<p style="margin-bottom: 0in">The quickest and best way to clean a soldering iron tip is with a water dampened sponge. The high endsoldering stations have a small tray to hold this sponge but in a pinch I have used metal jar lids and a corner cut off a bathroom sponge. Two quick swipes with your hot soldering iron and its clean. I also like Rodney's idea of using a jig of some sort to hold it. It would save the fingers a bit.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in"></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in">Its a undeniable fact that electronic components are made out of smoke, because when it escapes, they stop working.</p>