Am I a moron or do my irons not work (dripping water)?

[mrsfran]

I don't do a lot of ironing, but I need to do more. I own two steam irons - one 8 years old, the other 1 year old - and both just leak water all over the place. I put the suggested amount of water in, plug them in, stand them up and they just leak water out of the bottom. Am I doing it wrong?

 

[Pickman's model]

quite possibly

 

[farmerbarleymow]

They shouldn't wet themselves like that, but it would seem unlikely that both were damaged in the same way. Mine dribbles sometimes, especially when I fill it while it's at full temperature, but only when it's horizontal.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

(((incontinent irons)))

 

[19sixtysix]

Are they lime scaled up and the valves to release water do not close fully?

 

[trabuquera]

some models have a tiny slide-shut door for the water compartment - like a sliding blind - which needs closing before use. (sorry if this is embarrassingly obvious). Or yes, if they're all scaled up the steam is not venting out properly, that can make them leak.

 

[Citizen66]

If they're scaled up you're using the wrong water in them.

 

[Citizen66]

Then again a quick google suggests distilled water can make irons spit and leak.

#cantwin

 

[farmerbarleymow]

If they're scaled up you're using the wrong water in them.

I just use tap water and my iron doesn't wet itself.

 

[Citizen66]

I just use tap water and my iron doesn't wet itself.

I suspect you live somewhere that has posh water.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I suspect you live somewhere that has posh water.

No, just normal water.

 

[billy_bob]

I suspect you live somewhere that has posh water.

That's possibly the meanest thing anyone's ever said to anyone else on Urban.

 

[Shirl]

I don't do a lot of ironing, but I need to do more. I own two steam irons - one 8 years old, the other 1 year old - and both just leak water all over the place. I put the suggested amount of water in, plug them in, stand them up and they just leak water out of the bottom. Am I doing it wrong?

I have suffered from leaky steam irons all my life

 

[Shirl]

We have soft water here in the pennines

 

[Citizen66]

That's possibly the meanest thing anyone's ever said to anyone else on Urban.

Not sure if you're being serious there but me and fb are originally from about three miles away from each other - a place that has really nice tap water if fuck all else going for it.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Not sure if you're being serious there but me and fb are originally from about three miles away from each other - a place that has really nice tap water if fuck all else going for it.

'Visit Teesside - lovely tap water, shame it's a fucking dump'

 

[farmerbarleymow]

I have suffered from leaky steam irons all my life

Should I pop over and teach you how to use an iron properly?

 

[Citizen66]

And London water famously hard and disgusting.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

And London water famously hard and disgusting.

It's basically recycled piss, after all.

 

[Throbbing Angel]

http://www.uksteamirons.co.uk/water-for-steam-irons

 

[Throbbing Angel]

It's basically recycled piss, after all.

Yum fucking Yum

 

[billy_bob]

'Visit Teesside - lovely tap water, shame it's a fucking dump'

If you lived in Grangetown, tap water that you could kill yourself with would be a distinct benefit.

 

[billy_bob]

Not sure if you're being serious there but me and fb are originally from about three miles away from each other - a place that has really nice tap water if fuck all else going for it.

Not being serious

 

[Epona]

And London water famously hard and disgusting.

Apparently it is good for our bones though!

The water where I am in East London is horrendous, even the cats' water bowls get scaled up after a few uses.

 

[kittyP]

I have suffered from leaky steam irons all my life

ME too.
I prety much never iron but whenever I do, they leak.

When I was a teenager my mum would pay me to do some of the ironing (not my clothes) and it always leaked,
She swore blind it never did when she used it.

Maybe there is a knack that us ironing refusers just don't have

 

[kittyP]

And London water famously hard and disgusting.

I think it is variable.

In our last house in Brixton the water was kind of medium.
It tasted average out the tap and the appliances and shower/toilet/taps/etc didn't scale up much.
In this place, still technically in Brixton but about a mile away, the water is the hardest I have ever come across in my life! It fucks everything!
I have to scour the toilet bowl to get rid of the lime scale build-up! Even though I use anti lime scale cleaner all the fucking time. Costs a fortune

 

[Epona]

ME too.
I prety much never iron but whenever I do, they leak.

When I was a teenager my mum would pay me to do some of the ironing (not my clothes) and it always leaked,
She swore blind it never did when she used it.

Maybe there is a knack that us ironing refusers just don't have

I've not ironed anything in nearly half a century, not about to start now - love me, love my wrinkles (skin and clothing)

 

[kittyP]

I've not ironed anything in nearly half a century, not about to start now - love me, love my wrinkles (skin and clothing)

Over the last ten years I have ironed the occasional work shirt of the Mr's.
Now I hang all of those types of clothes to dry on hangers after washing even shirts don't really need it.

My mum used to wince at me going out in linen trousers that were not ironed but any creases drop out while walking and you make new, worse ones every time you sit down so what's the point?

 

[Epona]

Over the last ten years I have ironed the occasional work shirt of the Mr's.
Now I hang all of those types of clothes to dry on hangers after washing even shirts don't really need it.

My mum used to wince at me going out in linen trousers that were not ironed but any creases drop out while walking and you make new, worse ones every time you sit down so what's the point?

Oh god yes, there is often a lot of creasing in the groin/hip area after sitting for a while in linen trousers!

Tip with shirts is don't use fabric conditioner - most cotton shirts, if dried on hangers, will not require ironing to look OK. Use fabric conditioner just once, and some shirts stop playing along with any 'no ironing' household policy!

 

[kittyP]

Oh god yes, there is often a lot of creasing in the groin/hip area after sitting for a while in linen trousers!

Tip with shirts is don't use fabric conditioner - most cotton shirts, if dried on hangers, will not require ironing to look OK. Use fabric conditioner just once, and some shirts stop playing along with any 'no ironing' household policy!

I do use fabric softener but our machine is shit so it only actually pulls it out the draw 3 washes out of 10

I didn't know that though.
Will try not using it when I am only washing shirts.