There are so many benefits to having a plant in your dorm room. A study by Michigan State found that being around plants can increase memory retention by up to 20 percent!
Directed attention is the effortful process that helps individuals focus on objects or events while simultaneously blocking out distracting stimulation
Ex. if you are doing work in a cafe, you are able to continue reading and are not distracted by other people’s conversations or the whirring of the coffee machine.
There are limited amounts of directed attention and specific environments can better restore attentional depletion
Natural scenes like vegetation or water can be restorative by counteracting stress and facilitating the recovery from mental fatigue
Are you a seasoned laundry pro? Or a newbie? No matter what your answer is, check out our Frequently Asked Questions to learn how to do laundry at Midd and how to do it the most sustainable way possible!
Q: Where is the laundry room?
A:
In Stewart, it is on the first floor. There are two stairwells, the Proctor side and the Mccullough side. The laundry room is on the Mccullough side stairwell. If you walk past the Pit (the yellow room) you walk through the doors (towards the dorm rooms) it will be the first 2 doors on your right.
In Hepburn, the laundry room is in the basement. The stairs are located to the left of the elevator (alternatively you can take the elevator to the basement). After walking down the stairs, turn right, (go through some doors) and then left (you will see a door leading outside, if you go through it, you’ve gone too far!). There are two laundry rooms in hepburn (although they are right next to each other). You can use either!
Q: How do I do laundry?
A:
Purchase a laundry card Middlebury uses a pay system where you can purchase a card at the bookstore. It comes with enough money on it that you can do one load of washing and drying.
Add value to your card You can add-value to the card at the following locations: the entrance to Ross Dining Hall, Forest Hall laundry room, Atwater Hall A laundry room and McCullough (next to the ATM).
Scan the card to pay In the laundry rooms, there will be a machine that you can use to pay with your card. You may have to identify the number on your laundry machine and plug this into the machine. Make sure the machine you plan to use is empty because you cannot receive your money back.
Put your laundry in the machine We recommend waiting to do laundry when it is a “full load” because this is more sustainable. A full load means that the machine is ~¾ full. Do not overfill!
Add detergents and/or fabric softeners
Liquid The lid to most bottles serves as a measuring cup and will indicate how much you need (typically ¼ c. liquid detergent is used per load). There is a drawer that you pull out (top left of washer) and insert your detergent and/or liquid fabric softeners.
Pods Add one or two pods directly to the washer drum with your clothes
Laundry Beads Add directly to the drum
Select cycle We recommend that you use “brights”. This cycle uses cold water which is better for your clothes and the environment. Putting mixed colors or whites in a cold temperature wash will not affect clothing.
Set a timer! (Usually 40 minutes is good) There are a limited number of washers and dryers and we want to remember to be courteous to our peers. Don’t be that person who always leaves their clothes in the laundry room. Also, after a few hours, your clothes will begin to develop odors from sitting in a wet washer (and will need to be rewashed) so you should immediately dry them.
Move your clothes to a dryer Depending on how large your load was, you can oftentimes dry two laundry loads in one dryer (especially in Stewart!) Don’t forget to take out items of clothing that are supposed to be air dried.
Add dryer balls or sheets We recommend using dryer balls because it is more sustainable and can even be cheaper. Most wool dryer balls have natural fabric softener, are hypoallergenic, help reduce wrinkles, and shorten drying time.
Clean the lint trap Before starting the dryer cycle, remember to clean the lint trap. Theoretically, the person before you should have cleaned it when they were done but it’s good to check. A full lint trap can lead to clothes taking longer to dry and even become a fire hazard.
Dry clothes on low heat While the low heat setting takes more time, it is still more efficient. Dryers use more energy on heat than on tumbling, so reducing heat will save more energy than reducing tumbling. This is also better for your clothes!
Clean the lint trap Before leaving, clean the trap so that it is ready for the next user
Fold clothes If you fold your clothes while they are still warm, this reduces wrinkling!
Q: What kind of detergents should I use?
HE Detergent
While it is not mandatory, it is recommended that you use High Efficiency (HE) detergents. These detergents need less water because their formula has low sudsing and quick dispersing. They are equally effective as other detergents and most name brands (eg.Tide) offer HE detergents (in liquid and pod form).
Pods vs Liquid
This is personal preference. However, we recommend that you use liquid detergent for the following reasons: (1) the pods have microplastics which are bad for our oceans and marine friends (2) sometimes the pods do not “melt” completely and leave a sticky residue on your clothes.
Q: Do I need fabric softeners or dryer sheets?
A: This is also personal preference. To be more sustainable (and it’s cheaper), we recommend purchasing wool dryer balls (~$7). They have natural fabric softener, are hypoallergenic, help reduce wrinkles, and shorten drying time.
Q: How often should I do laundry?
A: Check out our graphic! Most students do their laundry weekly or bi-weekly (every two weeks) but it’s up to you.
We hope everyone is staying cool this summer! Did you know that it is more sustainable to grow your own produce and/or shop at farmers markets?
Here are some reasons why buying local food (or even growing your own) can benefit you, your community and the environment!
Fewer pesticides
Support for your local farmers and small business owners
Decreased carbon footprint because the food does not have to travel as far
It tastes better! Food is more likely to be picked when ripe and transferred directly to the market
It’s healthier! As soon as produce is harvested, the food begins to lose nutrient value
Its fun and helps build community
We want to see your summer garden or trip to the farmers market. If you have something to share with us and your future classmates, please submit a photo and caption for our Instagram using this form!
Hey Class of 2024! This is Maya, one of the summer interns working to plan the cool study breaks we will offer in the fall. Our team is so excited to meet you!
As we’re sure you know, Middlebury is committed to environmental sustainability. We launched the first environmental studies program in the country over 50 years ago and have made huge strides to be a sustainable campus. In January 2019, Middlebury committed to Energy2028, a bold goal to reduce our energy consumption by 25% and transition to 100% renewable energy by 2028. Middlebury is leading the way toward a sustainable future!
By living in Stewart and Hepburn Halls this year, you will have a unique opportunity to live in one of the first Energy2028 dorms on campus. This means that we will be coordinating weekly study-breaks to let you know more about sustainability across Middlebury! We will also be hosting an array of special events for you and your new friends throughout the semester. Also follow us on Instagram (@energy_2028_studybreaks) for some more tips and tricks to live a more sustainable college life!
