| How to Reuse Wire Hangers Posted: 01 Aug 2017 05:00 PM PDT Reuse old wire hangers by remaking them into more useful items, such as padded clothes hangers, shoe hangers, or coat racks. Wire hangers can also be useful with household tasks like snaking clogged drains, running cable wires behind drywall, and skimming debris off a backyard pool. You can also use old hangers to do crafts and kids' activities like making decorative wreaths, blowing bubbles, and roasting marshmallows or hot dogs. EditUsing Wire Hangers - Make a drain snake. Carefully untwist the top of a wire hanger with pliers. Press and fold the wire hook to make it tight enough to fit down the drain. Use this handmade snake to remove gunk and hair from clogged drains.[1]
- Use a wire hanger to run cable behind a wall. Unwind a wire hanger using pliers until it is straight, then loop one end around the end of your cable wire to hold it. Drill a series of small holes into the wall to reach behind the drywall. Snake the wire hanger and cable through until it reaches its destination.[2]
- Make a pool skimmer. Use pliers to untwist the wire, then reform it into a circle. To make a small skimmer, leave one third of the length of the wire as a handle, or attach a separate, stretch out hanger as a handle to make a larger one. Stretch one leg of an old pair of pantyhose over the circle and tie it firmly to make the net of the pool slimmer.[3]
EditMaking New Household Items - Sew padded clothes hangers. Upgrade old wire hangers by making padded clothes hangers. Measure the outline of the body of a wire hanger and cut two pieces of silky material slightly larger than that. Sew the two pieces together, leaving an opening at the top, and slide the hanger inside. Stuff the inside of the material with loose cotton or pieces of foam, and sew the opening shut.
- Make shoe hangers. Use wire clippers to cut the bottom part of the hanger in half. Bend the two bottom halves of wire down to narrow the shape (approximately 3-4 inches, or 7-10 cm, apart). Twist each wire end upwards to meet the bottom of the hanger hook, and twist the ends into a circular shape to cover the sharp points.[4]
- Place shoes, toe-side up, over each circular part of the hanger to hang them easily in your closet.
- Build a coat rack. Start with a finished piece of wood and attach 3 to 6 screws to the board, depending on its size and your preferences, halfway in and evenly spaced. Cut the same number of wire hooks from old coat hangers using wire cutters. Using pliers, twist the end of each hook around a screw until it is firmly attached.[5]
- If you wish to paint or decorate the coat rack, do so before attaching the hooks to make things easier.
- Be sure to attach the coat rack firmly to the wall before hanging anything on it.
- Re-purpose hangers around the house. You can reuse wire hangers without making any modifications to them by rethinking their purpose. By hanging a hanger off a bathroom door cabinet, for instance, you can make a simple magazine or newspaper holder. You can also hang up hangers on the wall to hold a collection of eyeglasses, scarves, ties, bras, or other accessories.[6]
EditUsing Them for Crafts and Children's Activities - Make a decorative wreath. Re-purpose an old wire hanger by using colorful tissue paper. Use pliers to untwist the hanger and shape it into a circle. Thread 6" x 1 1/4" (approximately 3-15 cm) pieces of tissue paper onto the wire (alternating colors, if desired) until it is full, then twist together the ends of the wire to make a circular wreath.[7]
- For more volume, thread the pieces of tissue paper in alternating directions and crumpled them beforehand.
- Make a large bubble wand. Using pliers, stretch out a hanger to make a large loop with a handle. Fill a basin with a mixture of two parts water and one part dish washing liquid. Dip the wire bubble wand in the soapy water and wave it gently in the air to create large bubbles.[8]
- Make a stick to roast marshmallows or hot dogs. Make an old wire hanger into a camping accessory by reshaping it with pliers. Untwist and straighten the hanger completely. Bend the wire approximately 5 inches (or 25-26 cm) from one end and double it over to create a handle. If you wish to make the handle more comfortable to grip, wrap it with something like handlebar tape (available at bike shops, or online).[9]
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| How to Stop a Cat from Chewing on Your Hair Posted: 01 Aug 2017 09:00 AM PDT Cats sometimes lick or chew their humans' hair as a sign of affection, just like they groom their feline brethren. On occasion, these behaviors can also be provoked by stress or health problems, or they can result when a kitten is weaned too early. You may like the sentiment but might not want your kitty messing up your hairdo with its saliva. Learn why your cat is so interested in your hair, then you can take the appropriate steps to curb this behavior. EditDetermining the Cause - Consider whether the behavior is normal. If your cat has routinely licked or chewed your hair a small or moderate amount, this may be "normal" behavior for your cat. It could be a sign of affection or how your cat marks you as its own. Although this behavior may be annoying, and you might want to take steps to stop it, it's nothing to be alarmed about.
