How To Clean Soldering Iron Tip Without Flux
To apply the tip cleaner first heat the soldering iron.
How to clean soldering iron tip without flux. In the first step organic solvents are used to remove flux residue. Yes solder can be used without flux. Wipe the iron on a damp sponge to remove the excess.
Once clean and shiny perform tinning and now your tool is ready to use. The flux in tip cleaner removes the oxidation and build up from the soldering iron tip and then the solder re-tins the tip ready for use. The best alternative to flux when soldering is petroleum jelly which is anti-corrosive and will not damage your material.
As solder wick can be bought with or without flux make sure to match flux type to your cleaning process. You can also use stainless steel pot scrubber as long as it is dry to prevent transmitting the heat. Melt some good quality of solder wire on the Tip.
Then heat the soldering iron nearly at 39 c. Now remove the tip and clean it with a moist sponge to remove the cleaner. Insert the Tip in Good Quality Tip Tinner.
Do not touch it with bare hands. This can be done with a damp sponge or non-abrasive tip cleaner. In the second step another fluid is used to rinse away the solvents leftovers.
If all else fails Soldering Iron tips do not last forever. Also use a wet sponge for better results. This step will coat the iron in a mixture of flux and solder.