This may sound crazy, but I put an old terry cloth bath towel on my board when I use starch. My ironing board is very old but very sturdy and is larger than the covers they make now that are cheaper. I have to buy them through Amazon and they are not cheap. They used to make them where you could hand wash them and put them out to dry. (the pad and cloth are together) But now if you do that, they shrink to much to use again. So, I use the towel and remove it when I'm through with the starching part and want to iron the pieces I've cut from the starched fabric.