I use distilled but once in awhile I splash in a little tap water just because one of my manuals said to go back and forth if you have hard water. We have VERY hard water. Also, I read not to use water from a water softener. Think it's because of the salt in it.

I use half tap and half distilled in my irons. I've had my Rowenta for about 6 years without a problem. I have heard if you have a water softner you shouldn't use that water in your iron.

I am lazy and do not empty my iron. But I am supposed to empty it.

I have recently found out why. Although I have ALWAYS used distilled water and do clean it, I never emptied it every day because I use it every day of my life and thought it was a pain. Then- it just stopped steaming...I super cleaned it- soaked with iron cleaner, and with vinegar as recommended. I shook it and rinsed it and you would have thought I was mining! The huge blobs of build-up was unbelievable!I had to take pieces out with tweezers. I kept rinsing it with water, but it was black and so much sediment, I had a new Oliso in the cupboard I took out and will now empty it every night.

Now this makes sense the sediment in the water settles and stays in the iron. Okay I'm sold.
Thanks petpainter

I have a Bosch iron- I've never emptied it, except by using it. I use half tap, half distilled.

I've always been very loyal to my irons and emptied the water while the iron was hot, pushed the steam tab to high and let it steam out. Altho I was so faithful, they lost their ability to steam, shot out hunks of lime, etc. Then I bought a $6 from Walmart, never emptied the water and it steams, gets hotter than my good iron. I will never buy an expensive iron again. If my Walmart keeps up the good work, I may never have to buy an iron again.
Rita

Oliso iron, I think I don't have my iron set right, it doesn't seem to be a hot has other irons that I have had.

Is there a special setting to make it hotter.

I love the iron other than that, but I too, don't empty the water out of it. I use it almost every day while I am working on quilting pieces.

I have never emptied the water out of my iron(s). To be perfectly honest, I don't know how!

Why would there be sediment in distilled water? Is it possible that the build-up was coming from something else, maybe some part of the iron that had deteriorated? (Just guessing, and hoping that my failure to empty out the water won't ruin my iron.)