July 12, 2024 • 34 mins
If you are you ready to discover the magic of steam cleaning and how it can transform your home and enhance your DIY projects, this episode of Creative Living with Jane Clauss is for you. Tune in as we dive into the world of Laura Star USA and uncover the power of steam.
Prepare to be inspired as Kristen Wermers, the Vice President of Operations, and Emily Dunlap, the Business Development Manager at LauraStar USA, share their insider secrets on how this innovative technology can revolutionize your cleaning routine and take your sewing and quilting to new heights.
From sanitizing surfaces without harsh chemicals to achieving perfectly pressed seams, you won't want to miss a single moment of this steam-powered adventure. So, get ready to be intrigued as we explore the wonders of steam cleaning and creative living!
Here are some quick reference points in case you want to skip ahead!
[0:00:10] Jane Clauss introduces the topic of the podcast, which is exploring the magic of steam cleaning and how it can transform homes and enhance your creative living. And welcomes Kristen Wermers, the Vice President of Operations at LauraStar USA, and Emily Dunlap, the Business Development Manager at LauraStar USA.
[0:03:11] Kristen explains how using steam for cleaning allows homeowners to clean their homes without introducing harsh chemicals, providing a more eco-friendly and healthier cleaning option.
[0:04:15] Kristen discusses how Laura Star's steam is highly effective at disinfecting and killing germs, bacteria, and allergens, making it a powerful cleaning tool.
[0:05:52] Jane asks about using a portable steam cleaner like the Izzy Plus to clean hard-to-reach surfaces like couches, mattresses, and other household textiles.
[0:07:24] Emily emphasizes the importance of regularly cleaning household textiles like couches and curtains with steam to maintain a clean and healthy home environment.
[0:09:45] Kristin suggests starting a summer cleaning routine by steaming bedding and linens to help remove dust mites and other allergens, creating a fresher living space.
[0:10:45] Emily discusses the precision and flat pressing achieved with a steamer like the Laura Star, making it a valuable tool for quilters and se
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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VO (00:00):
Time to tantalize your earbuds with creative makers and
shakers. It's creative living,the podcast with Jane Clauss,
Jane Clauss (00:10):
this is creative living, where we help you live
your most creative life. I'mJane Clauss now on the show, we
explore all things, DIY,crafting, home decor,
sustainable living, and whateverit is that's going to make your
creative side come to life. Andtoday we're doing just that.
(00:31):
We're going to talk about themagic of one of my favorite
products that works so hard youdon't have to. We're going to
dive into the importance ofusing steam when it comes to
textiles and when it comes tohome summer cleaning. And of
course, we've got some top tipsfor you to keep in mind. Now
I've got some special guestsfrom Laura star USA. And Laura
(00:53):
star is a brand that is knownfor their exceptional steam
cleaning products, as well astheir top of the line irons for
sewing, quilting and di wires,we're going to find out how
their innovative tools cantransform your home, not just by
making it sparkle, but also bycreating a healthier living
(01:14):
environment and also enhancingyour creative living So whether
you're a seasoned cleaningenthusiast, a passionate DIY or
both. This episode has somethingfor everyone, so let's turn up
the volume and let's get intothe nitty gritty of steam
cleaning and creative living.Please. Welcome to the show from
(01:36):
Laura star USA, Kristen warmersand Emmeline Dunlap, Hello,
ladies, how are you? Hello.Thanks
Kristen Wermers (01:43):
for having us.
Jane Clauss (01:44):
It's so great to have you on the show now.
Kristen, you're the vicepresident of operations at Laura
Starr USA, and Emily, you arethe business development manager
at Laura Starr. So what was themost surprising thing that each
of you learned about steamingand steam cleaning when you
first started at Laura star.
Emily Dunlap (02:05):
Most quilters are so afraid of steam, it shrinks
and distorts our fabric. ButLaura stars dry and microfine
steam does not do that. Soreally, Jane, that's just the
tip of the iceberg. Gettingthose flat seams on my quilting
is really great, and I use itfor all kinds of other sewing
tips too.
Jane Clauss (02:21):
I love that. Okay, we're going to dive into that
distortion of your fabric andyour garments and your quilt
projects in just a second, but Iwant to talk about steam
cleaning first. Kristen, we talkabout using steam cleaning to
keep your home environmentclean, especially during the
summer months. Why is thatimportant, and how does it work,
(02:43):
kind of compared to othertraditional methods,
Kristen Wermers (02:47):
yeah, so I think it is. The opportunity
right now is really being andworking with non toxic materials
we want to, you know, not impactour environment negatively. And
so using steam to clean,especially as you know, your
kids friends are coming over thesummer and you have everybody
coming and going. If you're ableto clean your home without
(03:09):
introducing those chemicals,that's even better.
Jane Clauss (03:12):
Yeah, so talk about the chemical free cleaning
trend. What should homeownersknow?
Kristen Wermers (03:19):
Well, I would tell you that, you know, steam
is so easy to use. You havewater, and one of our products,
you can steam clean anythingseems expansive. It can get into
any cracks and crevices, so youdon't have to worry about
missing anything. And then, youknow, steam can sanitize and
clean surfaces, textiles, reallyanything throughout your home.
(03:41):
So that's super helpful.
Jane Clauss (03:42):
But when I was first introduced to Laura star,
it was when we were wearingmasks, and what really got me
was you can hit that mask withthe steam of a Laura star iron
and really get rid of like 99.9%of the bacteria or whatever was
stuck in that mask more so thansomething that's thrown in the
(04:03):
washer and dryer? Is it justbecause of the heats of the
water, the steam? Is that what'sdoing the disinfecting and the
cleaning? I know that's a superbasic question, but maybe we all
understand,
Kristen Wermers (04:15):
yeah. So our steam is almost 400 degrees, so
it is roughly 386 degrees, sowell above that boiling point of
water. And so that steam thengoes ahead and disinfects,
whether it is a textiles, removecovid germs. It can kill bed
bugs, it can kill closed moss.It can kill lice, other
(04:38):
bacteria, any germs throughout.So steam is really kind of that
great catch all, and steam alsocan remove up to 97% of pet
dander as well.
Jane Clauss (04:49):
Well, this is great because, Emily, I know you said
having a craft room or a home isnot a home without a cat, and I
agree. I used to have two littlekitties that I love so much.
Yeah, talk about that pet danderand the removal of their dander
because of the steam what areasof the home are best helped
because of steam cleaning?
Emily Dunlap (05:11):
Yeah, absolutely. So a lot of those things in our
homes that are hard to wash orhard to clean that can't be
thrown in the washing machine.You know, as we've just
discussed, the washing the waterin the washing machine doesn't
actually read a high enoughtemperature to kill and
sanitize. We see this movementof people using cold cycles
anyway. So I can take thatpowerful steam, I can take it
(05:33):
right to my couch. I can take itto my mattress. So those pet
allergens in those favoriteplaces of my little furry
friends are really great to killthose pet allergens and dander.
You know, if I don't want tothrow a quilt in the wash after
every time it's on my couch mycats, I can use that steam and
sanitize and disinfectAbsolutely. You
Jane Clauss (05:52):
have a specific because I have a Laura star
iron, which I love. So it's ait's an ironing board with the
iron attached to it. Am I goingto use that to steam clean my
couch, or is there somethingelse that you have that can do
that steam cleaning in all thesedifferent areas of the house?
Emily Dunlap (06:07):
You can absolutely do that. Jane the system does
fold up and it can move aroundyour home, but we know that
there's the right tool for thejob, and having a portable
option is going to be much moreconvenient. So here I've got my
Izzy plus, and it is a niceportable unit that looks very
similar to the lift that we canuse as well. So those are great
to move around the home andreach those harder places. If I
(06:29):
want to refresh my draperies,for example, or my couch cushion
or my mattress, it comes on avery convenient steam cart,
which is a great addedaccessory. So we have a lot of
different products that cansanitize and disinfect based on
whatever your needs are. So yes,you can use your system and kind
of tote it around, but you mighthave something on your wish
(06:50):
list. Jane,
Jane Clauss (06:52):
listen, my birthday is coming up, and maybe this is
on my wish list right now. Thankyou to my husband, by the way,
who's listening. I love the ideaof portability, because, you
know, if I'm using something inmy craft room and my couches
that I want to clean, the wholefamily sits on, or, you know, on
(07:12):
the second floor, or, you know,up a level, having a portable
system to move around and beingable to keep it clean. I don't
think that we clean our couchesor our curtains enough
Kristen Wermers (07:25):
you don't think twice about the fact that you
know your your couch has beenexposed to pets or orders or
whatever you you prior, probablyjust for breeze it and move on.
