Learn to whiten, starch those shirts

If you’re a laundry newbie, or just interested in doing your own laundry and doing it well, you’ll find plenty of good information in “Betty’s Book of Laundry Secrets,” by Betty Faust and Maria Rodale.

The beautiful blue pocket-sized paperback, published under the umbrella of Organic Style Magazine, covers everything anyone could ever want or need to know about stocking a hard-working laundry room with the right supplies, the best way to remove stains and even how to starch your own shirts at home. (In the washing machine! Who knew?)

Faust and Rodale include a guide to folding everything from t-shirts to fitted sheets, as well as tips for wrinkle-free packing and the best way to store out-of-season clothing.

A resource guide for purchasing “green” laundry products is listed at the back of the book.

The most unexpected and tasty secret in the book is the inclusion of a pumpkin pie recipe.

But the explanation for the recipe is as delicious as the pie sounds: “Life is filled with hard work and tasks that need doing,” the authors write. “But when it’s all said and done, the best things are simple and shared with family and friends.”

Betty’s Book of Laundry Secrets serves up fresh advice and sweet wisdom. Who couldn’t use a slice of that?