How to Clean an Iron with Salt

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 7, 2022 References

Using salt to clean your iron can be a simple way to effectively get out stains and to protect your iron for years to come. Using regular rock salt, sea salt, or kosher salt, you can simply iron over these large-grained salts to remove stains. Additional stain-removing power can be achieved when you combine the salt with other materials like newspaper, ammonia, and aluminum foil.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Doing Routine Cleaning

1
Turn the iron on. Turn the iron on to the highest setting and let it heat up. It will probably take several minutes for the iron to reach its highest heat level. There should be a light indicator on the iron that lets you know when it has reached the desired temperature.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- Remember that the iron will be quite hot, so you should take care not to burn yourself or other objects around you – especially things that could melt, like plastic.
2
Pour salt on a paper towel. Take several paper towels and fold them together until you get a compact square about the size of a CD case. Pour a bit of the salt, probably about one tablespoon, onto the paper towel.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- For this option, you’ll need salt with larger grains (like rock salt, sea salt, or kosher salt).
- If the salted paper towel doesn’t work, you can try pouring a bit of salt on a small cotton towel and repeating the process.
Advertisement
3
Run the iron over the salt. Once you’ve let the iron heat up, run the iron over the paper towel with the salt on it. Spend a minute or two ironing the salt, which should clean the bottom of the iron completely. The dirt typically sticks to the salt, leaving you with a clean and shiny iron.^{[3]
X
Research source}
- If there are still some stains left, try reapplying the salt and running the iron again.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Managing Tougher Stains

1
Use salt and aluminum foil. For tougher stains, simply pour one tablespoon of rock salt on a piece of aluminum foil and iron over the salted foil on the highest setting. This can help get rid of stains, or loosen things that are stuck to the bottom of the iron.
- This works especially well for getting melted plastic off of the hot surface of an iron.
- You can also use sea salt or kosher salt.
2
Try salt and newspaper. Pour some salt on a piece of newspaper and run the iron over the surface. Be sure to use salt with larger crystals – like rock salt or sea salt. Spend at least one minute ironing over the salt to make sure you really get at the stain well.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- This is particularly helpful if you are trying to remove something waxy that is stuck to the bottom of your iron.
3
Wipe with ammonia after using salt. For extra tough stains, try combining a bit of ammonia with the salting method. Once you have finished ironing a paper towel (or cotton towel or piece of aluminum foil, depending on how tough the stain is), take a clean rag and dampen it with a bit of ammonia. Wipe the hot plate of the iron with the ammonia rag.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Remember to turn the iron off for this step, otherwise you risk burning yourself.
- Be sure to wipe off the bottom of the iron with a clean rag after putting the ammonia on it so that you don’t transfer the pungent ammonia smell to the next thing you iron.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Preventing Future Damage

1
Wipe down the iron after each use. The best thing you can do to prevent your iron from needing to be seriously cleaned is to perform routine cleanings and wipe downs after each use. When you finish using the iron each time, let the iron cool down and then give it a quick wipe down using paper towels and regular household cleaning solution.
- Make sure you wash off any remainder of the cleaning solution after you finish cleaning so that it doesn’t accidentally transfer onto the next thing that you iron.
2
Empty the water reservoir every time. Once you finish using the iron, you should dump out any remaining water from the iron’s water reservoir. Don’t try to conserve water by keeping the old water inside the iron between uses.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- Leaving water in the iron while you aren’t using it can cause the water to become stagnant and create buildups of mineral deposits that can be difficult to clean later.
3
Store the iron properly. When you are finished using the iron, make sure you give it plenty of time to cool down before you put it away. Irons should be completely cool to the touch before being stored. Put the iron in a place where it won’t be in the way – like in a cupboard or a closet.
- Make sure you put a protective covering over the iron (like a plastic bag) to prevent dust from settling on the machine between uses. This will help keep your iron cleaner over time and help protect it from corrosion and humidity.