An electric iron over time is going to get sticky and dirty, especially if you use a lot of spray starch and other treatments on your clothes. Fortunately, most of these hand-held appliances are manufactured with a non-stick ironing surface, so cleaning only takes a few minutes. Follow these steps and you’ll be finished with the chore of cleaning an iron in less time than it will take to finish the chore of ironing clothes.
Fill the iron's steam receptacle with white vinegar or CLR, a product used to clean coffee pots. CLR is available in department stores.
Continue ironing until all of the cleaning solution has steamed out. Repeat the cleaning process if necessary until the iron no longer oozes discolored liquid and the ironing surface is clean.
Prevent future mineral buildup by using distilled water for steam in your iron, rather than tap water.