How do I get rid of mineral deposits in my iron?
07-13-2011, 06:51 PM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Central Dakota
Posts: 690
I place a baking rack on my ironing board with a kitchen towel on top of that. Fill your iron with iron and let it steam away the mineral deposits. May have to do this a few times; depending on the seriousness of the deposits.
You'll have a brand new iron again. I also use only distilled water in my iron.
You'll have a brand new iron again. I also use only distilled water in my iron.
07-13-2011, 06:54 PM
#12
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Central NJ
Posts: 5,571
You can also try just putting water without vinegar, let it heat up and hold your steam button until empty a couple of times. This is what my Rowenta recommends. I do it over my bathroom sink. My Rowenta also recommends tap water versus distilled water. I have another iron, EuroPro, which recommends distilled water and I don't have a build up in that one. If you still have the book that came with your iron, see what kind of water it recommends. It does make a difference. If water only doesn't clear the problem then I'd try the vinegar. My coffee pot recommends a 50/50 solution. Then rinse with plain water a couple of times.
07-13-2011, 07:18 PM
#14
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
I have to confess my unconventional method for de-scaling my iron. It voids warranties, so someone with a new iron may not want to try it! I tried vinegar first with very little success. (Note: This included vinegar full-strength, allowing it to sit, heating it up and steaming it, etc.)
Anyway, what I use is Iron Out, a product you can find in hardware stores. It is used to clean mineral deposits from water softeners, I think. It works pretty well for my iron. However, I still have to take a pin and pry off flecks of scale from around each hole. This is painstaking work and takes awhile, but is not hard to do.
Our water had (we have since moved) a lot of minerals in it, and my iron said the warranty was voided if I used distilled water in it (something about needing ions??? should ask dh about that.....). Maybe it wouldn't have had such a build-up if I'd ignored the info that came with the iron and used distilled water.
Anyway, what I use is Iron Out, a product you can find in hardware stores. It is used to clean mineral deposits from water softeners, I think. It works pretty well for my iron. However, I still have to take a pin and pry off flecks of scale from around each hole. This is painstaking work and takes awhile, but is not hard to do.
Our water had (we have since moved) a lot of minerals in it, and my iron said the warranty was voided if I used distilled water in it (something about needing ions??? should ask dh about that.....). Maybe it wouldn't have had such a build-up if I'd ignored the info that came with the iron and used distilled water.
07-13-2011, 07:35 PM
#15
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Enid, OK
Posts: 8,273
Originally Posted by VickyS
Use distilled water to help dissolve down the heavy deposits that build up from time to time.
I still use vinegar or lemon juice to get the heavy stuff out, but sometimes just using distilled in our heavy water area still acts as if I used the vinegar/lemon juice - it cuts up all but the most heavily baked on stuff. So I switch back and forth between the two to avoid etching the metal in my iron/ teapot or the plastic in my cups.
I still use vinegar or lemon juice to get the heavy stuff out, but sometimes just using distilled in our heavy water area still acts as if I used the vinegar/lemon juice - it cuts up all but the most heavily baked on stuff. So I switch back and forth between the two to avoid etching the metal in my iron/ teapot or the plastic in my cups.
07-13-2011, 07:36 PM
#16
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Enid, OK
Posts: 8,273
Originally Posted by Prism99
I have to confess my unconventional method for de-scaling my iron. It voids warranties, so someone with a new iron may not want to try it! I tried vinegar first with very little success. (Note: This included vinegar full-strength, allowing it to sit, heating it up and steaming it, etc.)
Anyway, what I use is Iron Out, a product you can find in hardware stores. It is used to clean mineral deposits from water softeners, I think. It works pretty well for my iron. However, I still have to take a pin and pry off flecks of scale from around each hole. This is painstaking work and takes awhile, but is not hard to do.
Our water had (we have since moved) a lot of minerals in it, and my iron said the warranty was voided if I used distilled water in it (something about needing ions??? should ask dh about that.....). Maybe it wouldn't have had such a build-up if I'd ignored the info that came with the iron and used distilled water.
Anyway, what I use is Iron Out, a product you can find in hardware stores. It is used to clean mineral deposits from water softeners, I think. It works pretty well for my iron. However, I still have to take a pin and pry off flecks of scale from around each hole. This is painstaking work and takes awhile, but is not hard to do.
Our water had (we have since moved) a lot of minerals in it, and my iron said the warranty was voided if I used distilled water in it (something about needing ions??? should ask dh about that.....). Maybe it wouldn't have had such a build-up if I'd ignored the info that came with the iron and used distilled water.
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