| How to Remove Dye from Suede Shoes Posted: 19 Aug 2017 05:00 PM PDT Suede shoes are very cool looking. Unfortunately, though, they stain easily. Removing stains, like dye, from suede shoes can be difficult. You not only risk making the stain worse, but you can damage the material. Thankfully, there are several ways you can remove dye from suede shoes safely. By taking steps to remove minor stains, or by using vinegar, alcohol, or abrasive materials, you might be able to remove dye stains from your suede shoes. EditTackling Minor Stains - Fill the shoes with newspaper or a similar material. Crumple up newspaper, printer paper, or something similar. Then, insert it into your shoes. This will make sure your shoes hold their shape as you clean then. Otherwise, you could damage their shape.[1]
- Apply pressure and brush the stain. Use a bristled brush to brush the suede in one direction. While you want to make sure you're pushing down, don't push too hard. It is important that you apply only as much pressure as needed to remove the stain. In the end, brushing may have the effect of removing stained fibers from your shoes.[2]
- Brush harder. If your initial brushing doesn't remove the stained fibers, you need to go back and brush harder. This time, apply a lot more pressure with the bristled brush. Brush your shoes in a back-and-forth motion. Rub until you've reduced the stain substantially or it is gone entirely.[3]
EditUsing White Vinegar - Blot the spot with vinegar. Take a clean white cloth and dampen it with white vinegar. Gently blot the dye spot with the cloth. Do this several times. If some of the stain comes off on the cloth, use another part of the cloth and continue blotting.[4]
- Only use pure white vinegar. Any other vinegar could stain your shoes.
- Rub the dye stain with vinegar. Rub the shoe in one direction with a dampened white cloth. Feel free to apply a moderate amount of pressure on your shoe. If any of the dye comes off, rotate your cloth, use another part of it, and continue rubbing the shoe.[5]
- Blot the dye stain dry. Using a clean white cloth, gently blot the shoe until it is dry. Make sure to get as much of the vinegar out as possible. When you're done, your shoe should only be slightly damp.[6]
EditUsing Rubbing Alcohol - Dab the dye stain with a cotton ball dampened with alcohol. Dampen a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol. Then, dab the dye stain with the cotton ball. Discard the cotton ball if any dye rubs off on it. Afterward, use another damp cotton ball to remove any dye that remains.[7]
- Dampen a cloth and wipe the dye stain. If dabbing the stain doesn't work, dampen a clean cloth with alcohol and wipe it back and forth on the dye stain. As the dye comes off onto the cloth, use a new piece of cloth to wipe your shoe with.[8]
- Pat your shoe with a clean cloth. After you've removed as much of the stain as you can, start to pat your shoe dry. Pat your shoe until it is almost dry. This is important, as some dye may continue to come off as you dry your shoe. [9]
EditBuffing the Spot with Abrasive Tools - Rub the shoes with an eraser or rubber cleaning stone. Find a soft/clean pencil eraser or purchase a rubber cleaning stone. Then, softly rub the dye spot with your eraser or cleaning stone. This may remove some or all the stain. You may need to rub/buff the stained spot several times to remove all the dye.
- If the dye comes off on the eraser or cleaning stone, you may need to rub it against something else to remove the dye from it. Then, you can use it on the shoes again.[10]
- Sand the stain with a fine grit piece of sandpaper. If the dye stain is somewhat new, you can try to remove it by rubbing it with fine sandpaper. In this case, use as small of a piece of sandpaper as you need to clean the dye spot. Then, gently rub the spot with your sandpaper. The sandpaper will remove any fibers that are stained.[11]
- Be gentle. If you are too rough, you could damage the suede.
- Brush your shoes with a suede brush. After you use any sort of abrasive tool on your suede shoes, you'll need to work the "nap" of the suede (the fuzzy part) back up. Do this by using a suede brush and brushing back-and-forth on the shoe in a gentle fashion. Continue to brush the shoe for several minutes.[12]
- When you're done, the fuzz of the shoe should point upward or slightly upward.
- Avoid using water. This could stain your shoes.
- Don't use any cleaning products not intended for suede.
EditSources and Citations
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
|
| How to Clean a Fiddler Crab Tank Posted: 19 Aug 2017 09:00 AM PDT Fiddler crabs are small, easy pets to take care of and are easier than fish. They create a lot of waste, though, so many people who don't know how to clean up after them and don't bother. However, you can clean their tank simply enough! Follow these steps to make sure your crabby friend has a clean place to live. EditDoing a Partial Clean - Suck up any detritus. Using a gravel siphon or turkey baster, remove bits of food and poop. Fiddler crab poop looks like tiny brown dots about the size of their eyes, and because of their small size they are easy to take out. Try not to suck up too much sand, or you'll just be dumping it away.
