My iron (Rowenta) spits out rust colored water. Why would it do this? Is this why some people use distilled water, or is this because I keep water in the iron at all times?

I had two rowentas and hated them both. I now have a cheap iron ($20) from Walmart that works fine. Steams well and no spitting of water.

Some Rowentas require distilled, some require tap. If you still have the booklet you may want to check or possibly you can check online. Mine never spits rust colored water and I leave tap water in it all the time. Worst I get is white flakes when it needs a good cleaning.

sounds to me like your in a hard water area or you have lots of iron or sediment in your water. Run some vinegar water through your iron to clean it and then use distilled after that till it runs clear. This can happen with any iron or coffee maker. Don't leave the unused water sitting now that you know! It's happened to me also. Bummer isn't it!

I buy cheap irons and I rarely put water in them anymore. I'd rather spray water onto the fabric and then iron it (just like my Grandma did, she taught me how to iron). But if I do put water in, I use distilled and then dump it out when I'm done.

i have several irons, my favorite is a travel iron. I use it dry with a spray bottle of water. Works great!

Yes, I have always used distilled water in my Rowenta & it still works fine after 13 yrs.

I happened across something on TV once and the guy speaking was the guru of some iron company. Anyway, he said if you want any iron to work well for many years, then always use distilled water-period. We have extremely hard water here, and despite having a water softener, I always use distilled. It will eliminate sediment and rust both.

Thank you for your responses! I appreciate it!

Had 2 rowentas, they weren't worth the powder to blow them up. Now I buy my irons at garage sales. The older heavier, hotter ones that don't shut themselves off after 3 minutes...grrrr. Our Moms and Grandma's really knew something about ironing stuff the right way.

I love my Rowenta. I use half distilled and half spring water. My Rowenta is over 5 years old and I've never had a problem with it.

The main reason for using distilled water is the varying mineral content of local water supplies. Be they city or well, they're going to have some sort of minerals and that's what builds up and causes the rusty or white or whatever flakes and sputters no matter what kind of iron you have.

I don't use the spray part of any iron, too many bad experiences with blotches of rust and water. You can use the water from a dehumidifier for distilled water. I used to. My DD sews custom window treatments and uses a spray bottle of water and the iron, can't take a chance with expensive fabric that belongs to others, she says. I have old and thin cotton dish towels I either moisten or spray with water for pressing and steaming fabrics I don't want to touch with the iron.

Carol J.

I have a iron from walmart. We have really hard water. I use distilled in my iron, for coffee, sugar free jello and for my dogs drinking water. All other bottled water is hard water except for distilled. Distilled tastes much better. We have a water softener but that water is to salty to drink and doesn't work in sugar free jello either.

Very helpful info! I'm in SW FL and have tried using tap water and distilled water and still seem to get the white crusties and the rust colored water. Go figure! Maybe I will try the spray bottle and dry iron.

Remember ... if you do use vinegar to clean out your iron ... Do it outside or your house will smell like one powerful salad!

ali

do half tap half distilled water

I have had my Rowenta for over 15 years and still love it. I use regular water and I have only had to clean it once.

I have used Rowenta irons for years - get them at the Goodwill. They are like brand new and cheap.

We have a water purifier on our faucet and never have trouble....

Good luck!

I am using the same Rowenta iron that I have had for over 15 years. We have hard water and leave tap water in all the time... no rust or spitting. Wonder if it just that iron?

Love your opinion. Too funny. :D I've been thinking of getting a new iron and so glad this question came up. So more expensive isn't always better. I do get a little ticked when I'm ready to press again and it's shut itself off. Grrrrr is what I say too.

distilled water is BAD for the human body...it tends to leach the minerals & vitamins out of your body! Best to use regular bottled water. Same with your iron...

From what I understand the distilled water doesn't have enough particles of things besides water in it to make good steam. (That is a very unscientific way of explaining it.) The Rowenta's I've had say to use regular tap water. I suppose if your water is too loaded with stuff, you could dilute it with distilled water. Rowenta, and I suppose most irons, recommends emptying them for storage. I follow the Rowenta directions and give mine a good cleaning every so often to avoid mineral buildup in the iron.

