This is how my partner and I built a worldwide business from broke.
Life Behind The Scenes With The Ironing Diva
The Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover And Other Goodies is the hook I hang my business hat on. This accidental, rural business, is a dream come true. One of the highlights of my life. This is my journey through the roller coaster world of business. And the choices I make in how to run my dream of a lifetime.
~Carol Jones, Ironing Diva❤
How Long Will My Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover Last?
Magpies. Perched On A Eucalyptus Stringybark.
When you buy a premium product. That you’ve never used before. And it’s one of the most expensive products in its category. You want to know how long it will last.
It’s a question I ask myself when I’m the purchaser. And it’s a question that you ask me.
When my partner, Victor Pleshev, the architect who designed the Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover for his mother. And I were contemplating this project for his mother, Margarita. And long before we realised this was a business. Albeit an accidental business. We made the decision that all the components that were part of the Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover had to be the very best quality.
This was. After all. A surprise birthday gift for his mother. And Victor’s father. An engineer lauded around the world for his expertise in coal preparation plants. Would cast his critical eye over it. Expecting nothing less than perfection from his son.
500 covers later. When Margarita’s gift became an accidental business. We were confident that we had chosen the best ingredients to ensure the Fitz Like A Glove™ Cover was exceptional as far as materials was concerned.
So exceptional, that we were the first makers of ironing board covers in the world to give a 12 Month Wear And Tear Guarantee on every cover.
Although makers now give a guarantee against workmanship. We are not aware of any other cover in the world that guarantees that you cannot wear it out within 12 months.
But.
You. And we. Want it to last longer than 12 months.
When we started this business in 1994. We couldn’t answer the question. How long will it last? Because we had no track record.
24 years later. We have a bountiful track record.
And these are the answers. Yes. There’s more than one!
It’s very rare for a customer to wear a cover out within 3 years.
Some customers get between 3 to 5 years wear. Before they replace it.
Many more customers get between 5 and 8 years wear.
And then there are my most recent repeat customers. Amanda. Justine. Peter. Who got between 8 and 15 years wear. These are customers who iron every day. Amanda for a family of 5.
What makes the difference? When the cover is constructed the same for everybody?
It’s like everything you own. It’s how you take care of it.
If you don’t leave your iron face down when ironing, you’re not overheating your cover.
By not ironing your cover dry when filling your iron’s water tank. After spilling water on your cover. Makes it last longer. A hot iron. On a wet fabric. Repeatedly. Will weaken the fabric. And cause it to split.
Washing your cover frequently refreshes the fibres. And makes your cover feel like new. It does make it last longer.
How frequently should you wash it?
If you use spray starch. Once a week. Otherwise, once a quarter will be the perfect face lift.
These are just small things. But they make a big impact on how long your Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover will last.
My cover is 9 years old. And is still in perfect condition.
It’s Ebony. A beautiful soft black. I follow all the above rules. And when I dry it, I hang it on a hook in my laundry room. So my harsh rural sunshine doesn’t fade the colour.
And to make sure my Ebony cover really looks sensational. Victor spray painted our 60 year old. Very sturdy ironing board. Matt black!
A friend of mine. Who collects vintage everything. Always tells me that if something is worth having. It’s worth looking after.
If you have the best ironing board cover in the world (I’m prejudiced!). It takes minimal effort to make sure you get the absolute maximum wear out of it.
~Carol Jones, Ironing Diva❤
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Designers & makers in RURAL Australia of The Fitz Like A Glove™ Ironing Board Cover, Log Lugger, Roadworks Apron, Travel Bug Shoe Bag,
Mr Chin’s Laundry Bag, Sweet Shoo.
Every product is a joy to use.