- Grooming is an important part of a felines' social and emotional life from the moment it is born. Just as cats will lick one another to show affection, your cat may give your hair a few licks here and there to show you that it loves you.[1]
- Your cat may also be putting its scent on you, in effect marking you as part of its territory or part of its group.[2]
- Assess stressful situations. Cats will often begin licking behavior during times of stress, in response to a move, for example, or when a new pet has been introduced into the household. Consider whether any big changes have recently occurred in your cat's life that may have brought on (or intensified) its hair licking.[3]
- It's important not to raise your voice or use physical punishments in an attempt to stop the hair licking or chewing. These things will only increase the level of stress your cat feels.[4]
- Remember that what a cat finds stressful may not be the same things you find stressful. Try to put yourself in your cat's shoes to determine the cause of the stress. Common stressors for cats include having visitors over, hearing family members argue, having a loud dog nearby, or seeing other cats through a window but being unable to get to them.[5]
- Take your cat to the vet. If the behavior is constant or you're unable to distract your cat from its hair licking or chewing by engaging it in another activity, the behavior may be compulsive and require a trip to the veterinarian.[6] In a few hardcore cases, mood altering drugs like Prozac or clomipramine can help break the compulsive behavior.
- Additionally, if this behavior starts when a cat is older it could be a sign of hypothyroidism.[7] This occurs in 30% of cats who are age 10 and older and needs to be diagnosed and treated by a vet.[8] Treatment should lessen this behavior. If not, continue discouraging the behavior after your cat's hyperthyroidism is treated.
EditDiscouraging the Behavior - Move away from your cat when it attempts to chew your hair. If you stay in the same place and, even worse, pet or talk to your cat while it licks or chews on your hair, you send the signal that its behavior is desirable. Instead, get up and leave the area.[9]
- If you're in bed, you can put your head under the sheets to get away from your cat.[10] You can also try putting a pillow between yourself and your cat (though she may just climb on top of it).[11]
- Be consistent when discouraging the behavior. In order for this strategy to work, you need to resist the chewing every time your cat begins going after your hair, and you must act quickly. Inconsistent responses (allowing your cat to lick your hair some times but not others) will only confuse your cat.[12]
- It will takes weeks, or perhaps even months, for your cat to get the picture, but eventually it will come to understand that the licking or chewing is not acceptable and that when it chews or licks it is not being rewarded by your company.[13]
- Provide distraction. One of the best ways to get your cat to leave your hair alone is to give it something else to chew on: toys, treats, cat grass, or even a piece of rawhide. Physical exercise and mental stimulation, which it can get through more playtime with you, are also great distractions that don't cost a dime.[14]
- Five to ten minutes of exercise a day might be enough to eliminate unwanted behaviors in your cat by reducing anxiety. You might consider using a laser light or a feather wand to get your cat moving.[15]
- While treats can be a good distraction, be careful that you don't overfeed your cat. This could result in weight gain and health problems.
- Always make sure that the toys you provide your cat are safe and won't cause it to choke.
- Help your cat cope. If stress does seem to be the culprit, try to find ways to help kitty cope with the situations that are causing it anxiety.[16] For example, providing a safe space complete with familiar items may ease the stress of being in a new home, while spending extra time together may help to relieve the anxiety related to the arrival of a new furry friend or a new baby.
- It may be possible to eliminate certain stressors. For example, if your cat is licking or chewing your hair because it is stressed out by a cat it sees out the back window, pull the blind on that window so that your cat no longer sees the other animal.
- You can also invest in feline pheromone products which come in wipes, sprays, collars and diffusers. These chemicals mimic the pheromones given off by contented cats helping your troubled kitty cope with things beyond hers or yours control.
- Switch hair products. If the hair licking or chewing behavior always happens when you use a certain scented shampoo or apply a specific hairspray, stop using that product and try something new. Choose an unscented product if at all possible, or find one with a scent that's not cat-friendly.
