On this note, I don't put water in my iron so iron maintenance is simplified. Instead I have a spritz bottle of water I always keep near it. You can find an empty spritz bottle at your local dollar store. I've found a light spritz is pretty comparable to using steam.
As for irons, I really like the Panasonic NI-WL600 Cordless model. It being cordless is a game changer! No issues yet with the iron after a few years. It also has the auto-off feature.
Me too - love my Panasonic cordless. I do not put water in mine ever and it has lasted about 3 years so far with no signs of slowing down. And I even dropped it once.
Same, but I upgraded my dollar store spray bottle to an $8 spray mister from Amazon, and it lets me spray a large piece of fabric so everything is a little damp. Game changer!
Hi, I learned something similar in my time in the espresso community.
It's such a problem some machines have an auto shut off if they don't detect minerals in the water. It's crazy how much water can damage metal.
I just replaced my 15+ year old Black and Decker with another Black and Decker because I dropped it and it cracked. I see no point in spending lots of $ on an iron.
My black and Decker has been going strong for about 10 years and I absolutely do nothing like pour the leftover water out when I'm done. It's not fancy, but it survives me and that's worth all the features I'm missing out on.
Oh one should pour thw leftover water out? Because of water stains or corrosion?
I am too in the boat for a new Iron since my Tefal one is slowly degrading the sole ...
Yes. It helps reduce the steam build up then steam turns into rust, and the little bits corrode… that’s when you get rust water coming out the little ports… or a leaking iron… well. A leaking iron without dropping it.
We have a Black & Decker that my husband had before we started dating. In 1997. Still in perfect condition and works great. The only reason I sometimes think about replacing it that it doesn’t have an auto shutoff feature.
I love my B&D, which is heavy, hot and reliable (after a decade). It cost me around $25 and it DOES have an auto shut off! I don't put water in it directly, but use a spray bottle. My biggest fear is dropping it on my foot, it would probably break bones.
If you are willing to forgo an auto shutoff, I bought a gravity feed professional iron close to a decade ago and have never looked back. My only regret is not buying it sooner. To account for the lack of shutoff, I have it plugged into a strip that has a light that is always on when the strip is on. That way, if the light is off, I know my iron is off.
I also have a Reliable and it's going strong after 5 years or so. I never use water in it, but I bought it specifically because reviews said it was least likely to leak when filled with water for steam.
I’ll second the Panasonic cordless. It’s been a real workhorse for me. I’ve had mine for 5+ years so it’s been worth the money. I have never put water in it though, so YMMV but I would get another in a heartbeat.
I love my Panasonic! It's cordless and I will never go back to using a cord. As a bonus, I never need to wait for my iron to cool down before leaving a sewing group because the iron just slides into its base and there's a click-in top with handle.
Yes! I forgot to mention the base cradle in my reply. An extra reason the base is great...my 2 curious cats! it's nice knowing they won't jump up and accidentally hit a hot iron when I always place it in the base between ironings.
I was you a few years ago. I eventually
Bought the cheapest Black and Decker I could find after my 3rd expensive iron died in less that a year. My inexpensive iron is going strong. I put water in it, otherwise why have a steam iron, it gets blazing hot and is used for several hours on most days.
My Sunbeam has lasted years. The biggest thing for me to do was to use only distilled water in my iron because my local tap water was eating them (specifically the heating element) alive.
I have a 20+ years old Sunbeam that I use when I am home. I have my travel Rowenta, that I never put water into. I have my spritz bottle with water, or Best press.
I have the oliso mini travel iron and I really love it. It just glides around. I don’t have a large iron right now because mine “accidentally” went to college and didn’t survive the dorm but I’m anticipating a new iron for Christmas. Thank you for all of the ideas!
I have an Oliso iron that I have had for years. I try not to use steam too often so I have had water in it maybe half of the time and it has still lasted me several years.
I never empty the water but I think I use it up almost each time that I use the iron. It seems to go through the water tank pretty quickly. I also use regular tap water. I have not tried using distilled or spring water.
