After posting my scorched iron tale of woe, I received an email from a reader who suggested that I use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to scrub off the unsightly and smelly marks. Guess what? I tried it and I’m here to tell you that you should save the eraser to use on a greasy countertop, dirty shower stall or crayon-stained table, because honestly, it didn’t do much for my ugly iron.
However, I appreciate the suggestion.
I actually found a few cheaper ways to remove nasty burn marks from an iron with a nonstick sole plate. My favorite so far has been squeezing a little liquid laundry detergent on the scorched marks and rubbing at them with a damp cloth. You could add the soap to the wet cloth prior to scrubbing, but I found that the marks lift faster if you add the concentrated soap directly to them and use a bit of elbow grease.
I used Ivory soap, though I’m sure liquid Palmolive or Ajax would do the job just as well. If the scorch marks cover the iron vents, combine water and dish soap to create a frothy mixture. Then, dip cotton swabs into the soapy solution and rub the dirty vents. Once the stains are gone, use a clean cloth to dry the iron.
Another easy and affordable way to clean a burned sole plate is to soak a cotton cloth in a bowl of hydrogen peroxide. Then, place the cloth on an ironing board and iron over it until the stains lift.
If your iron does not have a coated sole plate, then remove scorch marks by adding a few drops of metal polish solution on it. Next, rub the polish on the marks with a rag until they disappear, then get a clean cloth and wipe off any damp areas.