Accessorize Your Ironing Board for Safety and Convenience

We know what you are thinking....not another blog about ironing! It seems we have been writing about this topic for most of the Winter, but what else is there to do to keep warm while watching the snow fall...again and again and again?

Ironing is something most of us hate to do, but we must do, unless we want to have that "slept in our clothes" look. Today's fashions are made from cool and comfortable fabrics such as cotton, rayon, and linen which are prone to wrinkling. Shop At Clares offers a variety of ironing accessories that will make this necessary task easier, quicker, safer, and a little more tolerable.

We love the ironing blankets by Household Essentials and Polder for travel and home use. These extra large ironing pads have an easy-glide, silicone coating which allows your iron to move with ease and a non-slip foam backing that prevents the blanket from moving while you iron. These pads are perfect for a quick touch-up without having to haul out and set up the ironing board. Although many hotels now provide in-room ironing boards and irons, the ironing board covers are usually scorched or full of starch. By laying an ironing blanket on top of the board you will have a clean surface to protect your clothes.

If you do a lot of sewing or iron a lot of shirts, then you may already know about the benefits of having a sleeve board. For those of you who do not, these are one of the best inventions, since the ironing board. Though not big enough to use as a table top ironing board, they are a great accessory for your regular ironing board. Household Essentials has designed one with a natural cover and foam pad that are installed over a sturdy wooden board. With no-scuff legs you can set it up anywhere, and it works well set on top of your own ironing board. Then, like your ironing board, it folds flat for easy storage.

Another important ironing accessory is a protective ironing pressing pad. These pads are a better solution than a dish towel for ironing delicate fabrics. No only do they protect your clothing from scorch and shine marks, they protect your iron plate from metal zippers and snaps. Household Essentials has designed one that is see-thru and machine washable. You should keep two of these on hand, so that while one is being laundered the other one can be used to protect your garments.

Safety is a big issue when using a hot iron and we highly recommend that everyone have an Iron Rest on their ironing board. Many of the boards being sold these days come with an iron rest already attached, and understandably so, as they help to prevent senseless accidents. These metal and silicone rests provide a safe place to park your hot iron to keep it from accidentally tipping and falling off of the board. If your ironing board did not come with one of these already attached, then our clamp on iron rest by Polder is something you really should invest in for both safety and convenience. The open, angled center of the iron rest has four heat resistant silicone pads that hold your iron in either an upright or angled position. The rail around the edge of the iron rest provides an added measure of safety, plus a convenient place to hang clothes after they have been ironed.

Need to tighten up your ironing board cover? Try using our set of elastic straps by Home Essentials. Each of the four suspender style straps is adjustable and tightly grip the opposite edges of your ironing board cover to pull it taunt giving you a tight and smooth ironing surface.

What to do about that iron cord, that always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time! You can throw it over your shoulder or you can use a cord minder. Cord minders eliminate cord tangles and keep your cord from dragging through your freshly ironed garments. One of the best we've found is the deluxe foldable iron cord minder by Polder. This particular cord minder is 20 inches high and has a heavy duty chromed metal clamp that tightens with an easy-to-turn, threaded nylon bushing. There are nylon holders at the top and bottom of this cord minder for threading your iron's cord to keep it safely out of the way.

Another accessory we feel the need to mention, although not really used for ironing, are hangers. However, you need some specially designed hangers like the Bumps Be Gone bendable foam hangers. These hangers are great for drying shirts, tops, and even sweaters by letting them drip dry with less wrinkling. Their bendable arms can be shaped to fit small and large shirts alike, while the soft, rounded design prevents those unsightly dents that show up in the shoulders of your garments when they are hung on regular hangers. The extra thick arms allow for more air flow inside the garment for faster drying time.

To save time ironing pressing pants and jeans promptly remove them from the dryer, folding the legs together and hanging them by the cuffs on trouser hangers. We suggest the skirt /pant hangers by Honey Can Do, with non-slip grips to allow your pants to hang with minimal wrinkling. These hangers come in a soft-touch plastic style or a wooden style with a cherry or maple finish. If you hang pants this way in your closet, you will be able to avoid having to re-iron them before wearing.

View all of these great accessories in our ShopAtClares e-commerce store.