How to Clean a Steam Iron So It Steams and Looks Like New

It’s not difficult to bring a tired steam iron back to working like a dream.

Using a simple treatment, a clogged steam iron will be good as new. Stock-Asso/Shutterstock

Before you toss that steam iron because it refuses to steam and the soleplate is sporting a brown, burned-on, gross mess—you might want to give it a little love with a good cleanup. It’s not difficult to bring a tired steam iron back to working like a dream!

As always, check the owner’s manual before proceeding with any cleaning process so you don’t void an active warranty.

Clean the Soleplate

The soleplate is the iron’s flat surface that has the tiny holes where the steam comes out; it’s the part that gets hot. Over time, it can get dirty with a buildup of scorched, ugly brown stains from various melted-on fabrics and spray starches. A dirty steam iron will not press fabric properly and will leave streaks of dirt and stain behind on your clothing.