Go Back  Quiltingboard Forums > Main
Iron Question >

Iron Question

Iron Question

Old 04-24-2009, 03:13 PM
  #1  
Super Member
Thread Starter
 
Piedmont Quilter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 1,063
Default

Just finished starching my binding like Sharon Schamber does. Now - tell me how you girls clean the starch off your iron. In the past I have used a baking soda paste rubbed on the iron. But, I end up with the soda paste in the steam holes, it dries hard, have to TRY to pick it out with a toothpick, get aggravated :evil: - see where I'm going? So - tell me - what's your magic trick?

Piedmont Quilter
Rebecca
Piedmont Quilter is offline  
Old 04-24-2009, 03:58 PM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
Quiltntime's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 607
Default

Originally Posted by Piedmont Quilter
Just finished starching my binding like Sharon Schamber does. Now - tell me how you girls clean the starch off your iron. In the past I have used a baking soda paste rubbed on the iron. But, I end up with the soda paste in the steam holes, it dries hard, have to TRY to pick it out with a toothpick, get aggravated :evil: - see where I'm going? So - tell me - what's your magic trick?

Piedmont Quilter
Rebecca
Glad you posted this question as I was going to use starch to stiffen the back of the quilt I'm making. Wonder if I would encounter the same problem when ironing the back after starching.

I use Faultless Hot Iron Cleaner on my iron. But, this is to clean residue off, not sure if it would take paste off.
Quiltntime is offline  
Old 04-24-2009, 04:40 PM
  #3  
Junior Member
 
marty_mo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Missouri
Posts: 279
Default

I don't know if it will work for starch because I haven't had starch stick to my iron but SALT works on a scorched iron plate. A trick from my mother years ago...sprinkle salt on a newspaper and rub the hot iron in the salt to remove burn and scorch marks. Make sure you turn the steam off or empty the water out first.
marty_mo is offline  
Old 04-24-2009, 05:19 PM
  #4  
Power Poster
 
amma's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Out searching for some sunshine :-)
Posts: 58,856
Default

Seems to me that someone said to iron a dryer sheet, and that would take off the build up.
amma is offline  
Old 04-24-2009, 05:40 PM
  #5  
Super Member
 
MollieSue's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: MI
Posts: 2,526
Default

I've used salt, sprinkled on paper, then rub iron in it, to remove applique stickem from mine. It would seem like it would work for starch too?
MollieSue is offline  
Old 04-24-2009, 05:58 PM
  #6  
Senior Member
 
twistedstitcher's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 993
Default

I have a teflon iron cover similar to this one.
http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp;jsessionid=PKLFCG2PD2ZG0P4SY5LVAFJ50LD3UUPU?CATID =cat2955&PRODID=prd3110&_requestid=959148

I have it on the iron all the time, it's great for ironing any fabric. No fabric melts or gets shiny, and nothing sticks to it.
twistedstitcher is offline  
Old 04-24-2009, 06:30 PM
  #7  
Member
 
Cookn's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 87
Default

If you use a dryer sheet, make sure it's a used one. A new one will make an even bigger mess.
Cookn is offline  
Old 04-25-2009, 03:20 AM
  #8  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 401
Default

Twistedstitcher, this wasn't my question, but thanks for that tip on the iron cover. I don't have the starch problem (yet), but I bought a Black and Decker, old style iron that I LOVE because it gets really hot (my old iron was so-so for cottons), but it has really big holes in the sole plate that catch on seams. Plus it has just a stainless steel sole plate that sticks a little. I'm gonna have to get me one of those covers! I'm all excited now - gonna have to go to Joann's and see if they have one in stock! :lol:
minstrel is offline  
Old 04-25-2009, 09:20 AM
  #9  
Senior Member
 
crashnquilt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Lebanon, Missouri
Posts: 602
Default

I have waited until the iron is totally cool and used water and a Chore Boy to remove build up.
crashnquilt is offline  
Old 04-25-2009, 10:25 AM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Pacific NW USA
Posts: 883
Default

The way that I use a dryer sheet, is to take a NEW one, get my iron nice and hot. Place a piece of scrap fabric on a pressing surface, put the dryer sheet on top of the scrap, at one side. Now, take the hot iron run over the top of the dryer sheet and directly onto the scrap of fabric. A (new) dryer sheet has something in it that gets very slick when heated up. This will sort of pull the stuff off the iron and onto the scrap of fabric as you pass onto it.

Works great.

Here is a video Sharon Schamer did on a more involved cleaning:

http://www.beginningquilter.com/vide...ron/index.html

AtHomeSewing is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
kwendt
Main
121
10-20-2011 02:36 PM
judylg
Main
11
11-03-2010 05:50 AM
mkanderson
Main
17
06-17-2009 03:29 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


FREE Quilting Newsletter