Read the Iron Manual Before Choosing a Household Cleaner

Ideal Home identifies dragging, sticky marks and residue transferred to clothing as signs that an iron needs attention. The guide recommends reviewing the appliance manual before selecting a cleaning method, including checking whether a built-in self-clean function can deal with the problem first.

Prepare the iron safely before working on its exterior: switch it off, unplug it, empty the water tank and allow it to cool. Treat the soleplate and internal water system as different parts of the appliance. A method discussed for an external stain should not be assumed suitable for the reservoir or steam mechanism.