The Ups and Downs of Ironing Boards

Ironing is a chore that you either love, hate, or tolerate. However, there is a sense of accomplishment when you have wrestled those wrinkles and have a clean, crisp shirt to wear. I remember our mom setting up the ironing board in front of the TV and spending a morning or two ironing everything from that week's load of clean wash (sheets and dad's t-shirts included). I also remember a point in time, when she hired a lady to do the ironing - guess she was tired of that feeling of accomplishment!

In this day and age, we have several choices to make regarding what type of ironing board to purchase to meet our ironing needs. But first we must mention, the classic, in a pinch, old standby of a laying a towel on a table for an instant "ironing board". There is an upscale version of this primitive board, called an ironing blanket, which has a coated surface to protect your table from the steam and heat of your iron. However, if you are into ironing your towels, then this style would work for you, as you could do both at the same time.

Types of ironing boards on today's market include free-standing, table-top, over the door, built-in, wall mounted, and ironing centers. You need to consider how often you will use your ironing board, where you will be doing most of your ironing, and how much space is available for storing and using it. Price could also be a factor, but keep in mind that a quality ironing board should last forever, so your first board may be your only board. Naturally this does not mean that the table-top board you purchased for your dorm room will be your one an only, we are referring to the ironing board you purchase when you have set up a more permanent living space bigger than 12 x 12 feet!

Free-standing ironing boards are the most common ones found in American households. They are sturdy enough so they won't collapse while ironing, while lightweight enough to be easily moved from room to room. One advantage of these ironing boards is the ability to adjust the height of the board, whether to accommodate different users or to allow you to stand or sit while ironing. Another advantage is the amount of ironing surface, as these boards are usually wider and longer than any other type of board. These often come with an attached iron rest for storing your iron - hot or cold - while giving you a place to hang your newly ironed shirts.

Table-top ironing boards are perfect for college dorms, apartments, and RVs. The short legs allow it to be placed on a table, counter, or even the floor and they give the board a solid, sturdy base for ironing. Although they have a small ironing surface, they do the job for most ironing needs, just don't try to do a sheet on one. Advantages of these boards are that they are lightweight, easy to set up, and can be stored in a closet or under a bed. A favorite of ours is the reversible table-top board with a large rectangular ironing surface on one side and a sleeve board and tapered surface on the flip side. Several table-top models come with an iron rack that gives you a safe place to park your hot iron as you prepare your clothes for de-wrinkling.

Over-the-door ironing boards are popular for dorms and sewing rooms, but they have some safety issues that do not make them a good choice for most ironing tasks. The main issue with these is that even with the door is tightly closed, the board will have a little movement to it, which could cause the iron to fall over. Even more disastrous is if someone should open the door while you are ironing on the other side. Whether right handed or left handed, the position of your door and available space, may make it difficult for you to stand behind it to comfortably iron. These over-the-door models are not sturdy enough for heavy duty ironing, but they do work well in a pinch, if mounted properly and used with extreme caution.

Built-in ironing boards are becoming more popular to keep the less often used, but still a necessity, board out of site and out of mind. A built in board can either be mounted in a cabinet or in a drawer, which makes them easy to set up and put away. These ironing boards are smaller than a free standing board, but are very sturdy and functional for your everyday ironing needs. The cost of these boards varies significantly, based on the type of cabinet, material used for the cabinet, and the size of the board. If you did not have the luxury of installing a built-in board when you designed your home, there are cabinet enclosed boards from a variety of manufacturers that can be mounted against a wall in any room. Should you decide to rearrange your room, these can be removed and mounted on another wall or even another room. Although not impossible to remove, the custom built-ins are a little harder to rearrange.

Wall-mounted, stow-away boards are becoming more practical and more popular for apartments, homes, RVs and even hotels. These wall-mounted ironing boards are particularly convenient where space is limited, as they can be stored away flat against the wall and can be installed in confined areas, hallways, even walk-in closets. One important feature is that they can be mounted on any wall at any height to accommodate individual needs and are especially practical for people in wheelchairs or those who like to sit when they iron. They are huge time-savers, taking only a few seconds to open up and put away, avoiding the need to carry the board and unfold awkward collapsible legs. Wall-mounted ironing boards are strong and sturdy, and some manufacturers have designed them to swivel at any angle into a convenient position for ironing, which allows them to accommodate right-handed or left-handed ironing styles.

The final ironing board we would like to mention is more than a board, it is a mobile ironing center, a relatively new concept on the market and one of our favorites. Better Lifestyle has designed a solidly built unit that when folded up can be stored out of the way and out of sight under the disguise of it's full cover. The center has a full size board, with an iron rest, a laundry bag to store the clean laundry until ready to iron, wire racks to hold the freshly ironed clothing or ironing supplies, and a rack for hanging shirts and skirts after they have been ironed. Perhaps our mother would have ironed longer (and felt more accomplished) if she had one of these to wheel out in front of the TV.

Better Lifestyle, Polder and Whitney Design are the manufacturers of boards that we have chosen to sell on our eCommerce site based on quality, design, and price. The sizes, shapes, and styles that each of these manufactures has to offer are different enough to address the needs and likes of our customers.

See all of our "selling what we like and liking what we sell"
ironing boards in our ShopAtClares.com store.