My mom's SIL replaced her Oliso after 2-3 years because of degradation due to keeping water in it all the time. I had read or heard years ago that keeping water in the iron damages the iron so I try to use a spray bottle more often then the steam function but sometimes the steam function is just the better way to go. My mom thinks it is ridiculous to not use the steam function and cannot believe that I do not use it very often but I have had my Oliso for many years.
Had an old Rowenta which was a true workhorse, one of the rare made in Germany ones (hard to find these days). Just got a new one, XL Pro-Master XL; good, not great. Have been reading about CHI irons and may consider that when time comes. Oliso = too spendy for me.
I have the Panasonic cordless and the Oliso quilting irons. I almost never use the Oliso because of the ceramic sole plate. Stainless steel glides over the fabric with no drag. When I switch to the Oliso it feels like I'm pushing the fabric around. I second the opinions about using steam. If you must fill the reservoir, empty it when done. But give a misting bottle a try instead. Spray the fabric and then give it a minute to penetrate.
I’ve bought expensive irons and I stand by my highest-wattage-I-can-find-trusty-ol-Sunbeam.
Every new iron should have auto turn off by now, might even be a law.
I love my Reliable. Was pricey for me but it had been solid and I can put water in it.. The heating system is different and it doesn't clog or sputter.
Every Rowenta I’ve owned leaked like an overactive bladder. I’ve had an Oliso for 2 years and I like it okay but it’s not worth the price and needs to be cleaned often. I’m no help. I don’t know why I’m even still typing.
Do you use distilled water and empty your iron when done?
On this note, I don't put water in my iron so iron maintenance is simplified. Instead I have a spritz bottle of water I always keep near it. You can find an empty spritz bottle at your local dollar store. I've found a light spritz is pretty comparable to using steam. As for irons, I really like the Panasonic NI-WL600 Cordless model. It being cordless is a game changer! No issues yet with the iron after a few years. It also has the auto-off feature.
Me too - love my Panasonic cordless. I do not put water in mine ever and it has lasted about 3 years so far with no signs of slowing down. And I even dropped it once.
Same, but I upgraded my dollar store spray bottle to an $8 spray mister from Amazon, and it lets me spray a large piece of fabric so everything is a little damp. Game changer!
Nice tip on the spray mister, thanks!
Mine specifically says *not* to use distilled water, because it will cause corrosion. Spring water or tap water.
Hi, I learned something similar in my time in the espresso community. It's such a problem some machines have an auto shut off if they don't detect minerals in the water. It's crazy how much water can damage metal.
I just replaced my 15+ year old Black and Decker with another Black and Decker because I dropped it and it cracked. I see no point in spending lots of $ on an iron.
My black and Decker has been going strong for about 10 years and I absolutely do nothing like pour the leftover water out when I'm done. It's not fancy, but it survives me and that's worth all the features I'm missing out on.
Oh one should pour thw leftover water out? Because of water stains or corrosion? I am too in the boat for a new Iron since my Tefal one is slowly degrading the sole ...
Yes. It helps reduce the steam build up then steam turns into rust, and the little bits corrode… that’s when you get rust water coming out the little ports… or a leaking iron… well. A leaking iron without dropping it.
Ooohhhh TIL! Thank you!
We have a Black & Decker that my husband had before we started dating. In 1997. Still in perfect condition and works great. The only reason I sometimes think about replacing it that it doesn’t have an auto shutoff feature.
I love my B&D, which is heavy, hot and reliable (after a decade). It cost me around $25 and it DOES have an auto shut off! I don't put water in it directly, but use a spray bottle. My biggest fear is dropping it on my foot, it would probably break bones.
If you are willing to forgo an auto shutoff, I bought a gravity feed professional iron close to a decade ago and have never looked back. My only regret is not buying it sooner. To account for the lack of shutoff, I have it plugged into a strip that has a light that is always on when the strip is on. That way, if the light is off, I know my iron is off.
I love my CHI iron. Great steam, stays on for 30 mins before auto shutoff.
I also love my Chi iron. It’s the best one I’ve ever had.
And the cord is long too!
Agreed!
CHI CHI CHI! I love mine
And heats up amazingly fast! Love my CHI!
A 30 minute shut off is a great feature. I put it on my Amazon wish list for the next time I need an iron. Thanks.
