Any old iron?

The £15 one will be fine Jane10! I can't remember the last time I used my iron! Years ago, when the DC were at home, I ironed everything; bed linen, jeans, every item of clothing in our wardrobes. But I've been in this house 6 months now and haven't used the iron or ironing board since I moved in. Not missing it!

I always buy a cheap version, as long as it’s steam. All irons are just a basic heating element that heats the sole plate and the water. The sole plates have different treatments, such as non stick. In my H/H we have a Tesco basic, that’s been going for 10 years.

i have never used an iron.

Wouldn't be without my steam generator iron (was about £70 on special offer last year). There is just no comparison between a normal steam iron and a steam generator iron; ironing is done in half the time. They can also be used vertically (so you could iron curtains whilst they are hanging at the window, or steam a jacket whilst it is on a coathanger).

About a year ago I bought a steam generator iron. I'd always been a bit sceptical about them, but various friends convinced me they were worth the money. Boy, have I been impressed with it! Yes, it was expensive (around £150), but I have to say it's the best iron I've ever owned.

The plate itself doesn't heat up - it is heated by the steam that is generated in a large 1.5ltr tank. Consequently it is impossible to scorch anything. I can put the iron down on the ironing board whilst rearranging the garment I'm ironing, without ever having to worry about it. Because the tank holds 1.5ltr of water (I believe some have bigger tanks), I'm not continually having to top the water up, as I was with a standard steam iron.

And, perhaps most importantly, it irons beautifully, attacking the most stubbornly creased fabric with ease. Best of all, it turns itself off after several minutes of inactivity, so I never have any of those "oh lord, did I remember to turn off the iron?" moments

I don’t do much ironing anymore, I used to iron bedding but no more. I have a couple of shirts that need an iron and a few linen dresses. I have a tefal steam iron it’s probably 12 yrs old and still works fine.

Agree re steam generator, I have a Bosch one which was over £100, but it makes ironing almost a pleasure. I do ironing whilst watching TV programmes my OH doesn’t like. A fellow dressmaker friend has gone one better and has an ironing system where the iron and board are all linked, so the board gets hot as well and there is a foot pedal you can jet stem up through the board. I think it was £500!

Gosh. I really couldn't justify spending so much on an iron. I very rarely iron and don't expect to do much at all. I did find that the ironing board (once I found it in the back of a cupboard) was pretty rickety and didn't help much. I might look for a more robust one but probly not one of those £500 systems.

Do you all use ordinary tap water in your steam irons?

There isn't an iron about that was like my old trusty Morphy Richards " heavy " iron. I can't be doing with these lightweight things that just skim over clothes without leaving much of an impression.
I like to get down to it and not go over the same area getting creases out, one stroke on my old iron and that was enough.

Whatever you buy is never made/manufactured the way it used to be, no matter what it may be. Things lasted longer because they were better made.

I have had my Tefal iron since 1997. (Had to look it up) as I bought it with vouchers from Daniels in Windsor.
It works fine, although I do use a spray bottle if the laundry needs a bit of steam. But I don't have a lot these days.

I should be a museum, as our ironing board was a wedding present in 1961.
They work, so no need to change them
Tight? moi?

Yes Calendargirl, just normal tap water, but we live in an area where the water is soft, so no limescale. However, a steam generator iron has a filter, which filters the water, so presume in a hard water area it would need to be changed more frequently than in a soft water area (the filter for mine is about £8.00) I only change mine about every 18 months.

Our water is very hard.

Jane10 you could have had my spare! For some reason I have 2.

One DiL has a complete ironing system which has been described. True they all look well pressed for work but in my book life is too short to be ironing unless you really enjoy it I suppose....

I buy one around £20 I can`t see the point in spending a lot as you only get a 1/2 year guarantee anyway.
If I spent a £100 I would want a 5 year guarantee.
And that won`t happen.

I avoid ironing at all costs
So nothing is ironed unless absolutely necessary
In this day and age can't understand why everything isn't crease proof anyway

What's ironing?
To be honest I only have a couple of cotton summer dresses that need ironing, and that is all I do. One of my friends is horrified that I don't iron my bedding! Why should I when I am only going to lie in it and crumple it all up again?
So I only buy the cheapest steam iron.
My late DMil used to iron towels, underwear and socks, for goodness sake.....

I always buy cheap irons, but I've had to return quite a few to the shop because they were spotting water all over the garments after ten-minutes ironing.

Ironing is one of the few jobs that my OH does (99% of it is his anyway), and as he hasn't moaned about this latest replacement - still a cheap one - it is safe to assume that it's working perfectly!