Steam iron blues...

I cleaned my iron the other day. Monday, I was ironing a white shirt for work, using the steam option, when brown stuff (rust?) shot out onto the shirt and I ironed it in! BTW, before you say I should have used distilled water, my operating instructions that came with the iron said specifically NOT to use distilled water and if the tap water was especially hard (which it isn't, here) at best mix half tap, half distilled.

Anyway, went online and checked everywhere to see how to clean it out, but couldn't find anything. So, I got a rack and put it in the stainless steel kitchen sink, filled the iron with white vinegar, turned the steam knob to high and set it on the rack to steam.

Whew! What a smell filled the house! Did that twice, washed the bottom of the iron off (had gunk and brown flecks on it), then ran water through it three times. Ironed a white rag and no brown spots, so I guess it worked.

One interesting note: when I was online looking, I saw an article that said you shouldn't iron a shirt and then wear it (which I sometimes do). It said unless you let it cool for two hours, a fresh pressed shirt will wrinkle faster when you wear it.

I didn't know that...