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My Philips Steam Generator Iron is leaking from the soleplate

Published on 16 July 2025

To ensure optimal performance and prevent stains or dirt from being released during ironing, it's important to regularly descale your iron. Impurities or chemicals present in water can accumulate in the steam vents or on the soleplate over time. 
We recommend you perform descaling before the reminder, or as soon as a reminder appears:
•    After ironing: Allow the iron to cool down for at least two hours before starting the descaling process.
•    Before ironing: You can also descale the iron before use, provided it has cooled down from the previous session.
This helps maintain strong steam performance and prevents buildup that can lead to staining.
Note:
•    If you notice dirty water or residue on the soleplate, clean it with a damp cloth.
•    Avoid using abrasive materials that could damage the surface.

Are you using your iron for the first time?
During very first use, white flakes may come out from the soleplate of your Philips Steam Generator Iron. This is normal and will go away shortly.

 

Have you used perfumed water or a descaling solution?
Your Philips Steam Generator Iron is not suitable for using perfumed/odorized water since they are damaging the device. Please rinse the water tank, fill it up with tap water and descale your iron.

 

Note: If you live in a hard water area, always use 50% demineralized/distilled water mixed with 50% tap water to prolong the lifetime of the appliance.

 

Have you just descaled your Philips Steam Generator iron?
Remaining water may come out of the soleplate after descaling. Iron without steam for a few strokes to clear it.

 

Are you living in a country with hard water?
If you live in an area with hard water, scale build-up can happen quickly. To prevent this and extend the life of your appliance, mix equal parts tap water and distilled or demineralized water. Avoid using distilled water only.

Does this happen at the beginning of the ironing session?
This could be happening due to condensed water remaining in the appliance from previous use. Steam away from the garment for a few seconds before you start ironing.

 

Is your ironing board wet?
Steam may condense on the board cover, particularly when using irons that produce powerful levels of steam. This can look like your iron is leaking from the soleplate. To prevent this, you can do the following:

1. Select a lower steam setting than the setting you have been using or use steam during the first ironing strokes and then finish up with the dry-ironing strokes. If your iron has the ECO mode available, push the ECO button to decrease the steam level.
2. You can also put an extra layer of felt between the ironing board and the ironing board cover to minimize condensation.
3. Replace the ironing board cover if the sponge material has worn out.

 

Have you set the temperature too low on the dial?(applied only for models with a temperature setting dial)
Please make sure to set the temperature to the steaming zone (2-dot or above) on the temperature dial as shown in the image below (2) before releasing steam. Then, let your Philips Steam Generator Iron heat up in heel-rest position (1) for one minute before you resume ironing.

 

Note: The image is for illustration purposes only and may differ from the dial of specific models.

 

If none of the solutions above solve the issue, please contact us for further assistance.

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