Principles of Kitchen and Laundry Science I Never Learned in Home Ec.

For years, I’ve been wondering why my cooking skills are not up to par with the likes of Bobby Flay and Giada DeLaurentiis. Or why my children’s pasta stains are permanently engraved into their clothing. It turns out, I missed out on a few key principles having to do with kitchen and laundry science (yes, it’s a science!) during my high school Home Ec. class.

Last week, I spent an incredibly relaxing and informative 3 days at the Real Whirled House (pictured above) in Benton Harbor, Michigan. The two-story, 8 bedroom condo serves as a training facility for those going into sales within the company. And for the very first time, Whirlpool brought a group of bloggers in for a deep dive into their kitchen and laundry appliances.

I can totally cook! Ask Sara...

I came away informed, inspired, and ready to tackle laundry and cooking in a new way. So what did I learn? Here are twelve things I wish I had been taught in Home Ec.:

1. The dishes don’t have to be pre-rinsed before going into the dishwasher. Bonus: You’ll save 20 gallons of water!

2. Newer dishwashers (like ours) which use a filter system must be cleaned out regularly (of course I knew that…um…)

3. Your dishwasher’s “Quick Wash” cycle uses more energy and water than conventional cycles

4. 36 degrees Fahrenheit is the optimal refrigerator temperature to prevent the growth of bacteria. Or…your milk should be cold and your ice cream hard (frozen)

5. Preheating your oven will ensure your items cook or bake all the way through

6. The type of pan used for baking is important and can affect the end result

7. In some instances, metal may be used in the microwave as long as it’s not touching any other metal

8. You can use the broiler for garlic bread, microwave steak and eggs, and cook in many more innovative ways (I’ll tell you how in an upcoming post!)

9. Garment care begins at the point of purchase…the types of fabrics you purchase determine how involved you want to be with your laundry

10. Washing and drying can set a stain

11. There are different detergents on the market that are used to remove different types of stains (who would have thought?)

12. Even more important than sorting fabrics by color is sorting them by weight

I can’t wait to share more about our whirlwind trip to discover the world of Whirlpool. For now, here are just a few photos from the trip:

From Left to Right: Me, Stefani, Cheryl, Crystal, Sara, and Tesa.

Not pictured: Jennifer and Candace

No compensation was received for this post. Travel expenses associated with the trip to Benton Harbor were provided by Whirlpool.

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Caryn Bailey

Caryn is a NICU nurse by day, blogger by night and mom 24/7. She savors the warm Southern California sun and loves to travel, shopping, baking, reading and frequenting her local tea room. Caryn created the column Lavishly Green for Peekaboo Picks Magazine to share her best tips for going green in style, she is the Former editor for Family Review Network, former OC Family Magazine online contributor, former Orange County Moms Blog contributor, former Evenflo Savvy Parent contributor, former member of the Totsy Advisory Board and former freelance writer for CBS Los Angeles.