What is a pencil for cleaning the sole of an iron and how to use it?

Any housewife intuitively understands that the iron, as well as any other household appliance, must be properly looked after. But what should one do if an accident occurred during ironing and the sole of the iron became covered with unpleasant dark spots, by chance "frying" the sleeve of a synthetic blouse? If there is no extra time and you don’t want to check the effectiveness of folk recipes, the solution is simple - get a pencil for cleaning the iron. This simple tool will help to quickly deal with the problem.

Composition and principle of action

As a rule, in the composition of such a product there are only two components - urea and an organic acid (for example, stearic). Mixing these substances in a certain proportion allows you to get a "pencil", similar to a paraffin candle.

When applied to a heated sole of the iron, the composition begins to melt, interacts with the carbon residue remaining on it and dissolves it. A lot of time is not needed, the reaction occurs almost immediately. After that, it remains to wipe the cleaned surface with a natural cloth.

It is worth noting that the sole of the iron can be metal, Teflon and even ceramic - such tools are usually suitable for any materials.

Kinds

To date, pencils for cleaning iron are produced by a variety of companies - both domestic and foreign.

The “smoked” iron of a modern housewife will help clean the following manufacturers:

• Selena (production in Russia under the control of the British company Meryl);
• Greenfield (produced in our country under the control of the same company from the UK);
• Cinderella (Russia);
• Typhoon (Russia);
• Magic Power (Russia);
• Snowter (Russia);
• Sinai (Russia) and others.

You won’t have to choose from such a variety for long: since the composition of all these products is identical and they are all inexpensive, you can safely take the first one.

A cleaning pencil can be sold complete with a descaling agent (as, for example, Topperr). If you already decided to put in order the iron that served you faithfully, why not at the same time clean it from the inside?

Where can I buy?

You can buy a carbamide bar for cleaning the iron in any hardware store. As a rule, similar products are also available in the assortment of large household appliance stores (in the departments of related products). Of course, you can also order via the Internet, but this option only makes sense when buying “in the appendage” of any larger product (otherwise the cost of delivery will be several times higher than the price of the cleaning product).

How to clean the iron?

To clean the iron with a pencil is quite simple, all the steps are described in detail in the instructions on the package.

• Cover the surface with the iron with an unnecessary cloth. It is also advisable to open the window, since when cleaning the smell is likely to be quite harsh.
• Heat the iron to 130-150 degrees.
• Paint the heated sole evenly with a pencil - it will melt at the same time. It is advisable to tilt the iron so that the composition does not flow into the steam holes (do not keep it with the sole up).
• Carefully remove contamination with a cotton or linen cloth, while keeping the molten composition from getting on your skin.
• Blow out steam to clean the steam holes.

Tip

If the pencil was sold not in foil but in plastic packaging, it should be removed before use. For convenience, you can wrap the edge around which you hold the bar with paper or cloth.

So, a pencil for cleaning the iron from pollution is an effective tool, which is much more convenient to use than, for example, salt (this method is often advised by the older generation). It is inexpensive, but it works very efficiently. The only negative is the pungent odor that appears when the bar comes in contact with the heated surface and the carbon residue remaining on it.