- Move the sand around a little to uncover some waste that may have been buried.
- Do a partial water change. Change 15-25% of water volume, and remember to add a water conditioner and 1/2 teaspoon of marine salt per 1.5-2 liters of water[1].
- If there's floating waste in the water, quickly scoop it out with a fish net before it settles.
- Clean decorations and food bowls (if any). Use a 5-10% bleach solution[2] to soak non-absorbent decorations for no more than 10 minutes. Rinse and dry them thoroughly. If you want to scrub them, then you can when rinsing. For live plants or absorbent materials like wood, soak in slightly salty water (made with a few teaspoons of salt in 1.5-2 liters of water) for 10 minutes and scrub with a clean tool.
- Always let the objects dry fully before placing them back in the tank. If you used bleach, make sure there is no bleach smell left.
EditDoing a Full Clean - Unplug everything and move the crabs to a holding container. A bucket with a shallow level of warm, dechlorinated brackish water works. When removing the heater, always pull the electrical plug first and then wait 15 minutes before removing it from the water.
- If the electrical plug to an appliance is wet, do not pull it out, until you dry it.
- Clean the appliances. Take out the filter cartridge and set it aside in a container of tank water. This will keep some beneficial bacteria. Rinse the heater, filter, and air tube/stone (if using) in running water. Rub with a cleaning pad or your hands to clean out filth. Pat dry or let air dry.
- Make sure that water doesn't drip from the appliances to their plugs. If you do get water on the electrical plugs, let them air dry to dry out fully. Do not plug in and use when wet.
- Only wash the main body of the appliance.
- Clean the decorations and sand. Cleaning the decorations is the same as described in step three of "Doing a Partial Clean". The sand, however, can't just be soaked and rinsed. Suck up waste using the siphon/turkey baster to get rid of the easy waste first. Drain off as much water as you can. Place the sand in a bucket and fill the bucket with tap water. Swish the sand around inside the bucket to clean it, then drain off the water. Repeat until the water does not have any floating bits of waste.
- You can replace some of the old sand if you want, and it is recommended that every few months that you do so.
- Wash the entire tank. First rinse out any sand. If you feel that the tank needs a thorough disinfection, let a 10% bleach solution sit inside for 10 minutes. If there is a hard water stain/salt stain but you don't want to use bleach, spray the walls of the tank with vinegar and let it sit for five to ten minutes. Scrub every corner of the tank if necessary, and rinse out. Let the tank dry outside until the bleach/vinegar smell is gone and it is completely free of water. If you can't do outside, you can place it in a well-ventilated room.
- Replace all of the decorations and appliances. Add the sand first. If you have a big decoration, you can add that in next, so when you place the water in, you can pour it on the decoration (as not to disturb the sand). If you have delicate decorations, add them after adding water. Add the water, and then the filter, heater, etc. For the heater, place the body in the water for 15 minutes before plugging it in. Wait for the heater to warm the water if you used colder water, then add in anything else (decorations, plants). Finally, add the crabs in.
- Make sure your water is treated and brackish.
- A partial clean can be done once every one to two weeks, and a full clean every few months.
- Reserve cleaning materials for crab-use only to prevent contamination.
- Always clean decorations and food bowls outside of the tank so you don't bother the crabs.
- You don't have to change the filter cartridge unless it is not working, is falling apart, or very dirty. Sand may make your filter cartridge dirtier faster. Rinsing will clean out most of the gunk (wash in treated water!).
- For ease of cleaning, you can put fine gravel in the water area of the tank. Although many people debate about gravel vs. sand, with many saying sand is best[3] and that gravel hurts the crabs. If you absolutely can't do all sand for some reason, fine gravel in the water is okay.
- Always make a drip loop in the appliances' cords. Brackish water conducts electricity better than fresh, so you want to make sure you don't electrocute/shock yourself or the crabs.
- Don't use more than 10% bleach or soak for more than 10 minutes. It can discolor and damage your decorations.
- Scented or colored bleach will not work here.
- Removing the heater from the water without waiting for it to cool after unplugging it (or not unplugging it) can lead to the heater glass cracking (temperature difference).
- Cleaning the sand while in the tank is not recommended because it can scratch the glass walls.
- Bleach should only be used if your tank/decorations are really in need of it.
- Make sure the other organisms, if any, living with your crabs can take the salinity.
