We have decided to forgo the typical blogs about New Year's resolutions, especially if they have to do with the losing weight. We gave up on that one years ago. Barb has a sign on her refrigerator that says " I try to lose weight, but it keeps finding me"! What we have decided to do for our first blog of 2010, is to help our friends, family and customers make informed choices that will make their day to day lives easier. Don't panic, this is not a lecture about how to live you life - this is about how to choose the right ironing board cover.
A good ironing board should last decades, some even a lifetime and more. However, a cover will need to be replaced every couple of years. Covers come in many different shapes, sizes, materials, and patterns that are designed for a variety of ironing styles. Of course, choosing an ironing board cover is a matter of personal taste, but any cover should be smooth and permeable to heat and steam. How often you iron and what you iron will determine what kind of cover you need to purchase.You may also want to consider having different types of covers for your different ironing needs - this is especially true for people who sew or quilt.
Covers with non-stick or reflective surfaces have been designed to reflect the heat from your iron upwards from the cover and back into your garment. Not only does it speed up the ironing process, but with a lower heat setting on your iron you are less likely to ruin delicate fabrics. Another plus about these reflective surface covers is that they are stain and scorch-resistant, which not only keeps them looking nice, but makes them last longer. Although these are great for everyday ironing, our sewers and quilters do not like them for the main reason that fabric slides around and makes it more difficult to turn and press an edge.
Natural unbleached cotton ironing board covers are very popular for everyday ironing and very practical for sewing and quilting. Your clothes and fabrics will stay put and not slide around or off of your ironing board. These are usually a thicker material like canvas or duck cloth, very durable and washable.
Covers made
of 100% cotton come in a variety of solid colors and patterns to add some spunk and class to your ironing board. Printed and colored cotton covers are usually made of a thinner fabric than the unbleached cotton covers. While some people love the florals, stripes, and patterns on these boards, others do not! One of the main complaints is that the pattern shows through the item you are ironing and makes it difficult to see what is still wrinkled.Typically, the padding that comes with an ironing board cover is made from felt or foam and ranges in thickness from 4 mm to 8 mm. While both are good surfaces for ironing, foam provides a strong surface, which makes it easier to push your iron along the board, while felt provides a soft and smooth ironing surface with fewer bumps or puckers. More importantly you must be careful to purchase a cover and padding that is thick enough to prevent the mesh marks from the ironing board from showing up on your freshly ironed clothes.
Most covers are now being manufactured with the bungee fastening style, but you can
still find the drawstring versions. If the iron rest is detachable, then the bungee style would be fine, as long as you can reattach the iron rest with the cover installed. The drawstring type allows you to adjust the tightness of your cover, and usually installs without any problems in-between the board and any iron rest. Whichever style you choose or can find, both can be tightened up with adjustable elastic garter straps that attach to the cover underneath your board and pull the underside closer together.To read our complete guide for ironing board covers, check out our
How-To-Guide on our website ShopAtClares.com
or our How to Choose the Right Ironing Board Cover on wikiHow.com
How-To-Guide on our website ShopAtClares.com
or our How to Choose the Right Ironing Board Cover on wikiHow.com
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