How to clean a burnt Teflon iron
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Wondering how to clean your burnt Teflon iron? Read on….
How to clean a burnt Teflon iron
- White vinegar
- Toothpaste
- Dryer sheets
- Dish soap
- Oven cleaner
As with the use of any iron, even a Teflon non-stick iron can experience burns.
Sometimes they can gradually form with use while for other times it is the consequence of an ‘uh-oh’ moment.
Luckily, there are ways to get around these hurdles and clean an iron with burnt fabric attached to them. So, Laundry life is here to provide you with everything you should know for how to clean a burnt Teflon iron.
Teflon is a special non-stick coating that is used throughout many walks of life other than the soleplate of your iron.
For example, it is used in cooking pans, coating the inside of dental fillings and with outdoor fabrics to make water resistant clothing.
However, if the Teflon is damaged, it can cause some health issues such as nausea and flu-like symptoms. Teflon is made with perfluorooctanoic acid. And, if this is Teflon coating for iron appliances or cooking appliances is damaged, it could lead to the remnants being inhaled or consumed.
So, always make sure the Teflon coating is safe!
Then, you can go ahead with all the necessary steps you need to follow to clean a burnt Teflon iron.
✅ 5 Ways to cleaning the Teflon coating on irons
When it comes to understanding how to clean a burnt Teflon iron, it’s not necessarily the same steps as cleaning any other metal soleplate iron.
This is because the Teflon can’t be scratched (see reasons above).
So, it’s a case of finding methods that don’t use abrasive tools or chemicals.
Luckily, as the Teflon coating is placed there to make your cleaning life slightly easier, there shouldn’t be a need to reach for the scourer, salt or toothbrush.
Before heading into the five different cleaning methods, make sure there is no fabric simply hanging loose from the soleplate of the iron.
To clean an iron with burnt fabric, the first step will always be to use some tweezers (while making sure they don’t touch the Teflon coating of the soleplate) and remove large pieces of your favourite garment that is no more.
✅ Use white vinegar
To use white vinegar, simply take a tea towel or some kitchen towel, douse in white vinegar and leave flat.
Put the iron on the dampened towel (soleplate down) and leave overnight. When you come back the next day, you should wipe the surface with a damp wet cloth. Then, it should be shiny and new!
If you can’t handle the smell, maybe try one of the other four methods.
✅ Toothpaste
Using the natural powers of something you already have laying around the house can always be a bonus, especially when you don’t have to use much.
While other irons would call for the use of a soft-bristled toothbrush, that’s not how to clean a burnt Teflon iron.
Instead, take a soft sponge or cloth and gently clean an iron with burnt fabric using circular motions.
Try not to get the toothpaste in the steam holes, but if you do, simply fill the reservoir with water, place the heat on high and steam over a sink.
✅ Use Dryer Sheets
As dryer sheets naturally contain fabric softener, it helps to soften the burnt fabric on the Teflon coating for iron appliances while being kind to the non- stick coating, itself.
In order to use dryer sheets to clean a burnt Teflon iron, turn the iron onto a low heat, scrunch the dryer sheet into a ball (so you don’t burn your fingers onto the iron and have another thing to clean) and rub in circular motions until the stain is gone.
A bonus to using dryer sheets is that they also contain sweet fragrances. And, while they’re being slightly heated by the iron, your house will smell amazing!
✅ Use Dish Soap
For a softer approach, you can mix together a bowl of warm water with two tablespoons of dish soap. Often, the elastane in the burnt fabric on the Teflon coated iron can be prised away with oil remover such as in soap.
When you’ve got your dish soap solution, dampen a microfibre cloth and carefully rub in circles around the affected area on the iron. Keep going to clean an iron with burnt fabric.
✅ Use Oven Cleaner
If all else fails, the final option would be to use oven or hob cleaner in a well- ventilated space (i.e., whack those windows open).
Simply apply a small amount onto a microfibre cloth. You may be tempted to spray or pour directly onto the soleplate of the iron, but this could cause excess cleaner to go into the steam holes of the iron.
Not only with this be a waste of the cleaner, but when you go to use the iron, the fumes could make you ill.
With the microfibre cloth, rub in circular motions as you would any other of the methods above.
When you have a nice even coating of the oven cleaner on the iron’s base, leave it to do its magic for the amount of time stated in the bottle’s instructions.
Finally, wipe the excess away with water and some cotton buds to remove anything caught in the steam holes.
✅ How to prevent the need to clean an iron with burnt fabric
While it may be as simple as; ‘don’t burn fabric onto the iron’, sometimes it simply can’t be helped. Especially when there is an issue with the Teflon coating for iron appliances in the first place.
However, one of the most important factors in making sure you don’t have to remember how to clean a burnt Teflon iron is to read the ironing instructions on the garment.
Make sure the heat is low for items that have synthetic or elastic fibres, and you should be good to go.
Otherwise, it is always a good idea to store your iron in its original box to keep it away from dust and debris that might settle on the soleplate and burn when hot.
And that, ladies and gentlemen should conclude the journey of how to clean a burnt Teflon iron.
Here’s a note from the team here at Laundry Life; if you’re unsure about cleaning your Teflon coated iron with any of the methods above, you should contact the company you bought it from.
Often, it is the case that the iron is still within its warranty and they can replace it for free, or they can give you their top tips for cleaning products.
✅ How do I clean the bottom of my Teflon iron?
- White vinegar
- Toothpaste
- Dryer sheets
- Dish soap
- Oven cleaner
✅ How do I get burnt fabric off my iron?
Any of our methods above will help you get burnt fabric off your iron plate. Make sure you turn your iron off and unplug it, then let it cool down completely.
Once your iron is cool, use small circular motions or work either toothpaste or dish soap into the fabric that’s burnt onto the iron plate, leave for a short while and then clean it off.
You might have to do this several times to get your iron clean.
✅ How do you clean a clogged steam iron?
Cleaning a clogged steam iron, and keeping it clean, means that you’ll no longer get those dirty brown water marks on your clean clothes.
The dirty water that comes out of your iron isn’t necessarily because you’re using anything other than clean water in your iron, it happens simply through use, but it’s easy to rectify.
See our full post here for ways to keep your steam iron clean.
