To clean an iron with vinegar: It's just like using vinegar to clean a coffee maker or a steam humidifier. It softens the calcium deposits that can gunk up the vents or cause particles to break loose and cause leaks where once water was kept tight.
Pour straight white vinegar into your iron. (Vinegar is a base, not an acid, this will not hurt your iron). Fill the iron, turn it on and let it sit for 2 hours. The auto-shut off will turn it off eventually, this is ok, just let it sit to soften the crud.
Afterwards, take the iron to the sink, hold it upright and shake it gently to loosen the crud. Then turn the iron upside down and pour the vinegar out of the iron.
Next, add more white vinegar to the iron, fill it to the top. Turn the iron on high, turn the steam to high and hold the iron horizontal over your sink, as if you're ironing. Let the steam vent out until the iron is about half empty of vinegar. Then turn the iron upright, shake it gently as before and turn it upside down to pour the remaining vinegar out of the iron.
Fill with plain water, empty, fill with water again and repeat the process of venting steam until you're satisfied all the vinegar is out of the vents. And you've just added another few years of service to your iron!
Vinegar works on clogged shower heads as well.
Christine-
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