And so now, with something likesteam, you can very, very easily
just take your steam to it,especially with Daisy plus, we
(07:45):
have this great little textileguard on here, and you just
easily glide over your couch,your couch cushions or your
pillows, to easily removeanything that might have been in
contact with
Jane Clauss (07:57):
it. We're going to have the cleanest couches of all
time. We're going to have thecleanest everything just because
we can, I feel like it's atechnology thing. Like think
about our parents and ourgrandparents. Back in the day,
they did not and they were notable to walk around with a
portable steam cleaner, and theyhad to hire somebody to come in
and do it. And with innovationand technology that we have in
today's world, it just helps usmake things easier. Like you
(08:19):
said, Get the right tool to getthe right job, job done, Emily,
and also products that work sohard you don't have to. And
that's exactly I feel like.You're what the entire line is
doing. It's just making iteasier. It's like, right there
at your fingertips. So why notdo it?
Kristen Wermers (08:35):
I mean, I think something as simple as thinking
about so you know, following arecent PV appearance, right? So
I went home with Izzy plus, andI steamed my entire mattress and
bedroom from pretty much top tobottom. You know. I vacuumed my
mattress. I did all of thosecleaning fun things, and was so
(08:57):
happy with results at the end.Because not only does it remove
all the ick that you don'treally want to think about being
near you at all times, in yourin your mattress. It also really
helps remove that odor orbacteria from, you know, your
body. And so that odor causingbacteria and so, you know, just
getting that clean refresh scentis so much nicer, too.
Jane Clauss (09:17):
I love that you you're like, I left a TV
appearance that I was explaininghow to summer clean to the
audience, and you are soinspired. You went home and did
it yourself.
Emily Dunlap (09:28):
Absolutely alright. Let's talk about
Jane Clauss (09:31):
where somebody should start. All right. We're
hearing this. We're watchingthis. I want to do this. I want
to be inspired to clean. Whatare some tips for somebody who
is just getting started withtheir summer cleaning routine,
where do they start with steam?
Emily Dunlap (09:46):
Well, I wanted to actually share a pretty funny
story about my grandmother, if Ican, because I think it's good,
a good example. I taught mygrandmother how to quilt
something that will have deer tous for a little while, and she
she finally got herself a. Laurastar, which I'm very proud of
her. And she tells me, a couplemonths later, she said, you
know, Emily, I've been usinglorastar to press my sheets and
(10:09):
my pillowcases. And I said,Grandma, were you doing that
before? Were you were youironing your sheets and your
pillowcases before? And shesaid, No, but it's just so easy
with the LoRa star. And again, Ithink it's so important that we
can sanitize and disinfect, andI think that your bedding is a
fantastic place to start yourcleaning. Okay, so whether it's
(10:32):
your mattress and we're killingthose dust mites, or if we are
steaming those linens afterthey're coming out of the
washing machine, and reallyhaving a nice, fresh place to
start. So that's where I wouldstart. And I always have to, you
know, plug my grandma in there.
Jane Clauss (10:46):
We love grandma. Grandma knows best. Okay, Emily,
you're talking about quilting.You're the Business Development
Manager at Laura star. You havea passion for quilting, which
you already told us about. Talkabout how Laura star can cater
to quilters and sewists. So nowwe're switching from, hey, I'm
cleaning my house. Let's talkabout the creative friends that
(11:08):
we have here today, because Ilove my Laura star, and I notice
it actually does keep my scenesso beautifully precise and flat.
So talk about the benefits thata steamer can have for quilters.
So
Emily Dunlap (11:25):
I want to bring in a couple different points here.
Okay, because as a quilter and acrafter, we really have a couple
different hobbies, right? Jane,we make our projects, but we
also become collectors offabric, of tools, of notions of
thread. So we've got a coupledifferent hobbies here. The
Laura star is something thatmakes our results better but
(11:48):
also makes us feel good. So Ihear a lot of people say, Oh,
well, I don't need a Lora starbecause I'm not a professional.
And there's so many things inour industry that we purchase
and we collect and we use notbecause it's going to make us
money, but because it feels goodand it's fun to use. So it's
really important for us to bringthat fun back into our sewing
room. And ironing is the thingthat sometimes is the least
(12:12):
amount of fun, right? I met mysewing machine. I'm pushing some
blocks through my machine to andthen I've got to take them to
the iron board and press them,and that takes forever. The
Laura star saves us a ton oftime. I get a really flat press,
Jane, I know you love Christmas,so I've got to hold these up.
I've got these cute littlegingerbread men, and
Jane Clauss (12:29):
I want to tell our friends if you're listening to
the audio portion of thispodcast, only, you can always
watch the video on YouTube. Justlook for DIY by Jane Clauss,
Emily Dunlap (12:40):
so something as simple as making a half square
triangle, I can press my seamsreally flat. I'm not using a
tailor's clapper to set myseams. I'm not using a whole
pressing mat. I'm using thatpowerful steam from Lori, sir.
It's a twice heated steam. Okay,so it's not going to spit or
drip on my fabric. It's notgoing to shrink or distort these
(13:02):
blocks, even those triangles,and I get a really flat seam,
and I can get that with anylevel of lorastar, if I'm using
my lift here with a regularironing board. But what's really
nice about the system that youhave, Jane, and the smart you
that I have behind me, because Ihave that fan in the board. It's
pulling that steam through thefabric. Is cooling and drying my
seams, so my seams are Prestonsaid, all at once. But really
(13:25):
fun for me. It's taking that hotsteam, which we're kind of
scared about, right? But it'snot a wet steam, but it's
pulling that steam through theboard with that fan, and it's
pulling the steam away from ourfingers, so everything is much
more comfortable, okay? Somaking
Jane Clauss (13:39):
it a lot more fun,
Emily Dunlap (13:41):
making it more fun and less intimidating. So I'm
happy to show that to you. I'malso happy to kind of just
continue talking about it. Iwould
Jane Clauss (13:49):
love to see it, and then for all of our friends that
are listening only you can seethis on our YouTube channel, but
go ahead, yeah, get set up toshow us. And we're going to get
to garments and just steamcleaning blouses and clothes and
shirts and things like that. Youshowed me once how quick and
(14:09):
easy it is to steam wrinkles.Literally, we would be bringing
these things to the dry cleaner.We would be hanging them in the
shower. But with the steamingtechnology you have, whether the
fans are blowing out, you're notcreating wrinkles, you're
pressing the or you're steamingout the wrinkles, right,
Kristen Wermers (14:28):
right? So do when you have the fan,
especially in blowing up, youcan easily, kind of, I'll call
it, floating your, yes, yourtextile on top, and the steam is
going to remove those wrinklesfrom top. You're going to get
that cool air coming up fromunderneath to set the set the
wrinkle free garment, and thenyou're good to go and wear it
right away. All day long,
Jane Clauss (14:48):
we've got Emily back with her whole setup.
Emily Dunlap (14:50):
I'm about to show you not only the quilt block
that I talked about, but I alsowant to show you that silk
blouse. Okay, check out thesteam that I have from Laura.
Sorry, this is going to bepretty. Loud.
So Jane, you've used that steam.I've got that really powerful
steam. Don't do that with anyother steamer. Okay, don't steam
(15:13):
that on your hand like I did,because it'll be a wet steam and
it will burn you with any othersteamer. But with the Laura
star, I've got a twice heatedsteam. It heats in the boiler,
it travels up through the hose,and it's heated a second time as
it exits the iron. Okay, I'vegot that same powerful steam on
my portable options that I caneasily take anywhere in my home.
(15:33):
But this is my smart you. Thisis my top of the line, and I
want to show you briefly,because there is a fan built
into the board, and as Kristenwas just talking about, it, can
blow the air up or pull the airdown. So I want to give you that
really briefly in action, and Iwant to show you how powerful
the steam is. Because whetheryou are steaming garments, or if
you are a quilter, taking thatsteam to your long arm as you're
(15:55):
removing wrinkles from yourbacking, this is really great.
