I've been abusing my iron for months now. Too many accidents with fusible interfacing have added a burnt coating to the face and made it unwilling to glide on fabric. Last Fall I picked up a Rowenta iron soleplate cleaning kit at Joanne's in NY....and this weekend I finally broke down and gave it a whirl.
In short, it is awesome! I took some quick before and after snaps....
Because the crud was so thick in places and definitely very cooked on, it took several applications to get it all off. I would guess about half of the tube was used all together, but the end result is that my iron looks practically brand new. A minor miracle, IMHO. While seemingly pricey ($12 or so?), the kit is a fraction of the cost of a new iron.....and I think that if I just take a few minutes to clean off any future residue more promptly, it will be a fast fix - and use much less of the cleaning compound.
Hip Hip Horray for the Rowenta Soleplate Cleaning Kit!