myths about irons from Nancy Zieman
 

I found this very interesting. I'm not suggesting anyone change what they are doing - and I don't have a Brita or water on the frig door - but I think this explains some of our issues

http://www.nancyzieman.com/blog/quil...ing-iron-water

It would be helpful if the directions that came with an iron SAID this in so many words!

Notice she did say that it also depends on where you live. In Norfolk we have some of the safest water around, proven fact. I always use tap water and never have any problems. I don't buy really expensive irons because I've heard horror stories about them leaking, etc. I don't want to spend that much money on one and have it leak all over the place even though I love the though of the Olisio where it raises itself back up off the ironning board. My irons last for many years and the only criteria is that they have auto shut off and not a high price tag.

The water in Norfolk is the one thing that I do like about it getting colder during the winter. I can go in and turn the tap on and have ice cold glass of water to drink, no ice

Very interesting. I have been using tap water with the small Brita filter water bottle. Haven't got a new filter for quite a while. Guess I will need to buy one. Thanks for this information.

The Reliable Velocity stated that. They also had a filter you had to change. Once you changed the filter, you could see what was in your tap water.

I have what's called a SIP faucet. It's filtered. Lots nicer than a Brita filter hanging off the faucet, or a Brita pitcher.

I prefer it for baking along with drinking use.

I use water straight from the fridge door (yes it is filtered) and it still clogs up my irons....

I have found it is easiest to just use a dry iron with no water. If I need steam or moisture I have a spray mist bottle. I spritz then press with a dry hot iron. Works great and my irons last a really long time and I never ever have spits, dribbles or leaks.

I also go with a dry iron. Just have had too many issues in the past with steam irons. Spray bottle on the side works great for me.

In my mothers day, when the ironing was finished she emptied the reservoir. I think this is why her iron lasted 20+ years and a few more with me.

Many irons have plastic reservoir now so I'd think it isn't useful to drain, but many irons with auto shut off, don't actually shut off. They rest at quick-reheat setting and overnight can drain the reservoir, I guess via evaporation. so the water is still going through the system

Wonderful tips and I discovered I have been doing it right for years.

Same here. I ONLY use a dry iron now. I was taught by a tailor to never, ever use water (tap, filtered, spring, or any kind) in an iron. Water causes the insides to corrode. Metal parts + water = rust. I love my dry iron even if it is heavier than my previous steam irons.

Why thank you very much for posting this info. Will do!

Thank you for the post. I love the way each of the alternatives is presented, because the options are fact-based and make sense. I'm going to get a Brita pitcher ASAP.

And I was told never to use anything but 'distilled' water in my steam iron. Actually it was on the informational booklet in the box of the Proctor Silex iron I purchased in 1967. I'm still using that iron, it still works. It has never gunked up on me in nearly 50 years and I love the heft of it. Of course they will tell you to use tap water, you get to buy a new iron every couple of years. Oh, it doesn't look good, but then it has pressed thousands of seam, hems, etc and helped in many crafts. Paint is pretty much worn off on the handle. And the cord is electrical tape for a couple of feet but I love it. I may take it to the grave with me. LOL

Thank you for the site. I provides much information that will be helpful.

Good article. Enjoyed reading it. But then, I enjoyed even more reading all these comments below.

Wow, you learn something new everyday. Being military and constantly moving, my mom always bought the water for the iron. It was kept with the ironing stuff and you did not use it for anything else. I thought that is what everybody did.
The one truth I know about ironing. You can spend a lot of money on an iron, but when you drop it, it will break just like a cheap iron.

i looked at the pitchers - and saw a Brita water bottle. One filter will do 300 bottles. I think that is the way I am going to go

and of course try not to drop the iron!!

The author didn't reference rust. She said a lot of irons are made of "non corrosive" materials. I wonder if older irons have metal that will rust. I've not had rust from my irons, just sputtering.

I've been using distilled water and both my irons work fine. Now watch Murphy's Law come into effect and I'll go in there to quilt today and it will be spitting rust at me.

***
*** Just like Paul Harvey - Now we know the rest of the story.
***

Yeah for Nancy on the knowledge on irons. I ruined my last iron when I read to use vinegar to clean out int innards. That lasted about 30 minutes after doing that task. Next iron I've been using the filtered drinking water from upstairs to fill my iron but have been lacking in emptying it when done so now it dribbles but will try Nancy's idea about filling it up, heating it and then pressing on the steam button while turning it off and on over the sink. Haven't used the steam portion since it started dribbling.

What's so funny is my iron needs the water from upstairs and my house plants needs the water from downstairs as its not on the water softner which has killed off most of my house plants in the last couple of years. Since changing my watering habits I've kept them for a longer period of time. I keep a couple gallon jugs at the top of the basement stairs for my plants upstairs and a gallon jug of filtered water down near the ironing station. Glad I'm partially doing something right for a change.

I exactly like her. With the same results.

After having my water tested I was advised to use 1/2 distilled with 1/2 tap water. Been doing that for years and don't have any problems with my irons. Depends on the area you live in though

Thanks, I just put spring water on the grocery list --- I will now cross it off.

Good article & advice from everyone. Thank you

If manufacturers get too complicated and/or demanding in their instructions (and it doesn't take much for the average consumer to think "this is too complicated!") customers will shy away from the product. The old sewing machines that needed to be oiled were a case in point. The schematic in the user's manual gave critical oiling points, but not all of them. The reasoning was that too many oiling points would be viewed as an annoyance. (Singer repairmen made house calls in those days anyway. Can you imagine? House calls?)

I suspect the same is true with iron manufacturers; if they give the customer too many hoops to jump through, s/he will go elsewhere. Besides, if your iron clogs up, you have to buy another one. The manufacturer is gambling that you'll have brand loyalty.

Good information. Thank you for sharing.

I'm with Needles; I only use distilled water and empty after using, if it won't be used for awhile. I've had a Black & Decker Digital Advantage for about 10 years.

Alyce, my iron and I will be forever grateful to you for posting this useful link!

Thanks so much for this information. I have done nothing but fight with my iron for the last few months. I drool over MSQC tutes with that Oliso....but.....$$$. I now have a new iron (from Sears) sitting on the ironing board and water in my Brita. Maybe I'll get something done today.

Great info and I plan to share in my Guild newsletter. We live in Midwest with very "hard" water--for those of you that don't live with this type of water---the mineral build-up is incredible. I used to use distilled water--what I grew up doing. But more recent irons (I always buy cheap due to our water hardness)say to use tap water. So I'll now use filtered water---I will say that with out "hard" water, I do occasionally use vinegar to flush out the sediments. I aways follow that up with a water flush--but will need rethink that too.

Thanks for the solid information. It opened my eyes to new possibilities. :thumbup:

I was at the Houston quilt show yesterday and asked the
Oliso lady .. She agreed that filtered water is the best. She said that she can't endorse products but when I asked her if Brita was OK she said definitely.

We have pretty hard water here too - this is a good post though, I've always used distilled water, that's what my Gran told me to do. Filtered water is even easier, we have a 'fridge with water in the door.

My iron is mostly plastic except for the sole plate; it's a cordless so all the heating elements are in the base and not in the iron itself so I am not sure if metal corrosion is a worry with mine at all. The tank is definitely all plastic, it's translucent. I don't actually know what my manual said as far as what water to put into it...I didn't read the manual at all, I figured I knew what I was doing! Who knows where it is now, probably got recycled.

Interesting..Thanks for sharing...