| How to Clean Velvet Posted: 11 Sep 2018 05:00 PM PDT Velvet is a luxurious and interesting looking fabric that's used on furniture, clothing, and accessories. From time to time, your velvet items will need to be cleaned to ensure that they're looking their best. In most cases, you can clean your velvet items at home, but sometimes you'll have to go to a professional. You should always use special care when cleaning velvet to avoid creasing, stains, and matting of the fabric. EditRemoving Stains - Brush the item with a clothing brush or lint-free cloth before treating. Brushing the velvet will remove dirt and lint, and loosen any mats in the fabric. This prepares the fabric for treatment and can remove caked-on dirt before spot cleaning.[1]
- When brushing accessories, make sure you're getting into corners and areas where there might be hardware to remove dirt and lint.
- Vacuum velvet furniture with the brush attachment. The suction will remove any dirt and lint, and the brush attachment will loosen up mats in the fabric to prepare it for cleaning. Be gentle and don't push too hard on the fabric as you can crush the pile.[2]
- To prevent further stains and dirt from damaging the fabric, you can vacuum your velvet once per week.
- Mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda and ½ a cup of lemon juice to treat spots on furniture. You may need to add extra lemon juice to create more foam. You won't be using any of the liquid portion of this mixture, so don't worry about having excess liquid.[3]
- If you're cleaning the entire piece of furniture, you'll probably need to add more baking soda and lemon juice as you work.
- Mix 1 tbsp delicate detergent and 2 cups of water to treat clothing and accessories. Make sure there are a lot of bubbles while you're mixing. If you need to, you can add more water and detergent to create the foam.[4]
- Skim the foam of the mixture with a lint-free cloth. Gently pick up some of the foam that was created by the mixture. You don't need a large amount, just enough to cover the top of the cloth.[5]
- Dab the foam onto to the spot using a lint-free cloth. You can remove excess foam with a dry area of the cloth. Let the area dry and brush it with the cloth or a clothing brush.[6]
- For furniture, you should apply the foam by wiping in long strokes with the nap of the fabric.[7]
- You should test this method in a small, inconspicuous area first, such as the inner lining or hem hem of a piece of clothing if it has velvet on it, or a non-visible portion of the furniture or accessory.
- Allow the item 3-5 hours to dry. Although the mixture might appear to dry quickly, give it some time to completely dry from the fabric and allow the pile of the velvet to return to its original form. Avoid using the item or piece of furniture during this time.[8]
- If the stain is still present, apply another coat and allow it to dry again, repeating until the stain is gone.
- Apply a protective coating to furniture or accessories to avoid new stains. You can find protective coating for velvet furniture at department stores, furniture stores, or online. Make sure you're misting the item by spraying at least away from the fabric, rather than saturating it with the spray.[9]
- After the spray dries, wipe the furniture with a clothing brush or lint-free cloth to remove any mats or creases.
- Protective coatings made specifically for delicate fabrics, such as Scotchguard and Nano Protector, are great solutions for accessories that tend to get dirty quickly. You can also use furniture protector spray to ensure waterproofing for velvet shoes.[10]
- Applying a protective coating might void your item's warranty, so make sure you check the care information before spraying the item with the solution.
EditWashing and Drying Velvet - Check the label closely. The label will tell you most of the information that you need to know for cleaning your velvet item. It will also tell you what the velvet is made out of. There are a few types of velvet, such as pure, polyester blend, and crushed velvet.[11]
- If the tag has an "S" on it, you should treat it with dry cleaning solvents, not water, or get it professionally cleaned. [12]
- Take pure velvet clothing to a dry cleaner. If you have an article of pure velvet clothing, the best way to get it cleaned is at the dry cleaner. They'll be able to treat the clothing and are experts at the best methods for removing dirt and stains from delicate clothing.[13]
- Wash crushed or polyester velvet in cold water with delicate detergent. If your item is a polyester blend or crushed velvet, it's safe to wash in the washing machine. Make sure it's on the cold water setting and use a delicate care detergent.[14]
- Place your velvet in a mesh delicates bag or wash alone to prevent creasing. Other articles of clothing can press against your velvet items in the washer and cause creases or mats in the fabric. A mesh delicates bag can protect the clothing, or you can wash the piece of clothing by itself.[15]
- This method works best for articles of clothing as well as velvet pillow cases, and scarves.
