bearisgray

I never got brown stuff from my Rowenta - but it did put out white flaky stuff and I had to do the "heavy steam/clean" thing to blow it out.

I had used purchased spring water - like the instructions said to use. (All our water is softened.)

It stopped functioning properly - which is why I no longer have it - don't remember if it started to leak or just would not heat up properly - which is probably better than getting so hot that it would have burned the place down.

sprice

I also prefer cheap irons. For some reason, mine hit the floor way too often. They can only stand up to that a few times before there is damage.

amandasgramma

Ditto!!! This is what I've done! LOL However, I found a Rowenta at a garage sale for $10. so I guess I'd do everything I could to keep it alive. OPer.......you sound like you could be related to me....Good luck!

themachinelady

Did those of you that used vinegar in your Rowenta use Apple Cider or white vinegar? I would think it would ooze brown stuff if it was cleaning the junk out of it. I don't have a Rowenta, but have used white vinegar in my steam irons and yes, sometimes brown stuff comes out and sometimes white flaky stuff comes out. I have heated the white vinegar in the iron and steamed it a few times and then turned it off and let it set until cool. Then I have turned the iron back on and let it heat up and steamed some more and then shook the iron good with the rest of the vinegar in it and poured it out. Have then run clean water thru until it steamed and ran clear. It may take a few times especially if there is a lot of gunk in there. I have used distilled water in them as our wells have a lot of time and mineral in them and there is still gunk that forms, just not as quickly that is for sure. Hope this is of help. I would think putting clear water in, heating the iron, swishing it around and pouring it out would get rid of the starch eventually. You may have to do it a number of times and the steaming part as well, but we all know starch washes out with hot water.

Good luck with whatever you try.

PghPat

Thanks to everyone of you for attempting to help. I have tried probably over a dozen times with the white vinegar and the water...steaming it all out into the sink, letting it sit in the iron overnight (vinegar) and starting the process all over again. What I think is that for as long as I ironed, not knowing it was starch and not water in the iron, that the starch burned in the bottom of the iron.

I've just resigned myself to the fact that it is a good working dry iron now and not a steam iron. It is probably close to ten years old and has never given me a problem although I have had Roentas that have. They have never been my choice for irons - this one was given to me. Thanks again! Pat

mojo11

Ditto. Every Rowenta I have owned has leaked or spit hot water. Not worth the money in mho.

mjhaess

They make a regular steam iron cleaner that works well...

Daylesewblessed

I am not impressed with their sole plate cleaner. I purchased a garage sale Rowenta and really like it. The only problem is that the soleplate junks up rather quickly, and I am not sure why. It is possible that the heat is too high and that I occasionally have a poly blend in my charity piecing. Anyway, what works for me is Nambe metal polish and 0000 steel wool. It takes some elbow grease, but it works better than other things I have tried so far, including the Rowenta sole plate cleaner.

tessagin

As I have with my irons past and present, I use distilled water. When I clean it, I mix a tablespoon of white vinegar and even a tsp will do, fill the reservoir the rest of the way with water, turn it up and hit the steam. Then add more water when empty no vinegar and repeat. I then use a white cheap cotton cloth and hit the steam button till no color whatsoever is left on the white cloth. One thing I do also before I get ready to iron is check it on a white cotton cloth before using it on any of the fabric. No need for dawn. I only use Dawn to remove any type of grease.

bearisgray

Where would brown stuff be coming from when using a steam iron?

I know some well water contains a LOT of iron - could that be a cause?

Or are the water reservoirs/tanks in the irons made of something that rusts very easily?

I really don't know if Dawn (only a DROP or two, if any) would help or harm - I thought it might help break up the starch so it could be dumped out. Sort of like if I have a really scorched pan - I put a bit of dish detergent and a lot of water in it - heat it up - let it set in the pan - and - hopefully , when it has cooled down - it is a lot easier to get the scorch off.

If the iron is putting out brown gunk - figured it would not make it any worse. I meant for the water to be dumped out from the filling hole - not steamed out through the steam holes on the bottom.

If anything - I would try a couple of drops of Shaklee's BasicH of Basic H-2 - diluted with a lot water, of course, in the iron.

Again - it might not help - but I am 99% sure it would not do any more damage.