How To Clean Philips Perfect Care Steam Iron

How to clean your Philips steam iron

Steam irons

How to clean your Philips steam iron

Steam irons

Select your steam iron

Why descale a steam iron ?

Over time, steam irons can build up scale. The harder the water in your area, the faster scale impurities develop and solidify, if not cleaned away. Regular descaling prevents problems such as white/brown stains on your clothes, brown water and leaking. Cleaning your iron regularly keeps steam output at its highest and extends the lifetime of your steam irons.

How to clean your steam iron

Self Clean function

All Philips steam irons

Fill the water tank and turn on. (If your iron has adjustable settings, choose MAX TEMP and NO STEAM.)
When the light goes out, unplug and hold the iron over the sink so the soleplate is horizontal.
Activate CALC CLEAN using the button or selector. (Varies per model. Press and hold, if necessary.)
Shake the iron gently back and forth until empty. Water, steam and scale will come out of the steam vents.
Heat the iron and glide over a cloth to clean the soleplate. Repeat process, if necessary.

See how to clean your Philips iron

Quick Calc Release function

Azur Performer Plus (GC4501, GC4510, GC4511, GC4512, GC4513, GC4514, GC4520, GC4521, GC4522, GC4523) | Azur Pro ( GC4880, GC4884, GC4885)

Unplug the appliance and make sure that the appliance is cool
Lie the iron flat and push up the Quick Calc Release lock at the back of your iron.
Remove the scale container. Empty, rinse and dry it.
Wipe away any scale or residue around the opening on the iron. Re-insert the container and lock in place.

See how to clean your Philips iron

Quick Calc Release function

Azur Elite (GC503X) |Azur Elite Avanced (GC493X)

Unplug the appliance and make sure that the appliance is cool
Hold the appliance in vertical position over the sink. Flip up the lever of Quick Calc Release collector, and pull it out
Clean the Quick Calc Release collector with water
Gently shake the appliance to allow scale particles to fall out
Insert the Quick Calc Release collector back into the appliance and push down the lever ("click") to lock the collector.

See how to clean your Philips iron

Built-in Calc Container function

Azur Performer Plus (GC4506, GC4515, GC4516, GC4517, GC4518, GC4519, GC4525, GC4526, GC4527, GC4528) | Azur Pro (GC4881, GC4882, GC4886, GC4887, GC4889)

Fill the water tank and turn on. (If your iron has adjustable settings, choose MAX TEMP and NO STEAM.)
When the light goes out, unplug and hold the iron over the sink so the soleplate is horizontal.
Activate CALC CLEAN using the button or selector. (Varies per model. Press and hold, if necessary.)
Shake the iron gently back and forth until empty. Water, steam and scale will come out of the steam vents.
Heat the iron and glide over a cloth to clean the soleplate. Repeat process, if necessary.

See how to clean your steam iron

Frequently Asked Questions about Philips Steam Irons

Should I use demineralized or ironing water to prevent limestone in my steam iron?: We recommend using tap or demineralized water for all Philips steam irons. Demineralized water is the best option to prevent limestone build up in your iron.

Please never use ironing or perfumed water in your Philips steam iron. By using these, your iron gets contaminated and might get damaged or fail.
How often should I descale my iron for best steaming results over time?: We recommend descaling your iron every 1-2 months. By cleaning your iron regularly, all calc particles will be removed and the lifetime of your appliance will be longer.
Do I need to descale my steam iron even though I always use demineralized water?: When you are always using demineralized water, there will be no limestone built up in your iron. However, in some irons the descaling light will blink based on the time that the appliance is been used. In this case, please complete the descaling routine in order to use the iron again.
Do I need to descale my steam iron even though I'm always emptying my Quick Calc Release?: Yes, we recommend descaling your Philips iron every 1-2 months. The Quick Calc release collects many loose calc particles, but not all. By descaling your iron regularly, all calc particles will be removed and your appliance will have a longer lifetime.
I'm not sure what iron model I have and which descaling routine should I use: When you are not sure what descaling routine you should use, you can always find the correct instructions in the user manual.

If you do not have the user manual anymore, please try to find your iron model number on your iron (it should look like GCXXXX ). Knowing this number, you can find all the product information on the Philips website. If you have any questions, please always feel free to contact Philips Consumer Care

Contact us

For any questions or queries about your Philips Garment Care products

Our Consumer Care team is always here to support and help you.

Call us: 0800-140-1473 (Toll-Free*)

Monday-Friday : 9.00 am – 06.00 pm

Saturday : 9.00 am – 1.00 pm

Closed on Sunday and National Holiday

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