What Is The Best Fabric For an Ironing Board Cover? (Padding)
Almost everyone hates to do this task. Yet for some clothes it has to be done. In order to get the ironing done properly, one must have the proper ironing equipment. That equipment extends beyond the iron and a flat surface and having the right ironing cover makes all the difference in your results.
What is the best fabric for an ironing board cover? Everyone will have their own preference here and you do get a wide variety of fabrics. But the general consensus is to use some form of heat resistant cotton that grabs the fabric so it doesn’t slip. Also, cotton won’t trap the moisture from the iron’s steam function.
To learn more about which ironing board cover to use on your ironing board, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about. Don’t forget you can customize your ironing board and cover to fit the size of space you have to work in.
Do Ironing Boards Need Covers?
The answer is yes they do. There are many reasons why you place a cover on an ironing board. the first is to make sure you have a smooth surface to iron on. If your ironing board is made with plywood or some other wood, that is not the best or smoothest surface you can have.
Plus, the plywood may get splinters and ruin over time or ruin your clothing, etc. A good cover protects your clothes from getting any splinters embedded into them. Next, a good cover will let the steam escape so you are not facing any issues that come when the steam is trapped and cannot go anywhere.
Then with some covers, you get a reflected surface that turns the heat back onto the fabric to make sure those wrinkles come out. If you do not have an ironing board because your home or apartment is too small, you need a cover to protect your tables or other flat surfaces you do your ironing on.
Stopping the ironing heat from doing any damage to your ironing board or furniture saves you money and keeps you from being upset.
What is An Ironing Board Made Of?
You might find some made of heavy plastic but generally, the ironing boards made today are made from steel or wood. Generally, the cheaper of the two types is the steel version. In that, you get a flat pan placed on lightweight metal legs that fold up when you do not need to use it.
Both materials need an ironing board cover as we already explained for the wood, different issues may arise quickly if you do not have a good cover over the board. For the metal pan, the iron used to create it may not hold the material very well and what you are trying to iron may slip a lot.
Then if the metal gets too hot, you may have trouble with those fabrics that do not like the heat very well. Regardless of the material used to make the ironing board, you need a cover to protect your clothes and keep your ironing tasks shorter and not last long.
Plus, the cover will let your iron slide over your clothing a lot easier and smoother. This will make sure those wrinkles are taken care of quickly and that you and your family will not look like they slept in their clothes.
What Padding do You Use On An Ironing Board?
There is actually not just one kind of padding that fits all ironing situations. Many people use multiple layers to make sure they have enough padding and the right kind of padding to get the job done right.
It seems that either wool or cotton felt is the go-to fabric to use underneath your top layer of cotton or muslin. Some manufacturers actually use about 4 layers of material to make sure the heat does not go through the top layers and scorch your ironing surface.
Then some people have used cotton batt as a padding fabric and they claim it works well for them. The padding should be thick enough to smooth out the ironing surface and keep the heat from getting through.
Others use a foam pad but because it is made from synthetic material, the foam can easily lose its shape, melt, or deform on you. The padding you don't want on your ironing board is the one made from asbestos.
These days all post-1960s ironing pads should be asbestos-free but there may still be some made somewhere in the world. Because ironing pads may last for decades, your mother or grandmother may still be using an asbestos lined ironing pad. A good gift to them would be to get them a new replacement.
Best Fabric for an Ironing Board Cover
You have several options here and the fabrics may either be synthetic or natural but there are two criteria that you should follow when selecting a good ironing board cover. First, the fabric should be heat resistant.
Not only do you want the heat reflected back towards your clothing, but you also don't want to scorch the pad and have to replace it after only a couple of ironing times. heat resistant materials are the best ones to use.
Then the second criteria is that the cover should be made from cotton. While there are a lot of good synthetic and other fibers used that are good, cotton is said to be the best. Nor a lightweight but smooth heavier weight cotton from one of the many cotton fabrics you can buy.
There is no one variety of cotton that excels over the other in this situation. You just need to have it smooth, be able to hold your fabric in place, and breathe well. We will talk about the silver version in the next section.
It is very hard to beat natural fibers when it comes to everyday laundry tasks or wearing clothing.