As soon as I touch the handle,that air draws down, I can
change the direction of the fan,and now I've got this cushion of
air that we were talking about.So that garment, that fabric, is
just floating for us. So reallyquickly we can cover that seam
(16:16):
and those wrinkles are removed.Oh
Jane Clauss (16:17):
my gosh,
Emily Dunlap (16:19):
too fast. And that is the power of the steam that
is found on all of our products.So that sleeve is going to be
really easy as well.
Jane Clauss (16:29):
Can I ask? Is that work? That's a what is that a
satin blouse, silk blouse? Doesit work like that on cotton and
other types of materials?
Emily Dunlap (16:37):
So this is 100% silk, and that lightweight silk
allows me to kind of float thatfabric easily and have that
steam go through the sleeve. IfI've got a cotton shirt, I
probably still want to pressthat, and I can do that on the
board really easily. I can do avertical steam if I want to, if
I've got my portable options aswell. When I first was
introduced to Laura, we quiltershave that notion that the steam
(17:03):
is going to shrink or distortthe fabric, but watch how close
I'm going to keep my fingers tothat iron. I get a really flat
press really fast. Okay, thatfans doing a couple different
things for me in conjunction tothat really powerful steam,
pressing that flat so that fanis holding my fabric in place.
It's cooling and drying my seamsso my seams are pressed and set
(17:26):
all at once. I'm not turningevery one of them over, but
again, it's also pulling thatsteam away from my fingers so I
can keep really close control.Okay, so this is pretty
fantastic. I know that we've gota lot to talk about. If you want
to see some more sewing stuff.I'm happy to show you,
Jane Clauss (17:43):
sure, and if you're listening to the audio version
only of this podcast, you canalways watch the video and see
all the demos on YouTube. Justgo to DIY by Jane Clauss, and
you'll see this video there. Ido need to ask, I always say,
when I'm doing a demo, and thisis just using any iron like
press your you do the demo,press your seams for more
(18:05):
professional look. And that'skind of always like my, my
standard, does the seam presswhen you're opening seams and
really pressing and finalizingthat same does it give it a more
professional look? Because it'sa higher heat, it
Emily Dunlap (18:18):
stays pressed. Jane, so you're right anytime
you are making a garment. Ithink there's a really popular
phrase that says, you know, thesurest way to make a garment
that looks handmade is to notpress it appropriately, right?
Pressing is one of those thingsthat really makes a garment look
store bought, right, instead ofhandmade. So pressing is so
(18:42):
important, but that steam,because the steam goes through
the fabric, and then the heat ofthe iron and the fan cools and
dries that fabric, your seam isalso set. Okay? So the setting
aspect is really important, andthat's why I've retired my
tailors clapper. I don't need todo that anymore. So there's a
couple reasons for
Jane Clauss (19:02):
you. Can you give us some more sewing tips and
tricks?
Emily Dunlap (19:06):
I've got some fusible for applique, but if
you're using fusible forinterfacing, for a garment, or
if you're using it forembroidery, for any kind of
stabilizer or even like a bagconstruction, usually we are
working a little harder. We'reholding that iron in place.
We're counting in order for thatfusible to get set. But here, in
just a second, my fusible istotally set. It's not going
(19:32):
anywhere, and that Laura Stark,powerful steam really sets that
in place. And it's just amazing.Somebody.
Jane Clauss (19:41):
My, I'm my, you can't see me. I was like, what?
Because we're so used to havingto hold it there for so long.
Emily Dunlap (19:48):
Yes, there was a woman in Iowa, I was at a quilt
show, and she saw this just likeyou, Jane, her jaw drops, and
she's like, 33 seconds. That'show long she has to wait and
count and hold her. Iron. Isaid, Girl, not anymore. You got
a Laura star, come in how?
Jane Clauss (20:04):
I mean, that was like two seconds.
Emily Dunlap (20:07):
I mean, it's just a moment. It's so fast. I
usually it's, it's very fast.
Jane Clauss (20:12):
No, do you I noticed that you press the steam
every time before you do it. Isthat? Is that like out of habit,
or are we supposed to do that?
Emily Dunlap (20:18):
So I'm really glad you called that out because our
steam is twice heated. And Isaid this earlier, I'm going to
repeat it again. Our steam istwice heated. Check this out. It
might be for a second, but I'vegot a large capacity removable
water tank. This is huge. Okay,I can take this right to the
sink and I can fill that withregular water, but that water
(20:41):
goes into my boiler, it heats toa really high temperature and
creates a really fine steam.That steam travels up through
the hose, and it's heated asecond time as it exits the
iron. So yes, for me, it is kindof a precautionary I always want
to flush that just in case. Buthere's what happens if we're
chatting a little bit too long,or if I'm at my sewing machine,
(21:02):
or maybe I'm doing some cleaningaround the home and I've taken a
break that steam can cool andsettle and turn into
condensation. Okay, so I want tomake sure I flush any potential
condensation before I use it, soI have that dry steam every
single time. So yes, and that'sreally what's going to help me
(21:24):
pervert, prevent having thoselarger drops of water, that
condensation, again, is justnaturally going to cool and
subtle if I'm taking a break forsomething
Jane Clauss (21:34):
amazing. I mean, I love this. I'm so excited. Okay,
give us some more. You got somemore? Gonna do a little
Emily Dunlap (21:39):
comparison. Because if you're making a
garment, if you're doing quiltbinding, if you're pressing any
kind of construction, a lot oftimes, we've got to hold our
iron in place, and it's neverpressed by the time it gets to
the sewing machine. Okay, sowith my Laura star, I do have my
Steam controls on the right orleft hand side, and I have the
ability to control my steam.Okay, so let's pretend for a
(22:02):
second this is a regular iron,and when I'm pressing my
binding, unless we hold thatiron in place, that fabric is
going to pop right back up. ButI can spend the same time. I can
use the steam from lower starand Jane, your jaw is probably
dropping again, because look atthe difference. I get that super
(22:22):
nice, crisp crease of the steam.So I think there's so many
conversations in the industryand they say, Oh, well, you know
what, my iron is good enough,right? I get all the all the
things done, too. You probablydo. But like I said, I've
retired my tailors Clapper, I'veretired my bold pressing mat. I
retired my best press becausethe Laura star steam can get me
(22:46):
these results without shrinkingor distortion, and I get them so
much faster and morecomfortably. And it's fun again,
to iron with the steam.
Jane Clauss (22:55):
We love fun. It's fun to get and you make it look
fun too, because you hit thatsteam as you go right across,
hitting the steam every time. Ofcourse, you are right,
Emily Dunlap (23:03):
so you control the steam. So I would encourage you
to always use the steam. Jane,there's only two situations in
sewing and crafting when I'm notusing steam. You know this
because you've used so manydifferent types of DIY products
and notions, a lot of productsare going to say, You know what,
don't you steam? But they don'tknow what kind of steam Lori
(23:26):
star has. So I always recommendto test it and see for yourself.
Okay, on my top of the lineiron, I do have what we call one
ideal temperature, and it worksfor almost all fabrics. If I
want to lower the temperature,though, we've got the Teflon,
nonstick, protective sole plate,and I'm going to keep the steam
fine and dry, but lower my platetemperature by 100 degrees. I'm
(23:48):
not going to use steam when I'musing vinyl, but I am going to
use that protective plate, and Ican touch that plate right to
the vinyl without melting it. Ican also fuse directly to the
vinyl. So again, I'm going tocreate some condensation if I
use steam on vinyl, but since Ihave that plate on the bottom of
my iron, I can put that directlyon top of the vinyl, and it's
(24:12):
not going to melt the vinyl. Sothat's really impressive.
Jane Clauss (24:15):
Oh my gosh, that is a jaw dropping moment. Again,
Emily Dunlap (24:18):
yes, super, super fun
Jane Clauss (24:21):
on top of that vinyl.
Emily Dunlap (24:23):
So I know that nobody in your audience has
rolls of squished vinyl that arecreased in the drawer, right?
