First, put your irons into a bucket of warm water with the club face down. The water should be warm, not hot or cold. Feel free to add a little dishwashing liquid to the water. There should be enough water so that the head of club is submerged above the ferrules.

Let your irons soak for a few minutes. Then take them out one by one and—with the help of an old toothbrush—give the grooves a nice washing. Groove cleaning is one of the most important parts of the entire cleaning process because these grooves provide you the desired result when they impact the ball.

After cleaning the grooves, run the toothbrush over the sole of the club and remove all the debris and the dirt. Then rinse the heads with clean water (a garden hose will work fine for this). Next, wipe and dry the club heads using a clean cloth. Make sure they are completely dry. Run the cloth up and down the shaft to make sure it is fully dry. Never put your golf irons back into the bag if they are the least bit wet.

Remember that wire bristle brushes should never be used to clean your golf irons because the wire bristles can cause damage. If you have stubborn marks from the mat, golf balls or grass stains, you can also try a good golf club cleaner (found in most golf pro shops).

Another method for cleaning your golf irons is similar to cleaning your club grips. Many golfers take their golf irons to the sink and fill it with sudsy water and clean them. Though dishwashing soap is an effective way of cleaning your clubs, there are a few things you should watch out for. When using dishwashing liquid, make sure to remove all the soap and to dry your clubs completely. If you don’t, it can lead to rust. Another important consideration is to avoid getting soapy water underneath your grips. With golf irons it is very important to keep them very dry as well as clean.

If you have completely neglected your clubs for months and feel like you can never get them clean yourself, you can always have them cleaned professionally. It will end up costing you some cash but your clubs often come home looking almost brand new.