- Lay flat to dry. Velvet should never be put in a dryer. Find a clean, flat surface in a dry area to lay your piece of clothing on. It can take up to 12 hours for a piece of clothing to dry depending on the weight of the material, so be patient. Check on it after a few hours and flip the article over if you think it's not drying evenly.[16]
- Store your velvet items by hanging them in the closet or placing them in a dust cover. Keeping your velvet clothing upright and stored in your closet will help prevent creases and wrinkles. Make sure your other clothing isn't pressing against the velvet and crushing the fabric.
- If your velvet accessory comes with a dust cover, like a purse or a pair of shoes might, use it while you're storing the item. This will prevent dirt and lint from getting into the fabric.
EditPressing Velvet - Use a steamer to remove wrinkles or creases. If your piece of clothing or other velvet item has a wrinkle or crease in the pile, you can use a steamer on its low setting to remove the crease. Hold the steamer about away from the fabric and move the steamer in the direction of the nap.[17]
- For accessories like shoes or purses that tend to be lined or structured, steaming won't work as well. If you have a crease, try brushing it out or placing a form or tissue inside of the accessory to help it maintain its shape.
- Hang the item on a strong hanger in the bathroom while you shower. For some wrinkles, the steam from a hot shower can release the creases and return the item to good as new. Be careful not to get the item wet as water can leave spots on velvet![18]
- Use an iron on the steam setting if you don't have a steamer. You can use an iron on the steam setting to remove wrinkles and creases. Like the steamer, you'll hold the iron about away from the fabric and move the iron in the direction of the nap. Be careful not to touch the velvet with the iron.[19]
- Remove deep creases with a spare piece of velvet and an iron or steamer. Place the spare velvet on the ironing board, pile side up. Then, place your velvet item pile side down on top of the spare velvet. Hover the steamer or iron on steamer setting over the top of the velvet for 15 seconds, repeating until the crease is removed.[20]
- Always try cleaning a small test spot of the velvet first.
- Antique velvet should always be taken to a professional to be treated to avoid ruining the fabric.[21]
EditThings You'll Need EditRemoving Stains - Clothing brush
- Lint-free cloth
- 1 tablespoon delicate laundry detergent
- 2 cups of water
- 2 tablespoons of baking soda
- ½ cup of lemon juice
- Protective coating
EditWashing and Drying Velvet - Delicate laundry detergent
- Mesh bag
- Washing machine
- Hanger
- Dust cover
EditPressing Velvet - Steamer or iron
- Strong hanger
- Ironing board
- Spare piece of velvet
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations EditQuick Summary
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| How to Create a Password You Can Remember Posted: 11 Sep 2018 09:00 AM PDT This wikiHow teaches you how to create a password that's secure and unique while still being memorable. - Know what to avoid. Before figuring out what you want to put in your password, here are a few things that you shouldn't put in your password:[1]
- Pet, family, or friend names
- Words as they appear in the dictionary (e.g., "c@stl3" is fine, while "castle" is not)
- Personal information (e.g., your phone number)
- Public information (e.g., something having to do with your easily researched extracurricular activities)
- Acronyms
- Know the components of a good password. Including all of the following components in your password will make it very difficult for someone to crack it:[2]
- Both upper- and lower-case letters
- Numbers
- Symbols
- At least 12 characters
- Not easily decipherable as a real word or phrase upon first glance
- Consider common password strategies. If you don't have your own method of creating a memorable password, you might want to try one of the following:
- Removing the vowels from a word or phrase (e.g., "Hello darkness my old friend" becomes "hlldrknssmldfrnd").
- Shifting your hands when typing (for example, using the motion that you'd use to type "wikiHow" with your hands shifted down one row on the keyboard).
- Using a cipher (e.g., a page number, paragraph line, and word from a book).
- Doubling your password (e.g., creating a password, typing a space or a separating character, and retyping the password).
- Pick a compound word or phrase that stands out to you. You most likely have several words, a phrase, a title (e.g., an album or a song), or something similar that stands out to you for some reason; such words/phrases make great password bases because they're emotionally relevant to you, but not anyone else.
- For example, you might pick the name of your favorite song from a specific album, or your favorite phrase from a specific book.
- Make sure that you don't pick a word or phrase that people know you like.
- Select a password strategy. You can apply one of the common password strategies mentioned above (e.g., removing vowels), or you can select your own.
- Some experts even recommend finding several random words and stringing them together without modifying them past that point (e.g., "bananacoffeespoonphonecomfortercat").
