Water In Your Iron or A Spray Bottle
 

I read an article on Craftsy about tips to help in quilting. One of the items said never put water in your iron, but just spritz the fabric with a spray bottle. I use starch before cutting so that gets spritzed. When I pull out fabric for a project and it is wrinkled I use my steam feature to make the cloth as smooth as I can get it. I cannot imagine using a dry iron all the time, particularly when steam is so useful. I'd love to know what other folks think of this, but until then I will continue to use the steam feature. Seems like no matter how old I get or how long I quilt there is always something new to be learned.

:thumbup:Water in my iron and a water spray bottle to use for added steam. I often prefer steam. I consider other people's suggestions and then make my own decisions as to what I prefer, like prewash or never prewash fabric; washable glue for basting, etc.

Spray bottle only for me. In my experience, all irons spit hot water and dirt eventually, and I'm tired of it.

Spray bottle, the only reason I say is, because I was watching the quilt show and Ricky Tims said it is better to have a spray bottle with water because over time the water can mess up your iron.

in my cheap wallyworld irons, i put the water in the iron, for my expensive cordless iron, i use the spray bottle. and i have my starch in a spray bottle, too.

Like justabit crazy, I use a spray bottle because all my irons eventually leak dirty water and stain my fabric.

I put water in my iron and use the steam feature when needed.

Spray bottle. because iron spits out dark stains after a while.

I put water in both cheap and expensive irons. Use the type water it was designed/manufactured to use...distilled or tap depending on manufacturer's directions. Some manufacturer's make models for both water types (Rowenta, for example). Following this practice I've never had an iron spit at me or at my fabrics with either clean or dirty water (except for when I overfill by mistake).

Spray bottle for me because the bottle holds more water than the iron. It also saves me from having to empty the iron after I'm done (I can't leave water in it because the cats might knock it over while they are playing).

I use a spray bottle when steam is necessary. I hate sputtering irons and they seem to last longer when you don't use the steam feature

I have a $29 no-steam iron which has no holes in it - flat, shiny bottom. Works great, piece of cake to clean, no potential rust or mineral buildups inside the iron, no crud in the holes from starch or glue or dust or whatever.

I use a spray bottle of water with a fine mist as needed. But I very infrequently dampen pieces - I generally use a light starch or water spray to kill the bad mid-width creases and I try to work with the fabric as opposed to against it. Heat does the trick, not steam, for me.

But don't cal the quilt police as I don't pre-wash!:mad:

Pretty much the same here also.

I pre washed some fabric the other day and was in a hurry. Didn't let it dry all the way just a few minutes in the dryer so I pulled them out while still damp and they ironed up really nice. I just placed them on my cutting table and they were pieces of yardage. Didn't really fold them but let them finish loose fold, (if that makes sense). They took on a whole different effect when I did fold to put on the comic boards. like no actual crease. Just might continue to do that if STML doesn't kick in.

I'M WITH QUILTINNAN. I JUST GOT A $6 iron at Walmart. it will last me 5-6 years, and I put water in it. when it starts to give me a problem, I get a new $6 iron form Walmart again. works for me.

Only use spray bottle, never did find an iron that didn't eventually spit/drip.

I stopped putting water in the iron, because this brand said to empty it after each use. I'm lazy so the started using a bottle about two or three years ago.

I would say 99% of the time it is a spray bottle. Can't remember the last time I put water in my iron, but, I know I have done that. So far it doesn't spit, but, I have to remember to empty it. If I spray and let it set a few minutes it does better.

I put water in my Rowenta iron, but I think there is a really good case for the spray bottle. Just habit to fill the iron for me, and my Rowenta puts out TONS of steam, so I really like it.

I have a rowenta and oliso, both leak. Conclusion irons leak. I still ad water but sometimes it can be a headache if it leaks. My rowenta likes to choose when it leaks, sometimes it does not. I got an oliso just for stean to use my rowenta as a dry iron since the heat of it can't be beat and it heats up super fast way faster than the oliso even in auto shutoff it heats super fast. Oliso brand new leaked so what is a girl to do. It leaks less than my rowenta so it will be my steam iron

Well I am going to stop putting water in my Oliso, which I love as it seems the majority uses a spray bottle. Excellent discussion my friends, thank you so very much for sharing your experience.