Nobody in your audience, butmaybe they've got friends who
do. So tell them they can usethat plate from Laura star, and
they can relax the vinyl. Theycan use it again. If I'm making
a zipper vinyl pouch, then youturn inside out, yeah, not going
to get those creases that Isometimes get. I can warm up and
(24:45):
manipulate that vinyl and getjust a perfect you could
Jane Clauss (24:49):
never do that with any other heating. No. Can you
use the plate on on moredelicate fabrics, or just really
not to worry
Emily Dunlap (24:58):
the whole reason for the plate? Plate is anytime
you've got a question about thetemperature of the fabric. So I
can put the plate as is,directly on the silk if I want
to press it, but if I want to bea little bit more careful or
cautious, it's a great way totest that first. If I've got any
kind of cork or vinyl orcorduroy or anything that does
(25:20):
need a lower temperature. It'sreally great. The other thing I
love, I can use that steam toremove wrinkles from my quilt
batting. So that fuzz from thebatting isn't going to stick to
that Teflon plate if I put thison there, because all I need is
the steam. I'm not pressing thebatting. I'm just steaming those
wrinkles out. So lots and lotsof ways to use this product here
(25:41):
100%
Jane Clauss (25:42):
of the times we're only using 30% of the machine.
And so this is such a greatdemo. Talk about this, because
we all know that space andefficiency in whether it's your
crafting room, your sewing room,or even your utility room, where
you're ironing your clothes orbigger objects or garments. Talk
about the lorissa ironingboards, as well as some of the
(26:05):
other steaming products that canhelp you when you have a large
piece of fabric or when you'retrying to put it in a smaller
space. I love
Emily Dunlap (26:15):
the size of our system, because it's the regular
it's a regular size of a normalironing board. But because I
have that fan built in theboard, I can have that fan blow
up, I can reposition and hover alarge piece of fabric, or sheets
or a quilt top, and so I can getmy results done really quickly
without smoothing out fabric ona large ironing station. So
(26:37):
again, I save real estate in mysewing room. I get my results
done really quickly. This wholeboard does fold up, collapse
really small, and it's onwheels, so I can take it from
place to place if I need to.However, our portable options,
such as our lift or our Izzyplus, are portable with that
cart. They can be used with anyironing board or steaming
around. So we have options forpeople, whatever kind of space
(27:02):
they've
Jane Clauss (27:02):
got, sure. And Emily, while you're setting up,
and Kristen, if our friends arejust listening to the audio
version of the podcast, you canalways see the video and all the
demos on YouTube. Just go to DIYby Jane Clauss, and this episode
will be right there. Jane,
Emily Dunlap (27:17):
this is the easiest way to get into. Laura
stars, powerful, dry, microfinesteam. Okay, I've got the iron
here with my iron rest. I've gotthat nice removable water tank,
so I can use that with regulartap water as well. Again, no
chemicals with the lower star,so it has a nice handle if I
want to take it from place toplace, or I can use it with that
(27:40):
steam cart that you can seeright over here, and that steam
cart also has an option to raiseand hang a garment, or I can
just push it and wheel it aroundmy home. So portability is
really nice. I can use this withthe regular ironing board. I do
love the full system, because itdoes collapse really small and
is somewhat portable, but I likethe results that I can get with
the speed really easily withthat fan built into the board. I
Jane Clauss (28:03):
love the size too. Let's talk about maintenance and
best practices, because we wantour machines to last a long
time. It's all about longevity,and so if we're a new user, what
are some things that we need tokeep in mind when it comes to
maintenance, and then also justbest practices when using any of
the machines,
Kristen Wermers (28:22):
our systems and our lifts, we recommend first of
all, flushing your systemregularly or your lift
regularly. For a lift that lookslike you just empty the water
out into the sink extremelyquickly. We recommend you doing
that about once a month. For thesystem, we have a drain plug and
a drain tray that come with thissystem that you can empty out
(28:44):
and flush that boiler into. Werecommend using tap water on all
of our systems and our lifts,and we have filters that we
recommend replacing when thesheen indicates on the lift so
there will be a little redflashing light that will let you
know it's time to change outyour filter. Or on a smart
system, our crystals areregularly dark, and by the time
(29:06):
they turn a bronze tan color.Then it's time to change out
your granules. That's justregular maintenance we recommend
doing, and prior to your firstuse that you also flush fresh
water through your system or
Jane Clauss (29:19):
your lift. Very, very important, read the
instructions. If you have it,you're not listening right now
because you're just stuck on thedemos. We got to read the
instructions. I want to justmove into some kind of quirky
and fun questions. Do you haveany, like, kind of weird rituals
or cleaning habits that you wantto share with everybody? Maybe,
like a little Cleaning Hack? So
Kristen Wermers (29:40):
for for me, I actually my background prior to
this industry is in the beddingindustry, and so something I
regularly do is, I VAT youvacuum your mattress. You want
to get rid of those dust mites.You're going to vacuum the
mattress. Now we have introducedthe steam into it to kill those
dust mites too. So you steam outyour mattress. Then you let it
(30:00):
air dry, and then you vacuum itagain.
Jane Clauss (30:02):
I love this is I'm so glad I asked I wasn't going
to Emily, yeah, yeah. If you caninvite any celebrity to help you
with your next quilting projectand all of the work you have to
do on it, especially with yourLaura star iron, who would it be
and why? Wow, I know
Emily Dunlap (30:19):
any celebrity, this won't be a surprise, I'm
sure to Kristen Taylor Swiftneeds a Laura star for all of
her outfits on the era store.She needs to know how the steam
is going to help her out. And Iwould just love to spend an
entire quilt processed fromcutting to sewing to pressing,
working with Taylor
Jane Clauss (30:38):
Swift. Okay, well, we're going to send her this
clip and see what happens. Butif you get to hang out with
Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift, I'mcoming over deal, okay? And
Kristen, you're very busy as thevice president over there at
Laura Starr USA, when you are inthat flow of steaming and
cleaning and doing your thing,what is your soundtrack?
Kristen Wermers (30:58):
So I actually I listen to Dave Matthews.
Generally, I'm Dave Matthewsinto Pearl Jam. That's kind of
my soundtrack for cleaning. AlsoGreen Day. I love green day too.
So
Jane Clauss (31:09):
I love green day, yeah. What is my last question
for you guys? Oh, what is yourreward? For both of you? What's
the reward when you finish a bigproject, whether it's a summer
cleaning chore or a springcleaning chore or a winter
cleaning chore or a big, hugesewing and quilting product.
What is your reward? For me,it's
Kristen Wermers (31:30):
a big glass of wine.
Emily Dunlap (31:34):
Me too. Jane, honestly, I am a quilter, and
they take a lot of time to make,and I love if I'm making that
quilt for someone, I love togive that gift to them. But I
think a huge reminder aboutanyone who's DIY or making
something, we all have superbusy lives, and we all kind of
steal time to get away into ourSewing Studio. So if we can have
(31:55):
a product like Laura star thatcan make our projects faster, it
means that we get to give morequilts we need get to, you know,
make more things. So I thinkthat's super important. And that
reward of giving is reallygreat.
Jane Clauss (32:06):
I love to give. It's so great. And I love to
receive handmade so. And I thinkyou probably agree with this,
there's just no better gift thanthe gift of handmade. And so my
mission is to inspire everybodyto create. Because even if you
spend an hour making somethingand then you go do something the
rest of the day, you have thatsense of satisfaction that you
(32:28):
made it yourself, and it'screative. And then when you give
that to somebody, and theywelcome it and love it, to me,
that just fills my soul withjust joy, because it's so
important, because you did ityourself. Your hands did it. You
did it. It came out of your mindand your being. And I think you
probably agree with thatabsolutely when you give a quilt
away, and this is kind of a likea secret poll that I take with
(32:51):
quilters, do you want the personto use it, or do you want it to
hang as a piece?
Emily Dunlap (32:56):
So secret, I guess, confession, the only ones
who receive my quilts are my twonieces. I want them to use it. I
have exclusively started usingthat super cuddly backing on
quilts, because those are theonly quilts that my nieces reach
for. So I want them to use it.If you get Sharpie marker on it,
if you get nail polish on it, itjust adds to the memories of the
(33:18):
quilt.
Jane Clauss (33:19):
I love it. I love it. Alright. I love this story
so much. I love Laura star USA.Tell us Kristen, how can people
want if they want to learn moreabout all your products, your
product line, where can we findyou? Is there a website we can
go to? Can we find you on socialmedia?
