What the others have said, just to add -
NEVER use anything abrasve to clean the tip. They are usually plated, the plating protects the copper inside the tip from very rapid corrosion. damp sponge to wipe the hot tip.
If you have any, a smear of heat sink compound (sometimes known as heat transfer paste) is good for speeding up heating, helping keep the bit attached and making it easier to remove when needed.
Repeating - have a stand. A light iron with a cable will try to go walkabout, you don't want the hot end to seek out anything that melts or singes, you really don't want to find the hot end unintentionally.