You should never actually use your laptop on your lap. It needs to be on a cool, flat surface like a wooden tray or table, or as Maidup says you could get one of those cooling trays especially built to help stop laptops overheating.
just use a flat board etc to put the laptop non it keeps the vents underneath clear
dont both with a cooling pad if you do what i said it will not over heat also buy as can of "airduster" to blast inside the vents clear out all the fluff and dust from its fan that accumulates
5 Star Air Duster Can HFC Free Compressed Gas Flammable 400ml
I actually use a small table for my laptop - it doesn't sit on my lap! I would have thought therefore that there would be enough air circulation, so that should not be a problem. Is the laptop overheating? Is it liable to break down?