To not be able to descale an iron??

[TellerTuesday4EVA]

I'm on roughly my 10th iron in as many years and not once have I managed to successful descale any of them!!

I've read the instructions, watched the videos and YouTube & I still just do not get it!! On the videos they hold it over the sink & water is just running through... I do the exact same steps & nothing happens but a few little trickles... wtf am I doing wrong??

Do you need to descale the steak generator ones (the ones with the tank bit)?? Because I'm thinking of ordering one of those as a replacement

Can’t you just buy descaling sachets or liquid from the supermarket to do the same thing?

First, you're leaving it too long. If it takes a year to clog up, descale it every four months or so. Older deposits get more concrete-like as they get denser, and harder to dissolve away.

Second, use descaling fluid. It's far more effective than wishful thinking or vinegar or whatever (you haven't actually mentioned what you're trying).

Third, anything with a water tank will need descaling if you're in a hard water area - which you clearly are.

I gave up on descaling steam-irons after I moved into a hard water area and three in three years had become impossible to use because of buildup (and white stains all over whatever I was ironing).

A friend who's lived here all her life advised me to use distilled water instead of tap water, and I haven't needed to de-scale the iron for more than five years.

I use the water that Halford's sell for car battery top-ups, which is called de-ionised instead of distilled but seems to be the same thing really. Five litres lasts for ages and the last bottle cost me £3.50. (If you happen to notice they or the local garage have a two-for-the-price-of-one offer, even better.) It's more expensive on line, which is strange.