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How to Remove Adhesive From Iron Plate

David Montoya

A dirty iron plate prevents you from properly removing all the wrinkles on your favorite clothing items. Adhesive creates a particularly bad problem for two reasons. First, adhesive creates friction that in turn makes ironing harder and causes the clothes to shift on the ironing board.

Adhesive on an iron plate can potentially ruin your clothes.

Second, heated adhesive can transfer onto other clothing items and cause permanent stains. Get your iron back in full working condition with a simple mixture of baking soda and water. This mixture removes adhesive and other buildup such as grime and mineral deposits.

  1. Mix one part warm water and two parts baking soda in a bowl to create a slurry.

  2. Slather on the baking soda mixture onto the iron plate. Use any tool that effectively applies the mixture to the plate such as a spatula or wooden spoon.

  3. Wipe away the baking soda mixture with a clean cloth rag. The mixture acts as an abrasive and removes the adhesive through friction.

  4. Reapply more mixture to the iron plate as necessary to remove all the adhesive on the iron plate. Continue to wipe away until the plate is clean.

  5. Dip a cotton swab into the mixture and clean the inside of the vent holes. Clean out the mixture with a clean cotton swab and distilled water.

  6. Remove water from the reservoir and fill with distilled water. Set the iron to the highest temperature and press the steam button. The hot steam completely removes any remaining mixture in the vents.

  7. Empty the water reservoir.

  8. Tip

    Clean severely clogged iron plate vents by filling the reservoir with white vinegar. Set the iron to the highest setting and allow the vinegar to steam out. Clean out the reservoir with distilled water when finished and keep a window open. Heated white vinegar creates a pungent smell.

The Drip Cap

  • A dirty iron plate prevents you from properly removing all the wrinkles on your favorite clothing items.
  • The mixture acts as an abrasive and removes the adhesive through friction.
  • Dip a cotton swab into the mixture and clean the inside of the vent holes.
  • Clean out the mixture with a clean cotton swab and distilled water.