I have an old iron with the metal plate bottom. It must be thirty years old, it doesn't shut off until you unplug it but I just use a stainless steel scrubber from the kitchen to clean mine off. Let me tell you, it gets disgusting. I even got it too close to a plastic bag a couple of times. After scrubbing, I rub the bottom off to remove any metal residue and plug her back in. I don't know what else you could use if you have a new fancy iron.