- Substitute your favorite numbers for letters. If you have a favorite number or two, replace a couple of letters in the password with them.
- Be sure to avoid using obvious substitutions (e.g., 1 for l, 4 for a, etc.).
- Add a character that you like to your password. If you have a favorite character on your keyboard, replace a letter with it, or add it to the beginning of the password to help remember it.
- Most services require this step when creating a password.
- Add an abbreviation for your password's service. For example, if the password is for your work email address, you might add "work email" (or "wrk ml", etc.) to the end of the password. This way, you can use the same base password for most services without repeating the exact password anywhere.
- It's incredibly important not to repeat your password more than once (e.g., don't use your Facebook password for your email account, etc.).
- Consider doubling your password. If your password is only at 8 characters and your selected service (e.g., Facebook) allows for 16 or more characters, simply type the password twice.
- For added security points, hold down the key while typing the second half of the password (e.g., "h@r0ldh@r0ld" would become "h@r0ldH@R)LD").
- Create variations of your password. While adding an abbreviation to the end of your password will help you remember a specific service's password, you'll eventually need to change your passwords altogether. If you're happy with your current password, try typing the password while holding down the key, or capitalize random letters.
- If you replaced any letters with numbers, you might switch back to using letters and use numbers for different letters in the password.
- If you say the letters or numbers to yourself as you type them you will begin to get a rhythm; this will help you to memorize it.
- You might combine several of these methods and still come up with a truly memorable yet very strong passphrase.
- The most secure passwords contain lowercase letters, capital letters, numbers, and symbols. Make a standard of holding down shift for the first four characters, or characters three through seven, or whatever you like. You won't have to stop and remember
- When coming up with a mnemonic sentence, try to make the sentence funny or relevant to yourself. That way you will find it easier to remember the sentence and the password.
- Do not use any of the passwords that are shown as examples on this site! Someone might see this too, and might guess yours. Make up your own!
- Make sure you're not reusing passwords. It may be tempting to only use one or two passwords for all of your logins, but you should have distinct passwords for everything, particularly anything linked to personal or financial information.
- Do not use any number that is a matter of record, such as phone, address, and Social Security numbers.
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations
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| How to Deep Fry at Home Posted: 11 Sep 2018 01:00 AM PDT If you want to make crispy French fries or delicious doughnuts, you can easily use a wok, saucepan, stockpot, or deep fryer to make fried foods at home! Be careful, as the oil is very hot! With some preparation and attention, you can easily make fried foods, like candy bars, ice cream, and mozzarella sticks. EditSetting up - Use either a wok, deep-walled saucepan, stockpot, Dutch oven, or deep fryer. When deep frying at home, it is best to use a deep frying machine for convenience and ease of use. However, you can also heat up a wok, stockpot, Dutch oven, or deep saucepan to deep fry at home. Use any large pot about 4 inches (10 cm) tall that can easily house several cups of oil as well as your food.[1]
- The angled walls of pots or woks help catch oil splashes.
- Keep in mind that deep fryers come in various sizes. Some larger fryers come with frying baskets, and small "FryDaddy" styles look like electric pots.
- Choose an oil that has a high smoke point. The best oils for frying don't burn under high temperatures. Canola, vegetable, peanut, and grapeseed oils are typically used for frying.[2]
- You can also use a blend of several types of oil.
- If you want a healthier (but more expensive option), try refined coconut, olive, avocado, or palm oil, rendered animal fat, or ghee (clarified butter).[3]
- Do not use butter, shortening, or unrefined oil. They all have low smoke points, meaning they will burn easily.
- Gather a thermometer, tongs, and/or wooden spoon. Using a deep frying thermometer helps you check your temperature consistently throughout the frying process. This ensures you get the crispiest, yummiest food. In addition, tongs and wooden spoons help you stir the food while in the oil and remove it from the fryer. If you have a frying basket handy, use this to easily house your food as you fry it.[4]
- In most cases, you want your oil to be at . If you don't have a thermometer, you can use a wooden spoon to check the overall temperature of your oil. Put the tip in the oil, and watch for any bubbles around the spoon. If the oil bubbles, you should be okay. If the oil bubbles excessively, you should turn down the heat a tad.
- Prepare a drying rack. Select a rack that will allow the oil to drain off of the food, or put a few paper towels on a plate or pan. When you take the food out of the fryer, you can place it on the rack, plate, or pan to remove excess oil.