- Cats tend not to like citrus-scented products, so you may want to try a citrus-smelling hair product to repel your cat.[17]
- If your vet is unable to determine the cause of the hair licking or chewing and he or she is unable to come up with a solution, your vet may refer you to an animal behaviorist.[18]
- The first thing a kitten experiences is its mother washing its hair and face with her tongue. In a way, when your cat attends to your hair it is showing you that it accepts you as a fellow feline.[19]
- Cats that ingest human hair may suffer from hairballs or worse, a blockage in its intestinal tract. If your cat habitually swallows hair, try very hard to stop the behavior.
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| How to Braid Garlic Posted: 01 Aug 2017 01:00 AM PDT A garlic braid is a tidy way to store your garlic. However, there are more benefits to braiding garlic than just its appearance. There's also the convenience in being able to grab a clove or two whenever you need it and garlic that stays fresher longer because of improved air circulation. Braiding garlic can seem a little intimidating at first, but once you get the basics down, you can make these fun ropes in no time. EditBraiding Cured Garlic - Clean the bulbs. There's no need to clean the garlic before you cure it, but you should take the time to remove any lingering dirt before you braid it. In some cases, you may be able to remove the dirt and other residue by brushing it away with your fingers. If the bulbs are particularly dirty, you may need to use a soft cloth to clean them.[1]
- For stubborn dirt that won't wipe away with fingers or a cloth, try using an old toothbrush to go over the bulbs. Be gentle, though, so you don't bruise the garlic when you're cleaning it.
- If the garlic is extremely dirty, you may want to remove a couple of the outer layers of dry skin.
- Trim the garlic. To ensure that you wind up with a neat, attractive braid, you'll need to trim the bulbs before you begin braiding. There are usually long, scraggly roots attached to the bulbs, so you'll want to cut those to approximately ¼-inch. The roots aren't very thick, so you can use regular scissors to trim the garlic.[2]
- If you notice that any of the leaves are jagged or scraggy, you may want to trim them as well because they can make it more difficult to braid.
- Soak the garlic stems. When you're braiding, you want the bulbs' leaves to be pliable so they're easier to braid. The best way to make them more flexible is to soak them in water. Fill a bowl or sink with lukewarm water, and soak the garlic so just the leaves are submerged. You don't want the bulbs to get wet. Let the leaves soak for approximately 15 to 30 minutes, or until they feel more pliable.[3]
- Instead of soaking the leaves, you can sandwich them between two thoroughly wet towels. Once again, make sure the bulbs are not getting wet, and let the leaves sit for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Select three largest bulbs and criss cross them. To make an attractive braid, you'll need approximately 12 bulbs. As you're sorting the ones that you'll use, set aside the three largest bulbs to serve as the start of the braid. Lay them on a flat surface with one bulb in the center, one to its left, and one to its right. The center bulb's leaves should be pointed at you, while the other two's leaves are criss crossed over one another to form an X over the center bulb.[4]
- It helps to secure the place where the bulbs overlap with a piece of twine. Make sure that the piece you use is long enough to knot over the bulbs with enough excess that you can secure additional bulbs that you place in the braid.
- Start adding bulbs. Place a fourth bulb over the existing bundle, so it matches up with the center bulb. Use the excess twine to secure the fourth bulb to the stack to make it easier when you start to braid. Next, take two more bulbs and align them with the two diagonal bulbs in a criss cross fashion.
- Take the time to line them up as much as possible because it'll be easier when it comes time to braid.
- Begin braiding. With all of the bulbs' leaves lined up, it's time to start the braid. Make sure that you're grabbing the two sets of leaves for each section as you begin braiding. Take the two leaves from the right side and cross them under the middle leaves, so they become the center pieces. Next, take the two leaves on the left and cross them under the middle leaves. Repeat the process one or two more times.[5]
- You may find it easier to secure the braid with more twine before you add more bulbs. Just tie the knot in the back to keep it neat.
- Add more bulbs. Once you've started the braid, you can add three bulbs. You should line the leaves up with the existing ends of the braids as you did with the second set, so one aligns with the left section, one aligns with the center, and one aligns with the right. Start braiding again for one or two passes, and repeat the process until you've added all of your bulbs.[6]
- It's a good idea to use twine to secure the bundle of bulbs after you've added the last set. That will make it easier to finish off the rest of the braid. To make it more decorative, tie it off in a bow.
