To remove burned on starch from the iron place a towel dampened with vinegar on the ironing board and sprinkle generously with table salt. Set iron on warm dry setting and run over a towel until the stain is removed.
Clean gunk off the surface of an iron by polishing gently with 0000 grade steel wool. Don't try this with a non-stick iron. If iron surface is dull, polish with Pearl Drops or other toothpaste.
To clean mineral deposits from a steam iron, fill it with a mixture of equal parts water and white vinegar. Allow it to steam for several minutes, disconnect, and let stand for an hour. Empty the reservoir, rinse well, and repeat if necessary.
By Ron from Cortez, CO
To clean a sticky or dirty iron, try running it over a dryer sheet and then onto a paper towel. Continue this process with your iron on high until the sole plate is clean. This is a page about how to clean your iron with a dryer sheet.
Using tap water in your steam iron can result in hard water deposits on your steam iron. Vinegar is a good product to use for this cleaning job.
This page is about removing rust from steam iron. Having rust in or on your iron can stain your clothing.