Do You Really Need An Ironing Board?

In this day and age when people are even questioning if they should iron clothes for work, is an ironing board even necessary? The trend is to avoid this chore as much as possible especially among the younger generation. Hence, if you hardly iron at home, do you really need an ironing board? After all, it is bulky which takes up space to store.

Well, I think the answer lies mainly in your own standards when it comes to ironing results especially if you are merely a light user. Apart from that, there are also a few reasons why an ironing board may be necessary for some.

Practical And Convenient

There is no doubt that you can iron without an ironing board. But the chore simply becomes harder. Even if you need to iron only a few shirts each time, it can be tiring when you don’t have a height-adjustable counter or table. One of the good things about an ironing board is that you can adjust the height to make it more comfortable for you to do your chore.

Furthermore, the shape of the board makes it easier to iron the shoulder area of a shirt. A mesh metal top also ensures the steam will pass through and evaporate for better results quicker. You can’t get this kind of features on a rectangular wooden table or any other solid surface that you are using to do your ironing. Similarly, it is hard to iron large items like bed sheets and curtains by simply laying a towel on a table.

In short, an ironing board is practical and convenient. It is worth the investment if you have a big pile of laundry to iron each time. You can certainly make do without it but it helps to save time and make the task more bearable.

Better Results

Many people tend to iron on their bed if they do not have an ironing board. I used to do it too during those times when I just needed to iron a shirt or two each week. But if you are fussy about having sharp creases on your slacks or other garments, you will definitely get better results with an ironing board. It is incredibly difficult to get the same results when you use the bed to do your ironing. This is because the bed is not a hard surface and whenever you apply downward pressure to get your creases, the mattress will form a dent as well.

Moreover, when you put a towel to cover your bed or table to do your ironing, it is hard for the heat and steam to dissipate. This means that the garment that you are ironing would not be able to cool down quickly. Hence, each time you re-position it to iron the other areas, it becomes very easy for new creases to form. Getting perfect results then becomes difficult to achieve.

That is why even if you hardly iron, you might be better off buying an ironing board. Making do without it might work for some people who are not particular about having a perfectly ironed garment. In fact, there are those who don’t mind if their clothes are still wrinkled after ironing as long the clothes look presentable and not straight out of the washer. However, if you have a high standard for your ironed clothes, chances are you will still an ironing board to get you the results that you want.

Is An Ironing Board Really Necessary?

The advantages of having an ironing board are clear as have been mentioned above. But the bottomline remains that it is not a must for everyone. It depends on your own ironing standards and whether you can live without the practicality and convenience of owning one. For example, if you have gotten used to ironing on your kitchen counter, then so be it. But if it is starting to give you backaches because of the height mismatch, then it is time to consider investing in one.

Yes, an ironing board is expensive. Some will cost you more than $100 a piece. Different models will have different features and you will have to know how to choose an ironing board that fit your needs. Personally, I will consider it as a worthwhile investment. You can’t put a value to it but the time-savings and convenience will make up for the purchase price in the long run.