Correction: The caption in the photo "When grilling meat" should say pork chops need to be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Have you ever had to throw out clothing due to permanent stains or stop wearing a shirt because the buttons fell off?

Do you know what temperature your burger on the grill needs to reach before it's cooked?

What about that time you tried to save a little money and cut your own bangs — only to end up making an emergency appointment with a stylist to fix your zigzagged disaster?

When was the last time you checked the pressure in your tires?

It's easy to make it to college without ever mastering certain life skills. But you're not really grown up if you still have your parents do your sewing and air up your car tires. Here's a simple how-to guide for some of life's little tasks the average college student might not have found time to master yet.

How to grill meat

Rajeev Patgaonkar is a big fan of outdoor grilling. As an MSU honorary faculty member and executive sous chef at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center, 55 S. Harrison Road, he not only enjoys grilling, he's an expert.

The first thing you have to be aware of when grilling is food safety.

"I recommend to everybody to use a heat thermometer to check the temperature," Patgaonkar said.

Poultry, hamburgers and pork need to be cooked until they are at 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Other red meats such as pork chops, lamb, steak and veal can be cooked to a minimum of 145 F for rare cooking.

Grillers should also make sure to keep meats refrigerated until right before cooking and serve the cooked meat as soon as possible. If the outdoor temperature is 85 F or hotter, food must be consumed within an hour of preparation to avoid the risk of food-borne illness. Leftovers should be refrigerated as soon as possible, and you should never start grilling meat and stop to finish it later.

Patgaonkar said when he is entertaining a lot of guests he likes to precook the meat, then simply reheat and add flavor on the grill. This cuts down risk of disease and saves time.

The appearance and smell of the meat is also a good way to determine if it's safe to eat.

"It should smell OK and should look comfortable to the eyes," he said. "It's human nature — we catch a lot of things just going on intuition."

An equally important part of grilling is flavor. Flavor can be added before grilling by marinating the meat. Fruit juices, wines, spirits, herbs, spices, salad dressings and vinegars are all good marinades.

"Use your imagination in marination," Patgaonkar said. "Be bold and challenge yourself to try different things — you can even use the beer everyone is drinking."

Patgaonkar said a good way to add flavor while grilling is to sprinkle citrus fruit peels, wood chips like apple wood or pine, or dry herbs onto the charcoal. The smoke will bring the flavor of whatever you place on the charcoal to the meat.

"The bottom line when grilling is you have to have fun," he said. "Don't be really worried about screwing up — enjoy the food, play with the food and have a great experience."

How to care for your car tires

Aaron Allen, a sales manager at Goodyear Auto Service Center, 1309 E. Michigan Ave. in Lansing, said maintaining proper tire pressure is the most important thing you can do to keep your tires in good condition.

Allen said maintaining the right tire pressure will increase your tires' life span, improve your car's gas mileage and give you a smoother ride.

Drivers can find out what their tire pressure should be by looking at the sticker located in the driver's side doorjamb or in the car's manual.

Use a pressure gauge to check your tires — they're available for less than $2. Let the tires cool before checking the pressure since tires are more inflated when they're warm. Remove the cap from the valve on one tire, press the tire gauge hard onto the valve and look at the reading. If you hear the sound of escaping air, it means the gauge isn't inserted properly, you're not pressing hard enough or the gauge is crooked.

If the pressure is too low, add air to the tire. If it's too high, let some air out.

"Lower pressure means that the tires are under more stress in areas that they're not meant to," Allen said. "If you have too much tire pressure, it will bulge the tire out and you'll wear out the tire quicker."

When you have too much pressure the middle will bulge out, and having too little pressure will cause the edges of the tire to bulge. Any pressure level not right for your tires will wear them out faster.

How to cut your bangs

Douglas J Aveda Institute, 331 E. Grand River Ave., instructor Mindi Blair said she wouldn't suggest people try to cut their bangs themselves, but she offered some tips for anyone who really wanted to cut them at home.

Start by sectioning the rest of your hair off and leaving your bangs down. For swoopy style bangs, you want to over-direct them across your forehead in the opposite way you swoop them. Then cut down from the top to the bottom.

If you have straight bangs pull them down and hold with light tension, then cut straight across starting from the middle to each side.

Blair said you should never try to create new bangs for yourself and these methods are only for if you already have bangs.

How to remove a stain

Every stain is different, but rinsing with diluted dishwashing soap and then washing with an enzyme detergent — most regular detergents have enzymes in them, but check the ingredients — is usually a good way to combat all stains.

Here are a few extra methods for specific stains:

Coffee stains: Cover the stain with lemon juice and follow with a stronger bleach if necessary, then spray the area with diluted dishwashing soap and wash with enzyme detergent.

Ink stains: Isolate the stained area with mineral oil or petroleum jelly. Treat the stain with isopropyl alcohol. Rinse with diluted dishwashing-soap solution, then wash with an enzyme detergent in warm water.

Sauce stains (ketchup, barbecue, etc.): Scrape off sauce and then spray area with diluted dishwashing-soap solution. Soak the garment in tepid water. If the stain is still there, apply white vinegar. Wash with an enzyme detergent. If the stain isn't gone, apply several drops of hydrogen peroxide and let it sit. Then rinse and treat again with enzyme detergent and wash.

Grease stains: Treat the stain with a dry solvent such as mineral spirits or acetone, rinse with isopropyl alcohol and let it dry completely. Then spray the stain with diluted dishwashing-soap solution on any remaining residue and soak it in an enzyme detergent before washing.

Source: www.marthastewart.com.

How to sew a button

1. Choose a button you want to use if you don't have the original, then choose a thread that matches the clothing or is a neutral shade.

2. Cut the thread about as long as the distance from your finger to your elbow.

3. Thread the needle, feeding the thread through the eye. If you're having a hard time, try wetting the thread to make it stiffer.

4. Once the thread is through the needle, move the needle to the middle of the thread and fold the thread in half. Tie a knot at the end of the thread where both ends meet. Tie another knot to secure the end. Now you're ready to sew.

5. Put the button on top of the material where you want to attach it. Use a match or toothpick in between the button and the material to give it the necessary slack.

6. Starting from under the material, push the needle up through the clothing and one of the holes on the button. Pull the thread all the way through until the knot is anchored against the material, then push the needle down through the next hole and the material. Repeat three times going up and down through each of the holes on the button and the material so each hole is secured by multiple strands of thread.

7. Finish with the needle under the material and double-knot the thread.