I once heard Alex Anderson talk about "incontinent irons," and how irons get that way as they age. I absolutely laughed out loud, but I understood what she meant. Since that time, I have only used spray bottles.

Pam

Spray bottle for me...BUT...only because I've dropped my iron so many times it leaks like crazy...won't hold water. I need a new one....just haven't gotten around to it!!

Amen! Do whatever works for you! froggyintexas

I would never put water in my steam iron. I much prefer the spray bottle.

I have one of these irons, too. Got it from Amazon. And it doesn't have an auto-shutoff, which I like. I have one bottle of Best Press which is diluted 50/50 with water and one bottle which is full strength. I put a dab of nail polish on the diluted bottle so I can tell at a glance which is which. If I just need to take the wrinkles out of a piece of fabric, I use the diluted -- spray well, get up and get a glass of iced tea to give it time to soak into the fabric, then press. If I need a crisp seam or want to stabilize the edges, I use the full strength. In my 50+ years of sewing / quilting, I've never had a steam iron that didn't eventually spit out gunk. even if I used purified or distilled water. If I ever wanted to get another steam iron, I'd probably spring for the Reliable iron.

And I don't prewash fabrics, either, unless I'm doing an exchange of some kind where prewashing is in requirements.

I starch my fabrics before working with them, and use a spray bottle with water.

I use filtered water in my iron and regular water in my spray bottle. I use whichever one works at the time for me. I tend to go thru irons a lot though. I read online to clean out your iron with vinegar and water. NOT!!!!! Loved that old iron too. Worked for about 10 minutes after using the vinegar and water and then it quit so won't do that again. The iron I have now is supposed to not drip but I find it does just the same. I have one of those expensive steam irons but don't care for it so its collecting dust on a rack above my ironing board in case the present iron goes on the fritz I'll have something to work with until I get another one.

I dropped my new expensive iron on the floor and now it leaks. :( So no steam for that one. I told myself when I bought it I shouldn't as I'm terribly hard on irons. I'll buy one at Walmart and not feel bad when I break it.

My iron is spitting out brown spots despite multiple cleanings. So, lesson learned. No more water in the iron for me!

Spray bottle and dry iron for me. I don't like the mess of water in the iron and I don't have to worry about burning myself as readily with a dry iron.

I use nursery water on my irons.....no calcium build up.....needless to say, I use steam. I read, but haven't tried yet, that putting vinegar in iron will clean it...just like in coffee pots? Has anyone tried that..

I use the steam feature, but I may need to change to using a spray bottle. My Rowenta steams perfectly fine, but maybe too well....

The steam goes through the bottom of my ironing board and I get water drips/ spots on the floor. It actually goes through the metal and sometimes it's rusty loking from the bottom of the ironing board... It's so weird and for weeks I thought my kids had dripped something onto the floor.

I'm with you.

Water in my $6 WalMart iron because I want the fabric immediately steamed, not wet and then heated. It makes a major difference...sort of like boiling vs steaming veggies. LOL

I've never had an iron spit or leave stains on anything and I've been ironing all sorts of stuff (even my sister's hair way back when that was the cool thing to do) for over half a century. I was taught in 7th grade Home Ec. to empty the water out of the iron when I was finished using it, so that may be why they don't spit for me...or maybe it's that they've all used nothing but cold, fresh well water. :)

I'm curious though...did Craftsy give a reason WHY you should 'never' put water in your iron? There are so very few 'nevers' in quilting and most of them relate to sharp tools and avoiding bodily injury. ;)

Water in my iron & my Rowenta gives extra shot of steam for stubborn wrinkles.

I spritz.....
1) it eliminates the possibility of nasty sputter that can mark the fabric

2) more importantly -- i got tired of steam bursts that burned my left hand while holding small pieces to press.

This happened to me too. I blamed my poor little dog at first since I could not find another explanation for the liquid on the floor.

Spray bottle for me for the same reason, sputtering irons.