Kristen Wermers (33:34):
Yeah. So you can find us online at laurastar
us.com you can find us onInstagram and Facebook at Laura
star USA. We also have YouTubetutorials and product
information available at Laurastar USA as well. We can be
contacted anytime, Mondaythrough Friday as well. At our
one 800 number, we are happy toanswer those calls and
(33:56):
questions. And then we have alive chat function through our
website too, Emily,
Jane Clauss (33:59):
because you are on this, this quilting path and
doing so many fun things, wherecan people find you? If you
Emily Dunlap (34:04):
want to follow me on Instagram at Orange Cat
stitches, you can see somethings that I'm doing. There
Jane Clauss (34:10):
amazing any last word we want to impress on our
friends about the importance ofsteam when it comes to cleaning
and or creating with yourtextiles,
Emily Dunlap (34:22):
I think, give it a shot. Don't
Kristen Wermers (34:24):
be afraid of the steam. Emily's point, don't
be afraid of steam.
Jane Clauss (34:27):
Don't be afraid of the steam. I love it. Laura star
USA is Kristen wormers And EmilyDunlap. Thank you so much for
joining us on creative living.
VO (34:40):
Thank you for listening to creative living with Jane Clauss
for more creative livinginspiration, just head to Jane
clauss.com
Time to tantalize your earbuds with creative makers and
shakers. It's creative living,the podcast with Jane Clauss,
Jane Clauss (00:10):
this is creative living, where we help you live
your most creative life. I'mJane Clauss now on the show, we
explore all things, DIY,crafting, home decor,
sustainable living, and whateverit is that's going to make your
creative side come to life. Andtoday we're doing just that.
(00:31):
We're going to talk about themagic of one of my favorite
products that works so hard youdon't have to. We're going to
dive into the importance ofusing steam when it comes to
textiles and when it comes tohome summer cleaning. And of
course, we've got some top tipsfor you to keep in mind. Now
I've got some special guestsfrom Laura star USA. And Laura
(00:53):
star is a brand that is knownfor their exceptional steam
cleaning products, as well astheir top of the line irons for
sewing, quilting and di wires,we're going to find out how
their innovative tools cantransform your home, not just by
making it sparkle, but also bycreating a healthier living
(01:14):
environment and also enhancingyour creative living So whether
you're a seasoned cleaningenthusiast, a passionate DIY or
both. This episode has somethingfor everyone, so let's turn up
the volume and let's get intothe nitty gritty of steam
cleaning and creative living.Please. Welcome to the show from
(01:36):
Laura star USA, Kristen warmersand Emmeline Dunlap, Hello,
ladies, how are you? Hello.Thanks
Kristen Wermers (01:43):
for having us.
Jane Clauss (01:44):
It's so great to have you on the show now.
Kristen, you're the vicepresident of operations at Laura
Starr USA, and Emily, you arethe business development manager
at Laura Starr. So what was themost surprising thing that each
of you learned about steamingand steam cleaning when you
first started at Laura star.
Emily Dunlap (02:05):
Most quilters are so afraid of steam, it shrinks
and distorts our fabric. ButLaura stars dry and microfine
steam does not do that. Soreally, Jane, that's just the
tip of the iceberg. Gettingthose flat seams on my quilting
is really great, and I use itfor all kinds of other sewing
tips too.
Jane Clauss (02:21):
I love that. Okay, we're going to dive into that
distortion of your fabric andyour garments and your quilt
projects in just a second, but Iwant to talk about steam
cleaning first. Kristen, we talkabout using steam cleaning to
keep your home environmentclean, especially during the
summer months. Why is thatimportant, and how does it work,
(02:43):
kind of compared to othertraditional methods,
Kristen Wermers (02:47):
yeah, so I think it is. The opportunity
right now is really being andworking with non toxic materials
we want to, you know, not impactour environment negatively. And
so using steam to clean,especially as you know, your
kids friends are coming over thesummer and you have everybody
coming and going. If you're ableto clean your home without
(03:09):
introducing those chemicals,that's even better.
Jane Clauss (03:12):
Yeah, so talk about the chemical free cleaning
trend. What should homeownersknow?
Kristen Wermers (03:19):
Well, I would tell you that, you know, steam
is so easy to use. You havewater, and one of our products,
you can steam clean anythingseems expansive. It can get into
any cracks and crevices, so youdon't have to worry about
missing anything. And then, youknow, steam can sanitize and
clean surfaces, textiles, reallyanything throughout your home.
(03:41):
So that's super helpful.
Jane Clauss (03:42):
But when I was first introduced to Laura star,
it was when we were wearingmasks, and what really got me
was you can hit that mask withthe steam of a Laura star iron
and really get rid of like 99.9%of the bacteria or whatever was
stuck in that mask more so thansomething that's thrown in the
(04:03):
washer and dryer? Is it justbecause of the heats of the
water, the steam? Is that what'sdoing the disinfecting and the
cleaning? I know that's a superbasic question, but maybe we all
understand,
Kristen Wermers (04:15):
yeah. So our steam is almost 400 degrees, so
it is roughly 386 degrees, sowell above that boiling point of
water. And so that steam thengoes ahead and disinfects,
whether it is a textiles, removecovid germs. It can kill bed
bugs, it can kill closed moss.It can kill lice, other
(04:38):
bacteria, any germs throughout.So steam is really kind of that
great catch all, and steam alsocan remove up to 97% of pet
dander as well.
Jane Clauss (04:49):
Well, this is great because, Emily, I know you said
having a craft room or a home isnot a home without a cat, and I
agree. I used to have two littlekitties that I love so much.
Yeah, talk about that pet danderand the removal of their dander
because of the steam what areasof the home are best helped
because of steam cleaning?
Emily Dunlap (05:11):
Yeah, absolutely. So a lot of those things in our
homes that are hard to wash orhard to clean that can't be
thrown in the washing machine.You know, as we've just
discussed, the washing the waterin the washing machine doesn't
actually read a high enoughtemperature to kill and
sanitize. We see this movementof people using cold cycles
anyway. So I can take thatpowerful steam, I can take it
(05:33):
right to my couch. I can take itto my mattress. So those pet
allergens in those favoriteplaces of my little furry
friends are really great to killthose pet allergens and dander.
You know, if I don't want tothrow a quilt in the wash after
every time it's on my couch mycats, I can use that steam and
sanitize and disinfectAbsolutely. You
Jane Clauss (05:52):
have a specific because I have a Laura star
iron, which I love. So it's ait's an ironing board with the
iron attached to it. Am I goingto use that to steam clean my
couch, or is there somethingelse that you have that can do
that steam cleaning in all thesedifferent areas of the house?
Emily Dunlap (06:07):
You can absolutely do that. Jane the system does
fold up and it can move aroundyour home, but we know that
there's the right tool for thejob, and having a portable
option is going to be much moreconvenient. So here I've got my
Izzy plus, and it is a niceportable unit that looks very
similar to the lift that we canuse as well. So those are great
to move around the home andreach those harder places. If I
(06:29):
want to refresh my draperies,for example, or my couch cushion
or my mattress, it comes on avery convenient steam cart,
which is a great addedaccessory. So we have a lot of
different products that cansanitize and disinfect based on
whatever your needs are. So yes,you can use your system and kind
of tote it around, but you mighthave something on your wish
(06:50):
list. Jane,
Jane Clauss (06:52):
listen, my birthday is coming up, and maybe this is
on my wish list right now. Thankyou to my husband, by the way,
who's listening. I love the ideaof portability, because, you
know, if I'm using something inmy craft room and my couches
that I want to clean, the wholefamily sits on, or, you know, on
(07:12):
the second floor, or, you know,up a level, having a portable
system to move around and beingable to keep it clean. I don't
think that we clean our couchesor our curtains enough
Kristen Wermers (07:25):
you don't think twice about the fact that you
know your your couch has beenexposed to pets or orders or
whatever you you prior, probablyjust for breeze it and move on.
And so now, with something likesteam, you can very, very easily
just take your steam to it,especially with Daisy plus, we
(07:45):
have this great little textileguard on here, and you just
easily glide over your couch,your couch cushions or your
pillows, to easily removeanything that might have been in
contact with
Jane Clauss (07:57):
it. We're going to have the cleanest couches of all
time. We're going to have thecleanest everything just because
we can, I feel like it's atechnology thing. Like think
about our parents and ourgrandparents. Back in the day,
they did not and they were notable to walk around with a
portable steam cleaner, and theyhad to hire somebody to come in
and do it. And with innovationand technology that we have in
today's world, it just helps usmake things easier. Like you
(08:19):
said, Get the right tool to getthe right job, job done, Emily,
and also products that work sohard you don't have to. And
that's exactly I feel like.You're what the entire line is
doing. It's just making iteasier. It's like, right there
at your fingertips. So why notdo it?
