to expect that unused water be tipped out of the iron after every use?

[ViolaTricolor]

DP thinks that this is fussing, and makes ironing even more onerous than it need be. My view is that our area is bascially solidified limescale with some houses arranged on top, and that every time water is left sitting in our expensive iron it is forming a deadly crust which will send it to an early grave. He is threatening to get his own separate iron.

I've never even thought about it TBH! We live in a hard water area and I've never once emptied the iron of water.

Perhaps if I used it a bit more - well, thats a whole different story!

Takeresponsibility, I am not sure that trivia in YABU is recent development. Fear not, I am not actually fretting, and Wigeon has given me confidence that we are not alone in enjoying the cut and thrust of a good ironing debate. In fact, I may adopt the YABUs as licence to break free and spend the time drinking gin instead, whilst admiring iron man.

Hmmmmm. I think I have an iron somewhere. . . . what does one do with it exactly?

YABU - emptying the iron is a faff. Why not use softened water in the iron instead as a compromise?

Oh wowee! You can each have your own iron, and do your own ironing. How wonderful! You could get one with polka dots etc and keep it beautiful, and he can have the boring limescaley one.

Go for it!!!

I know you're supposed to do this. But I don't.

Bit like drinking guidlines and the amount of coffee you're supposed to drink. I know these rules are there for our protection. I just CBA

Viola - good plan. I have an ironing man (ex forces - my ironing is not up to scratch - how did that happen????) and Jack Daniels and I often share the sofa whilst ironing man does his thing.

I have never emptied it, I could imagine it would be a right PITA to do and I would end up making a mess anyway!

This has never crossed my mind. I have never knowingly emptied an iron.

(OTOH I get annoyed when DH has been ironing and hasn't filled it - I always seem to be the one to have to fill it up - reminiscent of replacing the toilet paper)

I don't empty it and I also liveon solid limescale. Anyway doesn't the scale only deposit on things as it gets hot .

You get limescale deposits from cold water, like in the toilet bowl. But there is a maximum amount of limescale a small amount of water can make, and once it's made, it can't make any more.

I've never emptied my iron...didnt know I was supposed to!! I have one of those steam generator ones, dont know if that makes a difference??

We use filtered water in our iron.
so we don't need to empty it (we live in a very very hard water area too)

Although, we do empty it, because more often than not, I won't realise it's not empty and pour water all over myself.

MotherPanda, you paint a beautiful vision but I have concluded that letting this go is the way forward. I have decided to consent to non-emptying provided the water is from the filter jug. A breakthrough. Gin and spectatorship will also feature.

I imagine my iron is full of water. No actual idea as it is sitting on a shelf in the passageway and I can't reach it. However the passageway has a leaking roof and most other articles I have chucked in there stored away seem to be soaking.

No way am I wasting my Vapouresse

We use distilled water and it's never even occurred to me to empty the iron after use - is extra faff that I don't need. I hate ironing anyway and do the minimum I can get away with.

Nope, I've never emptied the water out of the iron and didn't even know it was suggested that you should

YABU for caring so much about ironing :o

LIQUID CHALK POURS FROM MY TAPS - SO MUCH SO THAT SOAP DOESN'T LATHER.

sorry caps and can't be arsed to delete and rewrite -

Anyway.

MIL bought me my iron () for christmas 16 years ago.

And I have never emptied it.

although i don't use it much either.

So YABU and talking bollocks.

How would one empty an iron anyway? is there a plug?

Phew, fortunately both my DH and I are too lazy to empty it so no arguments. We live in a very hard water area but we do filter the water before it goes in the iron so I guess we're not THAT lazy.

It's enough of a chore doing the ironing without having to empty out the iron and then refill it needlessly more than it already needs to be done :)

Wow! I'm amazed at how many people don't empty the iron. I always empty it. I don't store it upright so the water would just leak out. Also the limesacle would be a problem. I also clean it out from time to time. The stuff that splatters out when I clean it shows how necessary the job is.

The limescale forms when the water is heated so emptying it out is pointless as the limescale has already formed.

You need to use preboiled water if you want to avoid limescale

(or just not iron which works very well in this house... no limescale on my iron at all )

I can honestly say, hand on heart, that I have never even thought about it. It wouldn't even cross my mind.

at LIQUID CHALK.

I am perversely chuffed to find that this strikes some of you as madness. I thought I was a top notch slattern so I feel quite preeny about having one little diligent foible (albeit a totally pointless one, according to those of who are better scientists than I).

I filled up my iron when I bought it three years ago and haven't ironed since, the water is still in there

Do people really iron? Really!?