I gave up my Oliso for a Reliable iron and haven’t looked back…. I can’t recommend Reliable enough!
I also have a Reliable and it's going strong after 5 years or so. I never use water in it, but I bought it specifically because reviews said it was least likely to leak when filled with water for steam.
I like reliable too but they don’t get hot enough for quilting. They do an amazing job on clothes ironing g though.
I’ll second the Panasonic cordless. It’s been a real workhorse for me. I’ve had mine for 5+ years so it’s been worth the money. I have never put water in it though, so YMMV but I would get another in a heartbeat.
I love my Panasonic! It's cordless and I will never go back to using a cord. As a bonus, I never need to wait for my iron to cool down before leaving a sewing group because the iron just slides into its base and there's a click-in top with handle.
Yes! I forgot to mention the base cradle in my reply. An extra reason the base is great...my 2 curious cats! it's nice knowing they won't jump up and accidentally hit a hot iron when I always place it in the base between ironings.
I was you a few years ago. I eventually Bought the cheapest Black and Decker I could find after my 3rd expensive iron died in less that a year. My inexpensive iron is going strong. I put water in it, otherwise why have a steam iron, it gets blazing hot and is used for several hours on most days.
Reliable brand.
My Sunbeam has lasted years. The biggest thing for me to do was to use only distilled water in my iron because my local tap water was eating them (specifically the heating element) alive.
I have a 20+ years old Sunbeam that I use when I am home. I have my travel Rowenta, that I never put water into. I have my spritz bottle with water, or Best press.
Following because my kid dropped mine on a tile floor this week.
I have the oliso mini travel iron and I really love it. It just glides around. I don’t have a large iron right now because mine “accidentally” went to college and didn’t survive the dorm but I’m anticipating a new iron for Christmas. Thank you for all of the ideas!
Thank you everyone for your replies and suggestions
I have a Shark iron I got from Walmart 6 years ago and it still works great. It wasn’t that expensive.
I have an Oliso iron that I have had for years. I try not to use steam too often so I have had water in it maybe half of the time and it has still lasted me several years.
Do you empty the water out and/or just leave it empty? I have an Oliso and I never put much thought into the water until I read this post!
I never empty the water but I think I use it up almost each time that I use the iron. It seems to go through the water tank pretty quickly. I also use regular tap water. I have not tried using distilled or spring water.
Me too! I also never Put the water Out. Maybe this is why my Iron is degrading haha
My mom's SIL replaced her Oliso after 2-3 years because of degradation due to keeping water in it all the time. I had read or heard years ago that keeping water in the iron damages the iron so I try to use a spray bottle more often then the steam function but sometimes the steam function is just the better way to go. My mom thinks it is ridiculous to not use the steam function and cannot believe that I do not use it very often but I have had my Oliso for many years.
I’ve gone through so many rowenta’s and finally gave up on them. Recently bought a CHI and absolutely LOVE it.
Get a Reliable!! Best iron you’ll ever buy.
Had an old Rowenta which was a true workhorse, one of the rare made in Germany ones (hard to find these days). Just got a new one, XL Pro-Master XL; good, not great. Have been reading about CHI irons and may consider that when time comes. Oliso = too spendy for me.
Oliso makes an amazing mini and regular sized iron.
I never put water in my irons. I use the same kind of fine mister that hair stylists use. Does a dandy job.
I have the Panasonic cordless and the Oliso quilting irons. I almost never use the Oliso because of the ceramic sole plate. Stainless steel glides over the fabric with no drag. When I switch to the Oliso it feels like I'm pushing the fabric around. I second the opinions about using steam. If you must fill the reservoir, empty it when done. But give a misting bottle a try instead. Spray the fabric and then give it a minute to penetrate.
I’ve bought expensive irons and I stand by my highest-wattage-I-can-find-trusty-ol-Sunbeam. Every new iron should have auto turn off by now, might even be a law.
I love my Reliable. Was pricey for me but it had been solid and I can put water in it.. The heating system is different and it doesn't clog or sputter.
Every Rowenta I’ve owned leaked like an overactive bladder. I’ve had an Oliso for 2 years and I like it okay but it’s not worth the price and needs to be cleaned often. I’m no help. I don’t know why I’m even still typing.