Quilt in a Day Forums

The directions that come with my irons have always said to NOT use distilled water. Tap only. I wonder if white vinegar would clean the inside of the tank. It works on the coffeemaker. But I've never tried it. Also, if I'm going to leave the iron for more a day or two without using it, I empty the tank and leave the lid to the opening open for air.

Thank your everyone for teaching, I've learnt great deal..

I paid $130.00 for an Oliso iron. It lasted only 13 months, dying a month after the 1 year warranty expired. I was furious! An iron that expensive should last more than a year. I ended up buying a cheaper iron made by Singer and it works great with just tap water. I use it daily, but like the others said, if you don't use it enough it can rust. I've had all my irons spit out dirty water and it's infuriating!! You don't always get what you pay for. I would imagine the vinegar would work since the heating elements in an iron are similar to a coffeepot, but I've never tried it.

I can recommend a great iron cleaner that actually comes in reusable sheets. I bought it at our sewing expo a couple of years ago. I don't know the name of it offhand, but it works great. You can also buy an iron cleaner at Bed, Bath & Beyond. You squeeze it onto an old towel and run your iron over it.

rene

I do not use distilled water or tap. Our tap water is treated. Bought a new iron a few years ago and it recommended using drinking waterI've had no problems since. I love my Toyota cordless for quilting. Hope this helps..

How quickly clean for steam iron: In my opinion, The best way to cleaning the steam iron is with a mixture of vinegar and baking soda, which should be applied with a nice, clean cloth.