- Remove any moisture from your food before you fry it. If you add water to the oil, the oil will start to bubble and jump out of the pot. To avoid this, take a paper towel and pat the outside of any food items that may be moist, such as meat or refrigerated candy bars.[5]
- If you do not dry your food before you put it in the fryer, your food may fry inconsistently.
- In addition, it is helpful to use food all the same size. Cut your food into uniform pieces with a sharp knife.
EditFrying Your Food - Fill the fryer with enough oil so that the food is at least half submerged. The amount you need depends on what you are cooking and the size of your pot. In general, fill the fryer or pot with about 1-2 quarts (946-1893 mL) of oil. You want to submerge your food at least halfway. If you have enough room and oil, aim to fully submerge your food.[6]
- Leave a few inches at the top of your pan or pot in case your oil bubbles.
- Heat up the oil until it reaches your desired temperature. Check your recipe and owner's manual to determine what temperature you should fry your food at. Then, place your pot on a stove top over a medium flame. Most recipes call for a temperature range of 300-375ºF (150-190ºC). If your recipe doesn't clearly indicate it, your best bet is 325º to 350ºF (160-175ºC).[7]
- If you use a temperature under , your food may not get crispy.
- If you exceed , your food and the oil may burn.
- If using a fryer, you typically fill the unit with oil to the level indicated on the side of the container and select your desired temperature. Then, wait for the oil to heat to the indicated temperature.
- Dunk your food in an appropriate batter for a delicious, crispy touch. You can cover the food in batter before frying it to add flavor and texture. Pancake batter works well for dessert food, but you can also make your own batter. Completely cover the item you plan to fry in batter before putting it in the oil.[8]
- To make a batter for meat, beat 1-2 eggs then add a sprinkle of garlic salt. Dip each piece of meat in the batter before adding it to the fryer.
- Place your food into the oil carefully and gradually. Use tongs or a straining spoon to help you place the food inside the pot to minimize splashing. You want to maintain the temperature of the oil, so always add your food in small amounts rather than all at once.[9]
- If you place handfuls of food into the oil at once, it can lower the temperature of the oil and cause your food to fry inconsistently or get soggy.
- For long or large items, place the bottom of the item in oil and set the rest of it in away from you, ensuring that any splash or splatter goes the other direction.
- Aim to add pieces that are the same size close to the same time. If you have pieces that are larger than others, add those first, wait for the temperature to come back up, then add the smaller pieces.
- Split the food into multiple batches to prevent the temperature of the oil from dropping.
- Stir your food as it fries to your desired temperature. Try to keep the food moving as you add it into the oil to prevent crowding or sticking. If the pieces of food crowd together, they will not brown evenly. Use a spoon to stir your food so the oil is on all sides of the food.[10]
- Doing this ensures your food cooks consistently and thoroughly.
- If the food isn't completely submerged, flip it over halfway through the cook time so each side fries evenly.
- Remove the food from the oil using tongs or a straining spoon. Review your recipe to determine how long to fry your particular food items. Some food requires 30 seconds to cook, while others need several minutes. To know if your food is done, examine the outside color, use a thermometer to check internal temperature, or taste it to check.[11]
- If your food is golden brown, it is likely done.
- To use a thermometer, poke the end into the center of your fried food.
- If you are taste-testing your food, wait a minute or 2 for the food to cool down!
EditCooling and Seasoning Your Food - Place your food on the prepared drying rack to remove the excess oil. Use your straining spoon or tongs to remove the pieces of food after they cook completely. Then, place the food directly onto the rack or paper towels to drain and absorb any extra oil. Let the pieces cool for 2-3 minutes before you eat them.[12]
- Season your fried food right away. If you want to use seasoning like salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, curry, garlic, lemon, or dill, add it immediately after you remove your food from the oil.[13] Adding seasoning when your food is warm ensures it tastes the best as it allows the seasoning to stick to the food and dissolve better.
- Let your food cool for 1-3 minutes before you eat it. When you remove the food from the oil, it will be extremely hot! Leave the pieces on your paper towels or drying rack for 1-3 minutes until they are not steaming. To test the temperature, use a paper towel to touch them first. If they do not feel too hot, then use your hands.[14]
- Do not touch the food with your fingers until they cool sufficiently.
- Note that even if the food is cool enough to touch, the inside may be hot enough to burn your mouth!
