Challenging household problem

A solution of washing soda may help, don't put the iron on a high heat just very low.

Sodium carbonate. not sodium hydroxide.

DO NOT GET MIXED UP WITH CAUSTIC WHAT EVER YOU DO.

DO NOT GET MIXED UP WITH CAUSTIC WHAT EVER YOU DO.

...because sodium hydroxide reacts with aluminium to form sodium aluminate. The reaction is strongly exothermic, and if the aluminium is presented in powdered form it can be explosively so (been there, done it, etc., etc.).

I agree with previous recomendation-a solution of sodium CARBONATE (Arm &Hammer)--not baking powder (bi-carbonate), with iron set on medium heat, turn on the 'steam' and let the solution dribble through the sole plate. The starch has polymerized into 2,4,7 dihexylchickenwire-a plastic type material. It may not be possible to clean it up with 'safe' chemicals like above. DO NOT use sodium hydroxide (caustic) since it will vigorously attack the aluminum sole plate. If the soda treatment does not work well, then try a solution of citric acid in water.

It is amazing to know an iron can sinthetize 2,4,7 dihexylchickenwire. I thoght you only could make it in a polymerization reactor or a coffe machine!

Thanks to both for the tips! Tomorrow I'll try to get these chemicals.

Keep tuned, I'll be back with the results!

Cosme

Hmmm

I'll come back if something novel comes to mind.

$150.00 bucks for a steam iron.

South American Bucks. Made of dihexylchickenwire.

Please don't be to hard on the laundry lady, she tried a variation on the normal technique to see if it worked (although, it's a pity she used your new iron).

This sort of trial is in the best traditions of engineering. I'd bet most of the people reading this destroyed many machines in their younger days as they built up the experience and knowledge they use today. Jeff

isopropyl or propanol II, is used to remove resins, with well-taken care of that do not have plastics, that deteriorate them.

I would be super p****d off about this if it were my iron and some stupid person did that to it!!! And ruined my shirt too!!!

Where do some people put their brains when at work.....? She should pay for the shirt at least......if possible, change your laundry lady.....

It seems that as long as it is not their own stuff they are trying (to screw up!) out in a new way, they do not care!!!!

It is similar to the "Company cars can be driven a lot faster forwards or backwards than private cars of the same type!"

I hope everything gets fixed up for you in a very short time and the iron is re-usable again.

Where do some people put their brains when at work.....? She should pay for the shirt at least......if possible, change your laundry lady.....

I had such kind of feelings too! but as Guest said "this sort of trial is in the best traditions of engineering" What if she had discovered a revolutionary way of starch-steam- ironing???

PS: are laundry ladies protected by the convention of Geneva?

Sodium Carbonate: solutions cause some attack on aluminum, the rate varying directly with concentration and temperature.

suggest 5% solution, try one hour, change and repeat with flushing. Try a soccer ball inflation needle as it might fit into the holes in the plate and allow you to spray clean some part of the innards. Another item might be some glass beads that are too big to exit via the steam holes but can be shaken inside with some detergent to mechanically clean the innards, since you cannot use a brush.

With care you may be able to take it apart and access the tank and hot plate separately, thus giving you better access to clean it.

If the base plate lacks a non-stick coating I would put the base plate in a self cleaning oven and run it through a cleaning cycle. I find that this works well at oxidizing just about any kind of organic residue on aluminum without damaging it. Such as Holley carburetors for instance. Just don't let your wife find out.

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Nothing can be made fool proof because fools are so ingenious. Murphy's Law

If everything else fails, try TSP (Tri-sodium Phosphate) available in hardware stores. It really doesn't have phosphate in it, just the chemical equivalent.

"doen't have any phosphate" What?

trisodium phosphate is, well, trisodium phosphate.

Phosphates have been banned from cleaning products.

This is also incorrect. The industry is moving towards lower or no phosphorus detergents, but some detergents still contain phosphorus.

There are some places that ban them at a state/local level, but with a lot of exceptions. Even there, TSP is usually exempted. Here is an example:

http://members.aol.com/StatutesP5/35.Cp.5D.html

trisodium phosphate is a chemical name, and that is what TSP is.

Hi there,

I have been told to use a weak acid instead of a base, as the polymer (Glucose + Fructose) turned into a ketone due to heat.

It is quite likely there is a mixed bunch of stuff. Some will hydrolyze in acid and some in base solutions. I might be worth trying acid, then base, and then acid then base and assessing the situation after 3-4 30 minute heat cycles of that.

The rich exploit the poor and the poor strike back...irony :)

Why not take the iron apart? When I was a kid, I took an iron apart, put it back together too... I think it's still working, I'd have to ask my sweet gray haired mother, she may be still using it.

I digress, ... point is, I cleaned it and figured out what makes it work... I think i was 9 or so... long time ago.

Hey Labyguy!! When I was a kid, I took my mother's iron apart and fixed it, too. It's still in use today...it makes a great doorstop!

Hank

The dark brown syrup is caramel, a product of burnt sugar. Caramel is soluble in hot water so put the iron in hot water (about 90 centigrade) and the brown substance will dissolve.

Ezeugwu Augustine

he will get a mixture of slightly heated sugars as well as decomposed and re-linked sugars and char products. It might be well cemented to the hottest points as people who have burned sugar well know it will form a varnish that is quite insoluble

Here at the company I work for we have some ultrasound cleaning machines. I´m gonna take the iron apart, and place the hot plate into the machine adding some chemicals to the water. How about that?

...don´t worry I´ll let it dry before reassembling it again!

Careful with acids, heat, and ultrasonic cleaners. I clean SCUBA parts with a ultrasonic cleaner (USC) and very diluted acid used to clean boilers. I noticed that when I use straight water, I can USC for 10 minutes and the nickel plating is still undamaged, but parts are not too clean. With heat, a bit better, but still not clean. With acid, 5 minutes, no heat, some damage to nickel plating. With acid, heat (30*C) and 5 minutes, very very clean, but no nickel plating left either. With lower heat (23*C), 2 minutes, acid, it is perfect. So what I learned is that to start with low heat, low USC time, very mild acid and test the results as you can always increase any of the above, but can't take it back once you ruined it going for the gusto first try.

Try white vinegar soak for 24 hours, empty, fill with fresh water and GO.

"If everything else fails, try TSP (Tri-sodium Phosphate) available in hardware stores. It really doesn't have phosphate in it, just the chemical equivalent." I used some of this stuff when prepping my swimming pool for painting. TSP is the brand name, and it stands for "Totally Superior Product" or some nonsense like that. It doesn't contain Tri-Sodium Phosphate...

The first thing I would do is dismantle the ironing lady!

just chuck the iron mate and buy a 10 dollar one .....does the exact same job........lifes too short amigo..

EUREKA! IT WORKED!!!!!

Thank you a lot! I did exactly what you suggested: I dismantled the

ironing lady, and soaked her in Tri-sodium Phosphate.... (her family is not too happy)

The iron is now used as doorstop, as Aurizon and Labguy suggested; and (as life is too short) a new 10 bucks one will be in use from now on.

End of the story...

This is what actually happened: As there where almost as many supporters for the alkaline method as for the acid one... I went both!

I placed the dial in "medium" and started filling the tank over and over until water started coming out clean. It took a while, but it worked!

As we had a lot of fun guessing, why not going on with this weird discussion: what cuold I do with 1 bucket full of alkaline caramel and 1 of acid one?

By the way, the lady would like to know if anyone has a nice shirt to be ironed!

Thanks for the final result, it was fun to read.