Soapy water – if your iron only needs a light clean, you can scrub it with a sponge dipped in soapy water. Don’t use wire wool – it’ll damage the plate.
Toothpaste – if the soleplate is still not clean after the soapy water treatment, you could try using toothpaste. Once the iron has dried, get a small blob of toothpaste and rub it all over the surface of the plate, using an old rag or tea towel. Clean the toothpaste away with a damp sponge or cloth.
Vinegar – you can use vinegar to get more stubborn marks or sticky residue off an iron. Lay down newspaper before you begin, because vinegar can damage stone or wooden surfaces. Here are the steps for how to clean an iron soleplate with vinegar:
Distilled water – if your iron’s manufacturer advises against vinegar, you can just fill the reservoir with distilled water. Turn it to medium heat and let it steam itself almost dry, without taking the step of using vinegar first.
To help prevent limescale, always empty the water reservoir before you put your iron away.