum temperature. Turn the steam completely off.
- Place a paper towel on your ironing board.
- Scoop a heaped tablespoon of coarse rock salt onto the paper towel.
- Start ironing the rock salt over the marked part of the iron, applying a gentle amount of pressure. (You might need to scrub harder if it's stubborn.)
- After a few minutes of ironing your iron should be spotless.
Check out Practical Ideas' video for a demonstration:
