4 Best Battings For Ironing Board Covers
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Batting or also known in the UK as wadding is commonly used for quilting to add loft and a cushioning layer to a project. Batting can also be used in other projects such as oven gloves, hot pads and ironing board covers.
After looking at replacing my ironing board cover and possibly creating my very own portable ironing board for smaller projects, I decided I wanted to know more about what materials are the most suitable and safest to use.
After some extensive research and a successful recovering project, I decided to put together this helpful article so you can find exactly what you need at the click of a button.
Is It Safe To Use Any Batting?
I wouldn’t recommend using any batting that is a polyester batting or polyester/cotton mix, as polyester has a tendency to melt and flatten with heat and over time.
While it is much cheaper it will diminish quickly and some polyester batting may even melt to the point that your ironing board has no padding or cushioning at all.
Polyester batting also has a higher rate of problems and while you aren’t using with extreme heat or protecting yourself as you would for oven gloves or hot pads you still need a level of protection from the hot iron.
4 Best Battings For Ironing Board Covers
Before you start shopping around for batting for your ironing board you will need to know a couple of things first.
Don’t buy a thick batting, though the ironing board requires cushioning, if you have a thick batting there will be too much loft and air within the layers and won’t be suitable. Instead use a thin batting and a couple of layers of it, this will make it a smoother surface to iron on and give better results long term.
Don’t use polyester or poly blend batting as this won’t react as well against the heat and cheaper blends may even melt and disintegrate with the heat of the iron.
1. Insul-Bright Heat Resistant
This is by far the most used and recommended batting for ironing boards and ironing board covers.
Insul – Bright is a foil layer that provides heat protection. Due to the material being made from foil it is not suitable for certain uses but is great for using when creating an ironing board or ironing board cover.
The Insul-Bright is great for those looking to create their own ironing board from wood that is either large for patchwork and quilting or a small desk top version for small seams and smaller projects.
The Insul-Bright works as a foil layer that will reflect the heat back from the layer and stop the moisture seeping into the wood or underlayer and will bounce it back towards the fabric.
Along with the Insul-Bright is is advised to use another layer of cotton batting – especially on home made ironing boards to give them extra cushioning and protection.
2. Warm and Natural 100% Cotton Batting
Another fan favourite for many who make quilts and often use batting for projects. Many who make hot pads, oven gloves and other projects that require protection from heat work with 100% cotton batting, 100% cotton fabric and 100% cotton thread.
The properties in 100% cotton are safer to use on warm – hot objects. I will also mention that this batting should not be put in the microwave or oven.
This brand does occur some shrinkage but many people who use it haven’t noticed too much of a difference. If you wish to you can pre-shrink the batting to stop this happening later on.
The batting isn’t fusible but is highly recommended for quilters and home projects. It is super easy to use and create a soft cushion within your placemats and projects.
You can find these in different sizes to suit different quilt sizes such as a cot, double and queen. The cotton gives the batting a nice feel and cushion texture. It isn’t thick and is generally quite thin which makes it a great batting for ironing boards and ironing board covers.
While this is a recommended batting, it is recommended you use any 100% cotton batting for ironing board covers as it deals better with the heat and moisture from an iron.
3. Hobbs Heirloom Fusible Cotton Batting
The biggest advantage of using the Hobbs fusible batting is that it is fusible on both sides so you can get a neat placemat for sewing. No more worrying about your layers slipping and moving while sewing!
The qualities are very similar to Hobbs cotton/ polyester blend but are better as it doesn’t shrink with washing.
Avoiding shrinkage is important as you don’t want your ironing board cover to shrink until it no longer fits your board or stands.
What is really good about this batting is that it is quality batting, 100% cotton and will work well with ironing boards and covers as it is thin and very workable.
This is also one of the best batting for ironing boards due to it being thin and lays nice and flat, making it super easy to work with.
4. Wool Fabric Or Wool Felted Heat Mats
Wool is an extremely useful, natural and heat resistant fabric. A recommended batting for oven gloves in many communities around the world is to use wool, from old wool jumpers, wool moving blankets or felted wool mats.
These are great as they are a natural material, heat resistant and easy to get hold of.
If you are looking at making a dedicated ironing board I would still use something like foil, Insul-Bright or a reflective material to stop the moisture from seeping through the wool to the base board and ruining it.
This is a much more cost-effective way as you can find these materials much easier and you can create your own ironing board in no time and at no major cost.
I would recommend using a thin layer of batting along with the wool layer if possible to create a nice padded board. Also if you are using old wool jumpers make sure they are fairly flat and not knitted into a design as these can cause unnecessary lumps within your ironing board.
