Tip for cleaning an iron
I did a fusible applique block recently (my first in forever) and in the process messed up my iron with fusible residue bigtime. After the iron cooled, I tried a little dab of glass cooktop cleaner on a folded paper towel, with light to medium pressure, and it removed the residue. Buff with a fresh paper towel. I used it sparingly as I didn't want to get any of the cleaner in the steam holes. The sole plate on my iron is stainless steel. I wasn't certain whether the cleaner was abrasive enough to scratch it, but that didn't seem to be the case. It looked like brand new. So try it if you have the cooktop cleaner on hand and a stainless steel sole plate.