<p>I live in a hard water area and always get limescale from my iron.  You can buy demineralised ironing water, but I tend to use the condensed water from my dehumidifier or melted frost from the very top of the freezer</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-21T21:26:56.897Z
Does anything ever emerge from your iron?
Stefan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-21T21:30:04.183Z
@Stefan yes, limescale. That's what I meant by "get... from".
Chris H
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-22T03:03:23.267Z
Nothing other than steam. @Stefan
fixit7
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-22T04:03:18.770Z
Bang on answer.  Hard water is the bane of many irons for this reason.
Chris Rogers
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2019-05-21T12:55:33.213Z
2019-05-21T12:55:33.213Z
Chris H
<p>When I used the steam feature with my iron, some white material came out right before the steam did. What is that material?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-21T01:17:17.697Z
Someone has used a powder-based cleaner for the base of the iron, for example, bicarb soda? If you are in a hard water area, it might be a deposit, but I have not seen that on my iron. How much material is there? Is it gritty, sticky etc?
Stefan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-22T03:01:54.770Z
The material was gritty, but it only came out one time.@Stefan
fixit7
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-05-13T12:43:15.353Z
Reopened as it is about tool usage, upkeep, and maintenance, which is currently on-topic.
Joachim
<material-identification><tool-usage>
What is the white material which comes out of steam holes?
fixit7
# What is the white material which comes out of steam holes?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-05-21)

When I used the steam feature with my iron, some white material came out right before the steam did. What is that material?

**Tags:** material-identification, tool-usage

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Someone has used a powder-based cleaner for the base of the iron, for example, bicarb soda? If you are in a hard water area, it might be a deposit, but I have not seen that on my iron. How much material is there? Is it gritty, sticky etc?  
> **username_0**: The material was gritty, but it only came out one time.@username_1  
> **username_2**: Reopened as it is about tool usage, upkeep, and maintenance, which is currently on-topic.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-05-21. Score: 4

I live in a hard water area and always get limescale from my iron. You can buy demineralised ironing water, but I tend to use the condensed water from my dehumidifier or melted frost from the very top of the freezer

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Does anything ever emerge from your iron?  
> **username_3**: @username_1 yes, limescale. That's what I meant by "get... from".  
> **username_0**: Nothing other than steam. @username_1  
> **username_4**: Bang on answer.  Hard water is the bane of many irons for this reason.  

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