Silver Ironing Board Fabric
There are many people who do a lot of ironing who swear by this product. They say it is great at reflecting the heat back towards their clothing. Also, they like it because it does protect their ironing boards and other ironing surfaces.
Then some people use silver ironing board fabric as a middle layer. Then they cover it with a cotton fabric variety. They do this because of two reasons. One, the silver ironing board fabric can be slippery which some nationally known ironing teachers have said is the reason to remove it from your ironing board.
Two, the silver lining may not last long. It can, when it gets older, lift off its foundation and cling to your clothing. The best words of advice given for this cover is that if your ironing board already is covered in this material, use it for now.
You can always replace it later if you find there are problems with the material. As long as it lasts and you can handle the slippery surface then you should be fine and no damage will come to your clothing or your ironing surface.
When it gets old, you can always replace it with the material you really like and works well for you.
Quilted Ironing Board Fabric by the Yard
This is not going to be a problem. If you want good quality quilting ironing board fabric to make your own, then you should go to your local individually owned fabric outlets and see what material they have on hand.
Or your local mall department store should have a good selection. if you do not like driving too much or hate traffic, then you can always shop online through Amazon, Etsy, or those online fabric stores that can save you money and time.
Not to be left out, there is always Home Depot, Lowe’s, Michael’s, and Hobby Lobby. Their selection may not be as large as those online stores but they should still carry some great ironing board quilt fabric by the yard.
Where you buy this material is up to you and your preferences as well as your budget but you can find it by the yard and make your own ironing board cover. The key is to make sure it meets the criteria listed above and will last you for more years than you had planned on.
Always buy good quality even if it is a bit more expensive as you will save in the future by having it last a lot longer than cheaper materials.
Ironing Board Fabric JoAnn
This fabric and sewing outlet has some good quality cotton quilting ironing board fabric. It is made from 100% cotton and it comes with a diamond design. It is also 43 inches wide and according to their website, it is on sale with over 33% off the regular price. That may change by the time you read this article though.
We should say that the face is made from100% cotton while the rest of the material is made from the following fibers-- fill- 87.7% Cotton, 7.5% Rayon, 4.8% Polyester; Back- 100% Olefin.
Then if you have any leftover material there are lots of projects you can use this quilt ironing board material to create. Potholders or oven mitts, hot pot covers for tabletops, and on it goes.
JoAnn’s also has other ironing board covers you can choose from. One option is the Ironslide brand that is on sale at 30% off its regular price. It is supposed to reflect more heat than cotton can/ Its size is 19 by 59 inches.
If you take the time to shop online or go to the store, you should find more brands of ironing board covers that can fit into your budget.
Ironing Board Cover Suggestions
Different people use different fabrics. if you are not sure which one you should use, maybe their ideas will help spark some inspiration and help you find the right material for your ironing needs. Here are those suggestions:
- 1. 38 by 28-inch piece of plywood with one layer of a plastic garbage bag, one layer of warm and natural batting, and the silver cover.
- 2. Cotton felt padding covered by cotton duck cloth. This combination is supposed to grip your clothing and not let it slide around. Plus, it should not be that expensive.
- 3. Silver fabric cloth covered by an old sheet to prevent the slipping that comes with the silver ironing cloth.
- 4. For those who do not like a soft surface to iron on one person used the following materials- one layer of plywood over the regular ironing board surface. Then she added one layer of warm and natural batting, one layer of insulbrite, and topped with heavy cotton twill. If the twill gets scorched she just covers that with another layer of twill.
- 5. Then if you are not washing the cover, one layer of warm and natural covered by one layer of duck cloth. All of it is stapled to the wood ironing board surface.
- 6. One layer of cotton batt over plywood covered by good quality muslin sometimes covered b freezer paper to extend the life of the muslin material.
- 7. 2 layers of warm and natural covered in cotton duck cloth over a 2 by 2-foot piece for a smooth surface to iron on.
- 8. Plywood, cotton batting, and canvas. some people prefer a tighter cotton weave than that which comes with canvas materials.
Some Final Words
You actually have a lot of freedom and choice when it comes to ironing board covers and padding. use the ones that work best for you and the space you have to work in. As you can see, cotton is the preferred and best choice of fabrics.