Kristen Wermers (08:35):
I mean, I think something as simple as thinking
about so you know, following arecent PV appearance, right? So
I went home with Izzy plus, andI steamed my entire mattress and
bedroom from pretty much top tobottom. You know. I vacuumed my
mattress. I did all of thosecleaning fun things, and was so
(08:57):
happy with results at the end.Because not only does it remove
all the ick that you don'treally want to think about being
near you at all times, in yourin your mattress. It also really
helps remove that odor orbacteria from, you know, your
body. And so that odor causingbacteria and so, you know, just
getting that clean refresh scentis so much nicer, too.
Jane Clauss (09:17):
I love that you you're like, I left a TV
appearance that I was explaininghow to summer clean to the
audience, and you are soinspired. You went home and did
it yourself.
Emily Dunlap (09:28):
Absolutely alright. Let's talk about
Jane Clauss (09:31):
where somebody should start. All right. We're
hearing this. We're watchingthis. I want to do this. I want
to be inspired to clean. Whatare some tips for somebody who
is just getting started withtheir summer cleaning routine,
where do they start with steam?
Emily Dunlap (09:46):
Well, I wanted to actually share a pretty funny
story about my grandmother, if Ican, because I think it's good,
a good example. I taught mygrandmother how to quilt
something that will have deer tous for a little while, and she
she finally got herself a. Laurastar, which I'm very proud of
her. And she tells me, a couplemonths later, she said, you
know, Emily, I've been usinglorastar to press my sheets and
(10:09):
my pillowcases. And I said,Grandma, were you doing that
before? Were you were youironing your sheets and your
pillowcases before? And shesaid, No, but it's just so easy
with the LoRa star. And again, Ithink it's so important that we
can sanitize and disinfect, andI think that your bedding is a
fantastic place to start yourcleaning. Okay, so whether it's
(10:32):
your mattress and we're killingthose dust mites, or if we are
steaming those linens afterthey're coming out of the
washing machine, and reallyhaving a nice, fresh place to
start. So that's where I wouldstart. And I always have to, you
know, plug my grandma in there.
Jane Clauss (10:46):
We love grandma. Grandma knows best. Okay, Emily,
you're talking about quilting.You're the Business Development
Manager at Laura star. You havea passion for quilting, which
you already told us about. Talkabout how Laura star can cater
to quilters and sewists. So nowwe're switching from, hey, I'm
cleaning my house. Let's talkabout the creative friends that
(11:08):
we have here today, because Ilove my Laura star, and I notice
it actually does keep my scenesso beautifully precise and flat.
So talk about the benefits thata steamer can have for quilters.
So
Emily Dunlap (11:25):
I want to bring in a couple different points here.
Okay, because as a quilter and acrafter, we really have a couple
different hobbies, right? Jane,we make our projects, but we
also become collectors offabric, of tools, of notions of
thread. So we've got a coupledifferent hobbies here. The
Laura star is something thatmakes our results better but
(11:48):
also makes us feel good. So Ihear a lot of people say, Oh,
well, I don't need a Lora starbecause I'm not a professional.
And there's so many things inour industry that we purchase
and we collect and we use notbecause it's going to make us
money, but because it feels goodand it's fun to use. So it's
really important for us to bringthat fun back into our sewing
room. And ironing is the thingthat sometimes is the least
(12:12):
amount of fun, right? I met mysewing machine. I'm pushing some
blocks through my machine to andthen I've got to take them to
the iron board and press them,and that takes forever. The
Laura star saves us a ton oftime. I get a really flat press,
Jane, I know you love Christmas,so I've got to hold these up.
I've got these cute littlegingerbread men, and
Jane Clauss (12:29):
I want to tell our friends if you're listening to
the audio portion of thispodcast, only, you can always
watch the video on YouTube. Justlook for DIY by Jane Clauss,
Emily Dunlap (12:40):
so something as simple as making a half square
triangle, I can press my seamsreally flat. I'm not using a
tailor's clapper to set myseams. I'm not using a whole
pressing mat. I'm using thatpowerful steam from Lori, sir.
It's a twice heated steam. Okay,so it's not going to spit or
drip on my fabric. It's notgoing to shrink or distort these
(13:02):
blocks, even those triangles,and I get a really flat seam,
and I can get that with anylevel of lorastar, if I'm using
my lift here with a regularironing board. But what's really
nice about the system that youhave, Jane, and the smart you
that I have behind me, because Ihave that fan in the board. It's
pulling that steam through thefabric. Is cooling and drying my
seams, so my seams are Prestonsaid, all at once. But really
(13:25):
fun for me. It's taking that hotsteam, which we're kind of
scared about, right? But it'snot a wet steam, but it's
pulling that steam through theboard with that fan, and it's
pulling the steam away from ourfingers, so everything is much
more comfortable, okay? Somaking
Jane Clauss (13:39):
it a lot more fun,
Emily Dunlap (13:41):
making it more fun and less intimidating. So I'm
happy to show that to you. I'malso happy to kind of just
continue talking about it. Iwould
Jane Clauss (13:49):
love to see it, and then for all of our friends that
are listening only you can seethis on our YouTube channel, but
go ahead, yeah, get set up toshow us. And we're going to get
to garments and just steamcleaning blouses and clothes and
shirts and things like that. Youshowed me once how quick and
(14:09):
easy it is to steam wrinkles.Literally, we would be bringing
these things to the dry cleaner.We would be hanging them in the
shower. But with the steamingtechnology you have, whether the
fans are blowing out, you're notcreating wrinkles, you're
pressing the or you're steamingout the wrinkles, right,
Kristen Wermers (14:28):
right? So do when you have the fan,
especially in blowing up, youcan easily, kind of, I'll call
it, floating your, yes, yourtextile on top, and the steam is
going to remove those wrinklesfrom top. You're going to get
that cool air coming up fromunderneath to set the set the
wrinkle free garment, and thenyou're good to go and wear it
right away. All day long,
Jane Clauss (14:48):
we've got Emily back with her whole setup.
Emily Dunlap (14:50):
I'm about to show you not only the quilt block
that I talked about, but I alsowant to show you that silk
blouse. Okay, check out thesteam that I have from Laura.
Sorry, this is going to bepretty. Loud.
So Jane, you've used that steam.I've got that really powerful
steam. Don't do that with anyother steamer. Okay, don't steam
(15:13):
that on your hand like I did,because it'll be a wet steam and
it will burn you with any othersteamer. But with the Laura
star, I've got a twice heatedsteam. It heats in the boiler,
it travels up through the hose,and it's heated a second time as
it exits the iron. Okay, I'vegot that same powerful steam on
my portable options that I caneasily take anywhere in my home.
(15:33):
But this is my smart you. Thisis my top of the line, and I
want to show you briefly,because there is a fan built
into the board, and as Kristenwas just talking about, it, can
blow the air up or pull the airdown. So I want to give you that
really briefly in action, and Iwant to show you how powerful
the steam is. Because whetheryou are steaming garments, or if
you are a quilter, taking thatsteam to your long arm as you're
(15:55):
removing wrinkles from yourbacking, this is really great.
As soon as I touch the handle,that air draws down, I can
change the direction of the fan,and now I've got this cushion of
air that we were talking about.So that garment, that fabric, is
just floating for us. So reallyquickly we can cover that seam
(16:16):
and those wrinkles are removed.Oh
Jane Clauss (16:17):
my gosh,
Emily Dunlap (16:19):
too fast. And that is the power of the steam that
is found on all of our products.So that sleeve is going to be
really easy as well.
Jane Clauss (16:29):
Can I ask? Is that work? That's a what is that a
satin blouse, silk blouse? Doesit work like that on cotton and
other types of materials?
Emily Dunlap (16:37):
So this is 100% silk, and that lightweight silk
allows me to kind of float thatfabric easily and have that
steam go through the sleeve. IfI've got a cotton shirt, I
probably still want to pressthat, and I can do that on the
board really easily. I can do avertical steam if I want to, if
I've got my portable options aswell. When I first was
introduced to Laura, we quiltershave that notion that the steam
(17:03):
is going to shrink or distortthe fabric, but watch how close
I'm going to keep my fingers tothat iron. I get a really flat
press really fast. Okay, thatfans doing a couple different
things for me in conjunction tothat really powerful steam,
pressing that flat so that fanis holding my fabric in place.
