Things You'll Need
Damp terry cloth towel
Ironing board or padded surface
Sheet of waxed paper
Salt
Residue on the sole plate of an iron can be transferred to clothing as it is being pressed. Keeping the sole plate clean is essential as this transfer may not be removable. It also keeps the iron gliding smoothly over fabric being pressed. Some irons have a nonstick coating on the sole plate to prevent a build up of residue, but an iron without this protective coating need to be cleaned periodically.
Step 1
Heat the iron to hot (cotton or linen setting).
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Step 2
Lay the damp terry cloth towel on the ironing board and rub the hot iron vigorously over it to remove as much residue as possible.
Step 3
Lay the sheet of waxed paper on the ironing board and liberally sprinkle with salt. Rub the iron in a circular motion on the salted waxed paper.
Step 4
Rub the iron over the damp terry cloth towel again. Repeat the process of scrubbing with the salt and rubbing on the towel if necessary.
Tip
You can use a paper grocery bag or a sheet of aluminum foil instead of the waxed paper, but the waxed paper adds a coating to the sole plate of the iron that helps it glide over fabric.
Try pressing a used dryer sheet to remove residue.
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