Stop stains this semester

Laundry basket with clean, folded clothes

A quick lesson in Laundry 101 will give students more time to hit the books.

(NAPS) - Many new college students have little experience in the laundry room. What with going to class, getting acclimated to college life and making new friends, laundry just isn’t a first concern.

“When students enter the laundry room for the first time, often they are unfamiliar with the actual laundry process,” said Andrea Streiff, Family and Consumer Education teacher and Phi Upsilon Omicron, Family and Consumer Science Honor Society representative. “Even if they have a basic understanding of the process, many are more concerned with spending the least amount of money on proper fabric care.”

For the procrastinator, heading home for the weekend with the dirty laundry in tow may seem like the easiest solution. However, there are plenty of laundry resources available that help get the job done without having to make the trek back to mom and dad.

Online resources such as the Institute of Fabric Science offer quick and easy laundry tips so students don’t have to call home for Laundry 101. The institute was created by Whirlpool to teach consumers to maximize their laundry systems-saving time, money and effort.

Institute experts offer the following tips and supply list for laundry first-timers:

  • Laundry can be a cinch with the right supplies. Make sure to add a laundry basket or bag, iron and board, drying rack, stain stick, laundry detergent and drying sheets to the back-to-school shopping list.
  • The laundry process begins before you head to the laundry room. First, treat stains by blotting, not rubbing, from the back of the fabric to the front. Next, divide loads into lights and darks. While sorting, check that zippers are closed, hooks clasped and pockets emptied.
  • Ease up on the detergent. Extra suds actually inhibit proper cleaning by holding on to soils and redepositing them on your laundry. Use hot water to keep white loads bright and switch to cold to prevent darks from fading.
  • Think twice before cramming the washer and dryer full of laundry. Clothes come out cleaner and less wrinkled when given room to move freely. Also, remember to empty the lint trap in the dryer. Doing so increases energy efficiency and speeds up drying to get back to more important things - like studying.
  • Just like schoolwork, procrastination won’t make the task any easier. Fold clothing straight out of the dryer to avoid extra ironing later.

    • Still feeling like a laundry tutor is needed for those tough stains? Additional laundry tips and tricks are available at www.instituteoffabricscience.com.

    Spotless floor shortcut

    Room with fireplace and wooden floors.

    When you get down to it, a hard-surface floor is easy to care for.

    (NAPS) - It’s easy to see that hard-surface flooring has become increasingly popular. This fact may floor you: According to the Freedonia Group, an industrial research firm, the country currently has nearly 12 billion square feet of it.

    There are several major kinds of hard floors: wood, laminates, vinyl, ceramic, porcelain and quarry tile, natural stone floors and clay tiles. To help you protect and preserve your hard-surface floors, the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) offers these tips:

  • Use Entry Mats: Eighty to 90 percent of soil on floors is tracked in from outside.
  • Remove Dry Soil Often: Vacuuming is the most efficient way.
  • Wet Clean Regularly: Use a neutral floor cleaner or one formulated for the particular floor surface. When cleaning wood floors, keep moisture to a minimum.

    • For more “how to clean” tips, call an IICRC Certified Floor Care Technician. Find one at www.CertifiedCleaners.org or (800) 835-4624.

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    Calendar & Pet of the Week

    Sophisticated entertaining made simple

    This month’s recipe
    Smoked Salmon and Caper Spread

    (NAPS) - Sophisticated entertaining is about enjoying time with friends and family and making guests feel special. A simple, well-planned hors d´oeuvre can set the tone and leaves guests impressed and calling for more. Serving your dish with a distinct specialty cracker can add an effortless note of elegance and allows your recipes to shine.

    Chef Bradford Thompson of Lever House, a three-star restaurant in midtown Manhattan, knows a lot about making a recipe sing. “When preparing for a dinner party, I always tailor my menus to reflect my guests’ favorite foods,” said Chef Thompson. “If my friends love salmon, I’ll make sure it’s the star of the show. This ensures everyone feels satisfied and included in the meal.”

    Chef Thompson, a guru of modern American cuisine, has created a deliciously quick recipe to make his dinner party guests feel like they’re receiving the royal treatment. Smoked Salmon and Caper Spread is simple yet elegant with the right amount of fresh salmon and tangy crème fraîche served on Carr’s® Table Water Crackers with Cracked Pepper, the perfect accompaniment.

    For more sophisticated entertaining recipes, you can visit carrscrackers.com.