Did your grandma have one of those things with holes in the top that fit on a bottle and you 'sprinkled' your clothes with it? Yep! I'm old!

I, like others here, don't like Rowentas. I had an issue with my steam generator spitting badly and staining the fabric. I used tap water exactly as required. When I contacted the company, the reply I got was that if I used my iron every day I wouldn't have a problem. HUH?!?!? Now I have a Shark and love it. I use my dehumidifier water, doesn't cost me anything and is free of anything that would cause clogging or staining. This is the same as distilled water.

Google "customer reviews of Rowenta irons" for an eyefull of complaints about this very problem. It's very widespread.

I finally gave up on mine and bought a $20 "happy" iron at walmart. When that breaks down or falls off the ironing board, I can just go buy another one without heartache.

Jan in VA

I always followed the directions for my Rowenta (I have had 3 or 4) and find that after about 4 years they all start to spit and sputter rusty water. I loved my Rowenta iron, but they just got too expensive to replace that often. I think now, they have one that has a plastic resivour and probably it would not rust. Now, I have a mid-grade Sunbeam that I love.

Yes was happy to find old heavy HOT irons that don't turn off every other minute too!

And oh yes, I remember the sprinkler bottle with holes my mother used to use. She would sprinkle the clothes and roll them and store in the refrigerator until ironing day.

If you wanna check to see if its your water causing the problem, check your shower head, take it off & see if it needs cleaned out, alot of people never clean thier shower heads and the sediment build up over time prevents water flow from the shower head. Same with your sinks. Amazing how fast it can build up!

Rowentas say to use tap water. Could be something in your water causing the 'rust'. I've had (have) Rowenta irons and always use tap wtr...they do fine. Where I live now we have a lot of calcium in the water, I contacted Rowenta and they said I could use Spring water that u buy at the store in jugs... I would suggest try cleaning your iron with vinegar/water, slush it around, pour out - redo and turn on your iron and set it on a wire mat in the sink, have the steam on, and let'er rip. If you have the spray feature, do it several times as it's steaming, this cleans that little valve too. These are things I've done with all my irons and have yet to 'lose' one.. Good luck.

And oh yes, I remember the sprinkler bottle with holes my mother used to use. She would sprinkle the clothes and roll them and store in the refrigerator until ironing day.[/quote}

My mom did the same our fruit bins in the fridge didnt have fruit they had rolled clothes in them! LOL That was before premanent press fabric came on the market! Hard to find those sprinkler tops ours was on an old Coke bottle!

My mother had one of those. Looked like a painted catchup bottle with holes in the cap. She used to sprinkle the clothes, roll them up and then put them in the refrigerator. When she was ready to iron them she would just take them out. I'm not sure if she did the refrigerator thing all the time but I do remember her doing that.

Where you you get distilled water? Years ago they sold a plastic bottle with a filter on it, in the laundry section of the store. You put tap water in it and squeezed it through the filter directly into your iron.

I never use water in my iron because of this. I use a spray bottle with water and a dry iron. I actually like the results better too!

I never use water in my iron because of this. I use a spray bottle with water and a dry iron. I actually like the results better too!

Yes, she did. And she would sprinkle her clothes, roll them up and put them in a plastic bag overnight and iron them the next day. I guess that helped them be evenly moist for ironing.

I had two of them too, and hated them too. Never will I buy another one. Got one from Wal-Mart and love it.

Another Floridian here with extrememly hard well water with lots of minerals and rust in it. My iron stays dry all the time and I even have to use distilled water in my spray bottle or I'll get rust spots!

Guess I'm old also then. I have been trying to find some of those to purchase!!

I have a Rowenta and I use Ozarka spring water. It does spit - but clear.

[quote=Morningcoffeegal]And oh yes, I remember the sprinkler bottle with holes my mother used to use. She would sprinkle the clothes and roll them and store in the refrigerator until ironing day.[/quote}

I brought my mother's home with me and the TSA people almost tokk it from me - they had no idea what it was. Thankfully there was one older TSA worker who recognized it.