Your Iron Will Be Good As New With This Aluminum Foil Hack

You probably don't think of regularly cleaning your iron, but you should actually be cleaning the household essential twice per year, or even more, if it's visibly dirty. If you don't, you could inadvertently be making your clothes dirty again by transferring dirt and debris to the fabric. The following hack only needs aluminum foil to work and will help clear your iron so you're not imprinting stains and marks onto the clothing you're getting creases out of.

Several things can cause the wrinkle-removing gadget to become dirty, but some of the main culprits are dust and dirt from clothes, fabric fibers that have melted, and spray starch. While the latter can help you to iron better, it can also build up over time and cause damage to the metal part. You don't need to go out and buy any particular cleaning spray to get your iron sparkling again — simply read the simple instructions below for removing all debris.

To get started, you'll need a good-sized piece of aluminum foil (and your iron, of course). Then, turn your iron on to one of the higher heat settings. Run it over the piece of foil a few times until the starch or any other marks are visibly gone from the plate on the front. Since it's quick and easy, you can use this trick before you start ironing each time that you notice dirt building up to avoid accidentally transferring it to your garment.

This hack is simple and straightforward, but always be careful when using any source of heat. We also don't recommend holding down the foil with your hand to stop it from crinkling, because you could harm yourself if the iron slips. As for handling the foil once you have finished, the material loses heat quickly, so just give it a few minutes before disposing of it.