It's cooling and drying my seamsso my seams are pressed and set
(17:26):
all at once. I'm not turningevery one of them over, but
again, it's also pulling thatsteam away from my fingers so I
can keep really close control.Okay, so this is pretty
fantastic. I know that we've gota lot to talk about. If you want
to see some more sewing stuff.I'm happy to show you,
Jane Clauss (17:43):
sure, and if you're listening to the audio version
only of this podcast, you canalways watch the video and see
all the demos on YouTube. Justgo to DIY by Jane Clauss, and
you'll see this video there. Ido need to ask, I always say,
when I'm doing a demo, and thisis just using any iron like
press your you do the demo,press your seams for more
(18:05):
professional look. And that'skind of always like my, my
standard, does the seam presswhen you're opening seams and
really pressing and finalizingthat same does it give it a more
professional look? Because it'sa higher heat, it
Emily Dunlap (18:18):
stays pressed. Jane, so you're right anytime
you are making a garment. Ithink there's a really popular
phrase that says, you know, thesurest way to make a garment
that looks handmade is to notpress it appropriately, right?
Pressing is one of those thingsthat really makes a garment look
store bought, right, instead ofhandmade. So pressing is so
(18:42):
important, but that steam,because the steam goes through
the fabric, and then the heat ofthe iron and the fan cools and
dries that fabric, your seam isalso set. Okay? So the setting
aspect is really important, andthat's why I've retired my
tailors clapper. I don't need todo that anymore. So there's a
couple reasons for
Jane Clauss (19:02):
you. Can you give us some more sewing tips and
tricks?
Emily Dunlap (19:06):
I've got some fusible for applique, but if
you're using fusible forinterfacing, for a garment, or
if you're using it forembroidery, for any kind of
stabilizer or even like a bagconstruction, usually we are
working a little harder. We'reholding that iron in place.
We're counting in order for thatfusible to get set. But here, in
just a second, my fusible istotally set. It's not going
(19:32):
anywhere, and that Laura Stark,powerful steam really sets that
in place. And it's just amazing.Somebody.
Jane Clauss (19:41):
My, I'm my, you can't see me. I was like, what?
Because we're so used to havingto hold it there for so long.
Emily Dunlap (19:48):
Yes, there was a woman in Iowa, I was at a quilt
show, and she saw this just likeyou, Jane, her jaw drops, and
she's like, 33 seconds. That'show long she has to wait and
count and hold her. Iron. Isaid, Girl, not anymore. You got
a Laura star, come in how?
Jane Clauss (20:04):
I mean, that was like two seconds.
Emily Dunlap (20:07):
I mean, it's just a moment. It's so fast. I
usually it's, it's very fast.
Jane Clauss (20:12):
No, do you I noticed that you press the steam
every time before you do it. Isthat? Is that like out of habit,
or are we supposed to do that?
Emily Dunlap (20:18):
So I'm really glad you called that out because our
steam is twice heated. And Isaid this earlier, I'm going to
repeat it again. Our steam istwice heated. Check this out. It
might be for a second, but I'vegot a large capacity removable
water tank. This is huge. Okay,I can take this right to the
sink and I can fill that withregular water, but that water
(20:41):
goes into my boiler, it heats toa really high temperature and
creates a really fine steam.That steam travels up through
the hose, and it's heated asecond time as it exits the
iron. So yes, for me, it is kindof a precautionary I always want
to flush that just in case. Buthere's what happens if we're
chatting a little bit too long,or if I'm at my sewing machine,
(21:02):
or maybe I'm doing some cleaningaround the home and I've taken a
break that steam can cool andsettle and turn into
condensation. Okay, so I want tomake sure I flush any potential
condensation before I use it, soI have that dry steam every
single time. So yes, and that'sreally what's going to help me
(21:24):
pervert, prevent having thoselarger drops of water, that
condensation, again, is justnaturally going to cool and
subtle if I'm taking a break forsomething
Jane Clauss (21:34):
amazing. I mean, I love this. I'm so excited. Okay,
give us some more. You got somemore? Gonna do a little
Emily Dunlap (21:39):
comparison. Because if you're making a
garment, if you're doing quiltbinding, if you're pressing any
kind of construction, a lot oftimes, we've got to hold our
iron in place, and it's neverpressed by the time it gets to
the sewing machine. Okay, sowith my Laura star, I do have my
Steam controls on the right orleft hand side, and I have the
ability to control my steam.Okay, so let's pretend for a
(22:02):
second this is a regular iron,and when I'm pressing my
binding, unless we hold thatiron in place, that fabric is
going to pop right back up. ButI can spend the same time. I can
use the steam from lower starand Jane, your jaw is probably
dropping again, because look atthe difference. I get that super
(22:22):
nice, crisp crease of the steam.So I think there's so many
conversations in the industryand they say, Oh, well, you know
what, my iron is good enough,right? I get all the all the
things done, too. You probablydo. But like I said, I've
retired my tailors Clapper, I'veretired my bold pressing mat. I
retired my best press becausethe Laura star steam can get me
(22:46):
these results without shrinkingor distortion, and I get them so
much faster and morecomfortably. And it's fun again,
to iron with the steam.
Jane Clauss (22:55):
We love fun. It's fun to get and you make it look
fun too, because you hit thatsteam as you go right across,
hitting the steam every time. Ofcourse, you are right,
Emily Dunlap (23:03):
so you control the steam. So I would encourage you
to always use the steam. Jane,there's only two situations in
sewing and crafting when I'm notusing steam. You know this
because you've used so manydifferent types of DIY products
and notions, a lot of productsare going to say, You know what,
don't you steam? But they don'tknow what kind of steam Lori
(23:26):
star has. So I always recommendto test it and see for yourself.
Okay, on my top of the lineiron, I do have what we call one
ideal temperature, and it worksfor almost all fabrics. If I
want to lower the temperature,though, we've got the Teflon,
nonstick, protective sole plate,and I'm going to keep the steam
fine and dry, but lower my platetemperature by 100 degrees. I'm
(23:48):
not going to use steam when I'musing vinyl, but I am going to
use that protective plate, and Ican touch that plate right to
the vinyl without melting it. Ican also fuse directly to the
vinyl. So again, I'm going tocreate some condensation if I
use steam on vinyl, but since Ihave that plate on the bottom of
my iron, I can put that directlyon top of the vinyl, and it's
(24:12):
not going to melt the vinyl. Sothat's really impressive.
Jane Clauss (24:15):
Oh my gosh, that is a jaw dropping moment. Again,
Emily Dunlap (24:18):
yes, super, super fun
Jane Clauss (24:21):
on top of that vinyl.
Emily Dunlap (24:23):
So I know that nobody in your audience has
rolls of squished vinyl that arecreased in the drawer, right?
Nobody in your audience, butmaybe they've got friends who
do. So tell them they can usethat plate from Laura star, and
they can relax the vinyl. Theycan use it again. If I'm making
a zipper vinyl pouch, then youturn inside out, yeah, not going
to get those creases that Isometimes get. I can warm up and
(24:45):
manipulate that vinyl and getjust a perfect you could
Jane Clauss (24:49):
never do that with any other heating. No. Can you
use the plate on on moredelicate fabrics, or just really
not to worry
Emily Dunlap (24:58):
the whole reason for the plate? Plate is anytime
you've got a question about thetemperature of the fabric. So I
can put the plate as is,directly on the silk if I want
to press it, but if I want to bea little bit more careful or
cautious, it's a great way totest that first. If I've got any
kind of cork or vinyl orcorduroy or anything that does
(25:20):
need a lower temperature. It'sreally great. The other thing I
love, I can use that steam toremove wrinkles from my quilt
batting. So that fuzz from thebatting isn't going to stick to
that Teflon plate if I put thison there, because all I need is
the steam. I'm not pressing thebatting. I'm just steaming those
wrinkles out. So lots and lotsof ways to use this product here
(25:41):
100%
Jane Clauss (25:42):
of the times we're only using 30% of the machine.
