When Irons Attack!

Late yesterday afternoon I decided to pick out some material in my stash for a Q4K quilt. So I found all the perfect fabric! I was excited! Now keep in mind this is a box of fabric that I have had for years now. I got all my fabric cut and decided that after dinner I would start putting the quilt together. I got all my first strip sets sewed together and turned on my iron... it was starting to warm up so i started setting my seam and getting some wrinkles out on the smallest piece. I saw the iron down and moved the small piece and picked up a longer piece. I put the longer piece on the ironing board and set the seam and smoothed out any wrinkles and then I opened it up to iron it over and ahhhhhhh the pretty pink fabric melted! It was just like out of The Wizard of Oz (without the smoke of course). I just kind of sat there stunned with the iron in my hand looking like i had just seen a ghost. Needless to say the seam ripper and I spent the remainder of the night together! So now I need to stop by and pick up some 100% cotton pink fabric lol. So I learned not to always trust old fabric and now I need to know the best way to clean my iron. So you brilliant quilters... how do i clean my iron?

I use the rough side of my scrubbing sponge and a LITTLE bit of Bar keepers friend to get off gunk, burned starch and other stuff that ends up on my soleplate. I rinse my soleplate with cool water before using it (and will run it on steam mode with some steam bursts to make sure all the stuff I scrubbed is OUT of the inside of the iron).

I know someone that uses a teflon shoe on her soleplate and she says it keeps it a lot cleaner. I've thought about getting one.

Try a fabric softener sheet. Put it on some scrap. Get your iron super hot. Run the iron back and forth on it. It might work. It's supposed to work for getting the goo off that sometimes get on the iron from fusible web. Don't see why it wouldn't work for this as well. Worth a try. Let me know if it works.

Britt - aren't you the one with the disappearing thread when you ironed over it? If so, you and irons don't seem to get along very well. LOL

Oh my! How disappointing!
You can buy iron cleaner at the grocery store in the laundry aisle or in Walmart. It comes in a little tube. I had a little accident with fusible web and my (then) new iron. It did a pretty good job of removing the gunk.
Some say you can clean an iron by ironing a dryer sheet but i have never tried that.

I use steel wool on my sole plate to get gunk off of it...once set it too close to a candle...what a mess! It does work so long as it is not teflon coated.....I just scrub real well and then iron over a piece of scrap fabric and use the steam button to make sure I didn't fill up the holes with stuff..hope this helps

Lol yes rebecca that was me!!!! Ok ladies thanks I will give these a try!

I always use a bit of fabric softener on an old rag and a hot iron. Works great for me.

Hi There; I always let my iron cool down and then run it over a Mr. Clean magic eraser sponge. It always works for me. Good luck..Val

I always have a tube of Hi Speed Hot Iron Cleaner. Works like a charm

I cool the iron and use a scrubby pad. My LQS owner keeps a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser by her iron and uses that when the iron is still hot. I can't believe that but that's what she said....swears by it.

Good to know. I was wondering if the magic eraser would work. I'll keep it that one in mind.

Sorry Britt that you are having a war with your iron. But your story was funny and I am laughing WITH YOU!!

The Wizard of Oz, huh?

Done this to a finished costume piece and had to remake the garment for the next night's performance! Not fun! I clean my iron on real hot and take a rought bar towel or old towel and iron over it, and usually the goo comes off. Steel wool works also if you don't have a coating on the sole plate. Those irons, they are tricky!

Just gummed up my iron the other night with some fusible and I used a green sponge, with the rough scrubby side, let the iron cool and gave it a good scrub. Ironed on a towel, steam bursted a couple of times to make sure the holes were cleaned out and it worked like a charm!

My only solution to getting a clean iron when I ironed over some tulle last month was to send DH to Walmart to buy me a new one.

Only $13.99 and it's clean and shiny and the dump has my old one. If nothing else works, try my idea.

Good luck!

Cyndi

Note to self: Do not do a swap if Britt signs up - she tends to burn everything. Bet she doesn't cook pizza, either . . .

Signed, ME

Oh man that just stinks!!! can't believe the iron melted your material. Have to keep that in mind when I do try my crazy quilting patches. hope your iron cleans up well.