How to Iron Without an Ironing Board?

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Bella
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Last updated: August 28, 2023
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Ironing is one thing that you either do or do not do. Many people do not need to iron, but in some professions, it may be required to be presentable, including appearing without wrinkles on your clothes. A lot of accessories that accompany irons are ironing boards. Some houses have these built into them, and some boards are easily hidden in a closet somewhere in the house. Even if you do not have space in your home for an ironing board, do not like to iron, or just do not see the need to have one, you can still manage to iron your clothes without an ironing board.

What you can use instead of an ironing board

While most people are able to just pull out the ironing board and grab their iron Trusted Source Where better to do your ironing than in the middle of the M1? | Extreme sports | The Guardian The man pressing his clothes on the closed motorway is the latest instance of extreme ironing www.theguardian.com , some do not. Millions of people typically do not have an ironing board in their homes. Do not fret, though, and there are plenty of ways you can iron your garments without having to have an ironing board present in your life. Sometimes you do not even need iron at all. Sometimes, you may just find yourself in a sticky situation where you have wrinkled garments and no ironing board. One of the easiest ways to solve this problem would be to look for a flat surface that has heat-resistant fabric on it.

Choose a firm and safe surface

How to Iron Without an Ironing Board?While looking around to see what you can use as a surface in place of an ironing board, you are going to want to find something that is flat and even. It will also help if you find a surface that is a comfortable height for you to be ironing at. It can be a table or the floor. You will want the surface to be as big or bigger than the garment you need to iron. When looking for your surface, look for something that is heat-resistant. Even if you are covering it with fabric, the surface will still need to be, in some manner, heat-resistant. Good places to start would be tile, wood, or metal. If you find something that is made of plastic, it would be best to go ahead and avoid it as it can melt under the heat of the iron.

Do not iron directly on the surface either. Look for something that you can use that is heat-resistant, like linen, any canvas, or wool. If you are at home or in a hotel room, you can see if there is a thick terry cloth towel or some type of blanket that would work. Some fabrics that are delicate will melt and burn under the heat of the iron, like lace or rayon, so it is best to avoid those as well.

Ironing on a floor

If you do not feel comfortable with any surface available to you to iron on, you can use the floor. The surface should be sturdy for you to iron on, and this includes floors. Make sure that you are in a good spot on the floor. Floors tend to already be heat-resistant, so you are good to layout the garments as long as the floor is clean. It would help to do a wipe down of the floor before you lay your garments to iron on it. If the floor is tile and has patterns or grooves in it, then these will show when you iron your garments. If you do not have access to smooth and flat floors, it would be best to lay down a blanket on the surface, such as a thick towel or ironing blanket.

Ironing on bed

Another great alternative option where you can iron your clothes is your bed. Your bed is a convenient option if you want to put your clothes that you iron right into your closet, so they do not get wrinkled again. Beds also are a large surface where you can lay your garments out to iron with no issues and even sit down while you are ironing them.

Another convenient thing about ironing on your bed is that you can set the clothes on your bed, plug up the iron, take a shower and come right out to iron. There is little movement here, and you are able to move quickly if you need to head out the door.

Remove any bedspread or comforters that you have on the bed to get to the regular bed sheets. Your comforters and such are puffy, so they will not provide a flat surface for you to iron on your bed. You also do not want to damage your comforter from the iron either. If you have an ironing blanket, you can lay it down now, or a thick blanket or towel can work too.

Ironing on a table

How to Iron Without an Ironing Board?Ironing on a table works a bit like ironing on the floor or maybe a countertop, which we touch on next. You may not want to iron on the floor because of grooves or just overall not being able to comfortably sit on the floor. There are many different types of tables, but the best is a wooden one. It is best to avoid any glass tables because they may crack under the heat.

Ironing on a countertop

Another superb alternative to ironing your garments on the floor or on a table would be the kitchen counter. You may have a messy table or grooved floors, so the counter would be the next best thing for you. It is generally a large surface area, and that is what you want to lay your garment on. Make sure that you choose a section of the counter that is clean and dry. If there is any grease on the counter, you will risk it getting on your garments or the blanket that you lay down to iron on.

While the blanket would protect your clothes from becoming dirty, anything on the surface can cause the blanket to slide while you are ironing. If you find yourself in a situation where you may encounter a lot of foot traffic in the kitchen, set off to the side where there will be less commotion and away from the sink in case it is used.

Using a steamer

How to Iron Without an Ironing Board?If you find yourself in a rush, you can start using a steamer to get the wrinkles out of your garments. Steamers are also great if you want to get wrinkles out of other things instead of clothes, like curtains or sheets. Ironing can take a bit longer, but the quality is there. You can check out our top choice of steamer for garments to keep on the side just in case you want to avoid the iron. If you need something a bit more lightweight without the hassle, check out this highly-rated cordless iron and steamer.

Using an ironing blanket

How to Iron Without an Ironing Board?Another option available for ironing instead of an ironing board is an ironing blanket. Ironing blankets are what you would use in place of a thick towel. You can place the ironing blankets on any surface, use them, and roll them up once you are done with them. They are easier to store than ironing boards and are generally more popular.

Using a magnetic ironing mat

How to Iron Without an Ironing Board?A magnetic ironing mat is like an ironing blanket and essentially can turn any surface into an ironing board. These obviously come with strong magnets, so you can place them on the washing machine or dryer so you can iron without worrying about it sliding across the washer or dryer.

Final Thoughts

There are many ways that you can iron your clothes to help you appear presentable without having to actually have an ironing board. This may seem contradictory, having an iron without an ironing board? It sounds silly, but it is totally possible if you can get creative with the furniture or items around your home. Sometimes you can enlist the help of some other inventions, such as an ironing blanket or magnetic ironing mat. Some of the best irons that come highly recommended can be found here. There are even cordless irons available now, and some of the best ones you can buy are here. If you are feeling a bit fancier, you can even purchase a steamer, and some top-rated ones can be found here.

References

1.
Where better to do your ironing than in the middle of the M1? | Extreme sports | The Guardian
The man pressing his clothes on the closed motorway is the latest instance of extreme ironing

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