And so this is such a greatdemo. Talk about this, because
we all know that space andefficiency in whether it's your
crafting room, your sewing room,or even your utility room, where
you're ironing your clothes orbigger objects or garments. Talk
about the lorissa ironingboards, as well as some of the
(26:05):
other steaming products that canhelp you when you have a large
piece of fabric or when you'retrying to put it in a smaller
space. I love
Emily Dunlap (26:15):
the size of our system, because it's the regular
it's a regular size of a normalironing board. But because I
have that fan built in theboard, I can have that fan blow
up, I can reposition and hover alarge piece of fabric, or sheets
or a quilt top, and so I can getmy results done really quickly
without smoothing out fabric ona large ironing station. So
(26:37):
again, I save real estate in mysewing room. I get my results
done really quickly. This wholeboard does fold up, collapse
really small, and it's onwheels, so I can take it from
place to place if I need to.However, our portable options,
such as our lift or our Izzyplus, are portable with that
cart. They can be used with anyironing board or steaming
around. So we have options forpeople, whatever kind of space
(27:02):
they've
Jane Clauss (27:02):
got, sure. And Emily, while you're setting up,
and Kristen, if our friends arejust listening to the audio
version of the podcast, you canalways see the video and all the
demos on YouTube. Just go to DIYby Jane Clauss, and this episode
will be right there. Jane,
Emily Dunlap (27:17):
this is the easiest way to get into. Laura
stars, powerful, dry, microfinesteam. Okay, I've got the iron
here with my iron rest. I've gotthat nice removable water tank,
so I can use that with regulartap water as well. Again, no
chemicals with the lower star,so it has a nice handle if I
want to take it from place toplace, or I can use it with that
(27:40):
steam cart that you can seeright over here, and that steam
cart also has an option to raiseand hang a garment, or I can
just push it and wheel it aroundmy home. So portability is
really nice. I can use this withthe regular ironing board. I do
love the full system, because itdoes collapse really small and
is somewhat portable, but I likethe results that I can get with
the speed really easily withthat fan built into the board. I
Jane Clauss (28:03):
love the size too. Let's talk about maintenance and
best practices, because we wantour machines to last a long
time. It's all about longevity,and so if we're a new user, what
are some things that we need tokeep in mind when it comes to
maintenance, and then also justbest practices when using any of
the machines,
Kristen Wermers (28:22):
our systems and our lifts, we recommend first of
all, flushing your systemregularly or your lift
regularly. For a lift that lookslike you just empty the water
out into the sink extremelyquickly. We recommend you doing
that about once a month. For thesystem, we have a drain plug and
a drain tray that come with thissystem that you can empty out
(28:44):
and flush that boiler into. Werecommend using tap water on all
of our systems and our lifts,and we have filters that we
recommend replacing when thesheen indicates on the lift so
there will be a little redflashing light that will let you
know it's time to change outyour filter. Or on a smart
system, our crystals areregularly dark, and by the time
(29:06):
they turn a bronze tan color.Then it's time to change out
your granules. That's justregular maintenance we recommend
doing, and prior to your firstuse that you also flush fresh
water through your system or
Jane Clauss (29:19):
your lift. Very, very important, read the
instructions. If you have it,you're not listening right now
because you're just stuck on thedemos. We got to read the
instructions. I want to justmove into some kind of quirky
and fun questions. Do you haveany, like, kind of weird rituals
or cleaning habits that you wantto share with everybody? Maybe,
like a little Cleaning Hack? So
Kristen Wermers (29:40):
for for me, I actually my background prior to
this industry is in the beddingindustry, and so something I
regularly do is, I VAT youvacuum your mattress. You want
to get rid of those dust mites.You're going to vacuum the
mattress. Now we have introducedthe steam into it to kill those
dust mites too. So you steam outyour mattress. Then you let it
(30:00):
air dry, and then you vacuum itagain.
Jane Clauss (30:02):
I love this is I'm so glad I asked I wasn't going
to Emily, yeah, yeah. If you caninvite any celebrity to help you
with your next quilting projectand all of the work you have to
do on it, especially with yourLaura star iron, who would it be
and why? Wow, I know
Emily Dunlap (30:19):
any celebrity, this won't be a surprise, I'm
sure to Kristen Taylor Swiftneeds a Laura star for all of
her outfits on the era store.She needs to know how the steam
is going to help her out. And Iwould just love to spend an
entire quilt processed fromcutting to sewing to pressing,
working with Taylor
Jane Clauss (30:38):
Swift. Okay, well, we're going to send her this
clip and see what happens. Butif you get to hang out with
Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift, I'mcoming over deal, okay? And
Kristen, you're very busy as thevice president over there at
Laura Starr USA, when you are inthat flow of steaming and
cleaning and doing your thing,what is your soundtrack?
Kristen Wermers (30:58):
So I actually I listen to Dave Matthews.
Generally, I'm Dave Matthewsinto Pearl Jam. That's kind of
my soundtrack for cleaning. AlsoGreen Day. I love green day too.
So
Jane Clauss (31:09):
I love green day, yeah. What is my last question
for you guys? Oh, what is yourreward? For both of you? What's
the reward when you finish a bigproject, whether it's a summer
cleaning chore or a springcleaning chore or a winter
cleaning chore or a big, hugesewing and quilting product.
What is your reward? For me,it's
Kristen Wermers (31:30):
a big glass of wine.
Emily Dunlap (31:34):
Me too. Jane, honestly, I am a quilter, and
they take a lot of time to make,and I love if I'm making that
quilt for someone, I love togive that gift to them. But I
think a huge reminder aboutanyone who's DIY or making
something, we all have superbusy lives, and we all kind of
steal time to get away into ourSewing Studio. So if we can have
(31:55):
a product like Laura star thatcan make our projects faster, it
means that we get to give morequilts we need get to, you know,
make more things. So I thinkthat's super important. And that
reward of giving is reallygreat.
Jane Clauss (32:06):
I love to give. It's so great. And I love to
receive handmade so. And I thinkyou probably agree with this,
there's just no better gift thanthe gift of handmade. And so my
mission is to inspire everybodyto create. Because even if you
spend an hour making somethingand then you go do something the
rest of the day, you have thatsense of satisfaction that you
(32:28):
made it yourself, and it'screative. And then when you give
that to somebody, and theywelcome it and love it, to me,
that just fills my soul withjust joy, because it's so
important, because you did ityourself. Your hands did it. You
did it. It came out of your mindand your being. And I think you
probably agree with thatabsolutely when you give a quilt
away, and this is kind of a likea secret poll that I take with
(32:51):
quilters, do you want the personto use it, or do you want it to
hang as a piece?
Emily Dunlap (32:56):
So secret, I guess, confession, the only ones
who receive my quilts are my twonieces. I want them to use it. I
have exclusively started usingthat super cuddly backing on
quilts, because those are theonly quilts that my nieces reach
for. So I want them to use it.If you get Sharpie marker on it,
if you get nail polish on it, itjust adds to the memories of the
(33:18):
quilt.
Jane Clauss (33:19):
I love it. I love it. Alright. I love this story
so much. I love Laura star USA.Tell us Kristen, how can people
want if they want to learn moreabout all your products, your
product line, where can we findyou? Is there a website we can
go to? Can we find you on socialmedia?
Kristen Wermers (33:34):
Yeah. So you can find us online at laurastar
us.com you can find us onInstagram and Facebook at Laura
star USA. We also have YouTubetutorials and product
information available at Laurastar USA as well. We can be
contacted anytime, Mondaythrough Friday as well. At our
one 800 number, we are happy toanswer those calls and
(33:56):
questions. And then we have alive chat function through our
website too, Emily,
Jane Clauss (33:59):
because you are on this, this quilting path and
doing so many fun things, wherecan people find you? If you
Emily Dunlap (34:04):
want to follow me on Instagram at Orange Cat
stitches, you can see somethings that I'm doing. There
Jane Clauss (34:10):
amazing any last word we want to impress on our
friends about the importance ofsteam when it comes to cleaning
and or creating with yourtextiles,
Emily Dunlap (34:22):
I think, give it a shot. Don't
Kristen Wermers (34:24):
be afraid of the steam. Emily's point, don't
be afraid of steam.
Jane Clauss (34:27):
Don't be afraid of the steam. I love it. Laura star
USA is Kristen wormers And EmilyDunlap. Thank you so much for
joining us on creative living.
VO (34:40):
Thank you for listening to creative living with Jane Clauss
for more creative livinginspiration, just head to Jane
clauss.com
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