EditThings You'll Need - Gravel siphon or turkey baster
- Bucket
- Scrubbing pad or tool
- Marine salt
- Water conditioner
- Bleach
- White vinegar
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
|
| How to Make Your Own Brown Sugar Posted: 19 Aug 2017 01:00 AM PDT If you've run out of brown sugar while you're in the middle of baking something, you probably can't just run to the store. Instead, make your own brown sugar by mixing granulated sugar with molasses. Or substitute other pantry staples, but keep in mind that the flavor and texture of your baked goods might be a little different. Once you've made your own brown sugar, learn how to store it and soften it if it becomes a little hard. EditIngredients - 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (40 g) to 1/4 cup (84 g) molasses
Makes 1 cup (200 g) of brown sugar EditMaking Brown Sugar Using Molasses - Measure sugar and molasses into a mixing bowl. Pour 1 cup (200 g) of granulated sugar into a mixing bowl. Add molasses according to your taste or the type of brown sugar you want. For light brown sugar, use 2 tablespoons (40 g) of molasses. For dark brown sugar, you can use up to 1/4 cup (84 g) of molasses.[1]
- Ensure that you're using true molasses, not blackstrap molasses. Blackstrap molasses is more refined, less sweet, and higher in sodium than true molasses.
- Combine the molasses and sugar in a mixer. For the best texture, use a stand or electric mixer to combine the molasses and sugar until the mixture looks fluffy and golden brown. This can take several minutes.
- You can also mix the brown sugar by combining the ingredients in a food processor.
- Consider mixing the molasses and sugar with a fork. If you don't have a mixer or just want to make a little brown sugar, you can put the molasses and sugar into a small bowl. Use a fork to combine the mixture until it becomes brown sugar.[2]
- If you're baking with the brown sugar, you don't even need to combine the sugar and molasses; just add the ingredients to the recipe. For example, if you're making cookies that call for brown sugar, just add extra granulated sugar and the molasses along with the other ingredients.
- Double or triple the batch. If you want to make a large batch of brown sugar to use in several recipes, you can easily double or triple the ingredients. Use a large mixing bowl and electric or stand mixer to combine the brown sugar. Whisk the sugar and molasses for about 5 minutes.
EditUsing Brown Sugar Alternatives - Use honey instead of brown sugar. If you don't have brown sugar or molasses on hand, consider using honey in place of the brown sugar in a recipe. To substitute honey, use 1/2 cup (170 g) to 3/4 cup (255 g) of honey for each 1 cup (200 g) of brown sugar called for and add 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder. You should also reduce the liquids in the recipe by 20% and turn down the oven temperature by 25 degrees.[3]
- Avoid substituting honey in recipes that need you to cream butter with the brown sugar. Instead, use honey in soft-textured cake, ice cream, or pudding recipes.
- Substitute maple syrup for brown sugar. You can use maple syrup instead of brown sugar, but you'll need to reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1/2 cup (120 ml) for each 1 cup (240 ml) of maple syrup you use. Avoid using maple syrup in recipes where you need to cream butter with the sugar. Consider substituting maple syrup in pudding, candy, caramel, and ice cream recipes.[4]
- If you have maple sugar, you can substitute equal amounts for the brown sugar and you won't need to reduce the liquid in a recipe.
- Try coconut or date sugar. If you have coconut or date sugar in your pantry, you can use it to replace brown sugar in a recipe. You can use it in caramels and candies, but it does melt 10 degrees lower than standard sugar. You can also bake with it although your baked goods may have a drier texture.[5]
- If you want to add moisture, consider adding applesauce or mashed banana.
EditStoring and Softening Homemade Brown Sugar - Store the brown sugar in an airtight container. Put the brown sugar in an airtight container in your pantry. You can store the brown sugar at room temperature indefinitely, but it may harden over time as it dries out.[6]
- If you don't have an airtight storage container, you can keep the brown sugar in a plastic food storage bag with a zipper.
- Soften brown sugar in the microwave. If you need to soften brown sugar quickly, put the lump of brown sugar into a microwave-safe bowl. Moisten a paper towel with water and lay it over the brown sugar. Microwave the brown sugar for 15 to 20 seconds and check to see if it's softened. If not, microwave it for another 15 to 20 seconds.[7]
- If the brown sugar is so hard that it's hard to divide the lump into a bowl, add a few teaspoons of water to the sugar before you microwave it.
- Place a piece of bread with the brown sugar. You can also soften brown sugar by storing it with a piece of fresh bread for a few days. The moisture from the bread softens the sugar. Just be sure you remember to toss out the bread before too long because it will dry out.[8]
- You could also place a slice or two of apple in the container to keep the brown sugar soft.
EditThings You'll Need - Measuring cups and spoons
- Digital scale
- Mixing bowl
- Fork or whisk
- Food processor, optional
- Electric or stand mixer
- Airtight container
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations
Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found
|
No comments:
Post a Comment