- Finish braiding and secure the entire garlic braid. After you've added all of the garlic, you should continue braiding the leaves until you get to the end. Use another piece of twine to tie off the end and secure the entire braid. Use a pair of scissors to trim the end of the roots so they're even and neat -- and you're ready to hang your garlic braid in your kitchen.[7]
- You may also want to make the time to trim the fine roots at the tops of the bulbs to give the braid a neater appearance.
EditCuring Harvested Garlic - Choose a proper spot for curing. If you want to preserve your garlic for long-term use, you need to cure it after it's harvested. The curing process is meant to help the bulbs dry out, so you need to choose the right location to keep them. You want a dry, dark space with good air circulation. A covered porch, carport, barn, or well-ventilated garage can work well.[8]
- Make sure to keep garlic that you're curing out of direct sunlight because the heat can start to cook it and change its flavor.
- Create bundles of garlic. When you're ready to cure your garlic, it's best to divide your harvest into portions. It's usually best to create bundles of 5 to 10 bulbs, and tie them together with string or twine that's wrapped and knotted around their stalks. You can then hang them or place them on mesh racks for curing, so it's easier for air to circulate around the bulbs.[9]
- Don't remove any leaves or do any trimming when you're preparing the bundles of garlic. The bulbs still gets energy from the rest of the plant until all of the moisture is gone.
- Allow the bundles to sit for two weeks to a month. For the garlic to fully cure, you have to wait until all of the moisture evaporates from the leaves and roots. That can take anywhere from two weeks to a month. If you live in a very humid location, though, it may take longer. You'll know that the garlic is cured when the roots are shriveled, the leaves turn brown, and the bulbs have developed several layers of papery skin.[10]
- When you plan to braid your garlic, it's often easier if you don't allow it to fully cure. Let it go for about a week, and then braid it when the stems are still flexible.
EditGrowing and Harvesting Garlic - Get the timing right. The best time to plant garlic is in the fall approximately four to six weeks before the ground freezes in your area. The colder your climate is, the earlier in the fall that you should plant. That means the garlic is usually ready to harvest in early to mid summer, which can be anywhere from July to August. Because garlic grows underground, it can be difficult to know when it's ready -- the trick is to watch the plants and notice when approximately ⅓ of the leaves are pale yellow and shriveled.[11]
- Dry soil around the plants is another sign that your garlic is ready to be harvested.
- If you aren't sure whether your garlic is ready to be harvested, remove one or two bulb to examine them. They should be a good size, and the skins should be completely filled.
- Loosen the soil around the bulbs. If the soil is too tightly compacted around the garlic, it can be difficult to remove them from the ground. Before you try to lift the bulbs free, use a digging fork or small shovel to carefully loosen the dirt around the bulbs of garlic so you'll be able to easily work them free. Don't dig too close to the bulbs or you may damage them.[12]
- Be careful when you're using the fork or shovel around the bulbs. Garlic is delicate, so it can bruise easily.
- Lift the garlic from the soil. You may be tempted to pull the bulbs out of the ground by their stems, but you can damage the garlic if you extract it too roughly. Instead, use a spade, shovel, or garden fork to gently lift the bulbs out of the dirt. Gently place the harvested bulbs in a container, such as a bucket, to keep them safe as you continue to remove the rest of the garlic.[13]
- It's usually best to use a spade or shovel to lift the garlic out of the ground because it's easier to damage if you use a pointed tool like a garden fork.
- Keep the garlic out of the sun after you harvest it. Place the container that's holding the bulbs in the shade or cover it with a sheet.
- Braid garlic before it has completely dried so the leaves are pliable enough to handle.
- Store fresh garlic in low temperatures, , or at room temperature, .
- For a cleaner looking garlic braid, remove the outer bulb wrapper.
- After it's been cured, the flavor of garlic usually intensifies, so start by using a small amount in your dish and adding more if necessary.
- If you make more than one braid, it's best to keep the extras in your pantry or another cool, dry space rather than in the kitchen. Hang only the one you're currently using in the kitchen.
- Garlic is best stored in a cool, dry space, so don't hang your braid in direct sunlight or near the stove or radiator.
EditThings You'll Need - Garlic
- Scissors
- Twine
- Old toothbrush
- Soft rag
- Towels
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