Irons
 

I found an iron at the thrift store the other day that works great. It's a Proctor Silex and looks brand new.
Today I went back to the thrift store and they had a Rowenta for 12.00. I'm in iron heaven.

Lucky you! My local thrift store rarely (if ever) has anything I can use for quilting. Even the large cotton shirts for men seem too expensive for what you get.

There is a reason that Rowenta was at the thrift store! LOL. They leak like crazy. Hope you didnt pay much.

I bought my first Rowenta last month. I don't plan on putting water in it, I use Mary Ellen's best press on all my fabric so I don't need steam. I like the iron very much, it's the first iron I've ever had that gets as hot as I need it. With previous brands, it took f-o-r-e-v-e-r to get the starch to dry.

I'm told if you use distilled water in a Rowenta iron you don't need to worry about it leaking. If an iron begins to leak, any brand, it's a sign there is mineral build up inside and it's time to use vinegar/water to clean out the minerals.

In the past, I've always used tap water in my irons (several different brands), and they all started leaking eventually. After a vinegar/water treatment they stopped leaking. It's not the iron's fault it leaks, it simply needs cleaning inside.

I have a tutorial on my blog explaining how to use vinegar in an iron (or coffee pot, etc.). It's easy enough to find, look at the right column and click on the label called "how to". Then scroll to the bottom of the page.

I bought a Rowenta at the thrift store for 6 dollars. Yes it leaks so only use it dry. It dosnt get hot enough for me.

Great finds!!!!

I have purchased 3 Rowentas and like them all. One from a garage sale for $1, which my DH had to polish the sole plate and two from estate sales for $5 each. I don't use steam and they heat up so quick and stay hot longer it seems to me.

There was another post here about a week or so ago, saying that the DRY iron at Vermont Country Store was a great iron.
Well, I should get that iron BECAUSE I use the same watering can to water my plants and fill my iron. There was a little of the water left in the container and I didn't empty it out. So when I needed water in my iron, I poured the water into the iron. Well, something smelled a little fishy even though I had not cooked any fish. Then I remembered the African violet liquid fertilizer was put into the iron and was now smelling up my clean shirt.
The ladies on the board said that the steam can distort the blocks. I have been pressing my blocks without steam and it is working out. I have a Rowenta and it only sometimes leaks. I has worked well for me.

I had a Rowenta for 10 years, used water in it and it never spit. Got rid of it when it set off the smoke detectors. I got a Black & Decker at Target -- can't use steam in it because it spits. I like steam to iron my jeans, but oh well.

The thrift stores around here rarely have anything of use -- too many quilters I think.