- Store your leftovers in the fridge until you want to eat them again. Fried food tastes best when it comes right out of the fryer or pot. However, you can surely save any scraps for a later snack! When you want to reheat the items, put them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds for a quick solution, warm them in a toaster oven or conventional oven, or heat them in a medium saucepan on the stove with 1 tbsp (14.8 mL) of oil.
EditCleaning Up - Strain out any solid bits from your oil. Place a straining spoon in your oil and scoop up any bits of food floating inside the oil. For best results, do this while the oil is still warm as your food is cooling down.[15]
- If you leave food in your oil, it will change the overall taste. For example, if you make fried churros in the same oil as mozzarella sticks, your cheese may taste sweet.
- Let your oil cool down completely. To avoid burning yourself, wait 5-15 minutes for the oil to cool down before you remove it from the pot. Once your oil cools down, pour it into a measuring cup to easily transport it into another container.
- Save your oil in a reusable container to fry with it next time. Don't throw out your oil or pour it down your drain! You can use clean oil to deep fry at home over and over again. Once your oil is in a measuring cup, pour it into the oil container or a glass jar, for instance. You can use a fine mesh strainer or a piece of cheesecloth to strain out any remaining food. Pour the oil into your reusable container, then place the container in the refrigerator until you want to use it.[16]
- Oil is terrible for your drains and the environment.
- Throw out your oil when it is dark brown and smells bad. Be sure your oil is cool before you throw it away. Leave the oil in a sealed container or let it solidify, then toss it into your garbage can.
EditChoosing Food to Fry - Make french fries at home for a tasty side dish. French fries are an easy way to test out your frying setup at home. Slice your potatoes yourself, or use thawed frozen French fries. You could also deep fry homemade potato chips or hashbrowns, too![17]
- Try deep frying turkey or chicken for a yummy dinner meal. You can deep-fry a turkey or chicken in about 30-45 minutes. Use a large fryer or pot if you want to deep fry the entire bird, or use a stovetop pot or small fryer if you want to fry it in sections.[18]
- This is a great idea for a spin on Thanksgiving or a delicious family meal.
- Do this outdoors to limit the risk of fire. Use a large vessel and enough oil to cover the bird. Lower it in carefully to avoid splashing!
- Deep fry ice cream for a delicious treat. To do this, scoop your ice cream into spoon-sized balls, and coat them in an egg wash with corn flakes or bread. Then, deep fry the individual scoops for a tasty treat![19]
- Do this if you want to make a carnival classic at home.
- This can be done with any flavor and any type of outer coating. Don't just stick to vanilla and cornflakes if you don't want to!
- Make your own mozzarella sticks by deep frying cheese. Use fresh mozzarella to make your own deep fried cheese sticks. In addition, get fancy with fried, French cheeses as a modern take on an hors d'oeuvre.[20]
- Use strips of fresh cheese for best results. You can also fry string cheese.
- Fry candy bars for a delectable dessert. If you can coat the candy bar, you can deep fry it. Use candy like Snickers, Milky Way, Reese's, and Take 5, to name a few. Submerge your candy bar in pancake batter, then fry it until the batter is golden brown.
- You can sprinkle powdered sugar over the candy bar for an extra touch of flavor.
- Don't just stop at candy bars! Deep fry other treats like PB&J, pizza, and even Kool-Aid.
- To fry your food consistently, use pieces of food that are the same size.
- The more oil used, the more constant the temperature of the oil will be. In addition, the oil will take longer to get too cold or hot.
- Never leave a fryer unattended while it's over a heat source or plugged in!
- Keep a fire extinguisher on hand at all times.
- Use a thermometer to check the temperature of meat and fish you fry to ensure it is cooked thoroughly.
- If your pot is overcrowded, your food will not fry consistently.
- Do not multitask when frying food to prevent injuries.
- Do not put cold water or ice into hot oil. This can cause the oil to bubble violently.
- Plastic or rubber easily melts in hot oil.
- Be aware that the food and oil will be very hot once you increase the temperature.
- Keep any flammable objects far away from the fryer.
EditThings You'll Need - Frying vessel
- Oil (vegetable, canola, soybean, peanut, sunflower, grapeseed, etc.)
- Deep fry thermometer
- Paper towels or draining rack
- Seasoning
- Tongs
- Wooden spoon and/or slotted spoon
- Fry basket (optional)
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations EditQuick Summary
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