| How to Clean a Slate Hearth Posted: 27 Mar 2019 05:00 PM PDT If you have a slate hearth around your fireplace and it's been there for more than 2 months, it's probably a little dirty. Slate hearths need to be cleaned regularly to prevent and remove the grime and stains that build up on them. Luckily, it's pretty easy to clean your slate hearth, as long as you have some ordinary household cleaning supplies and a few specialty items from a home improvement store. EditPerforming Routine Cleaning - Sweep, dust, or vacuum the slate to remove any loose dirt. Remove any dust, ash flakes, or other debris items from the surface of the slate hearth before you proceed to clean it with the dish soap mixture. You can also use a dry mop if you have one.[1]
- Make sure you remove any dust or dirt in the grout trenches between the slabs of slate as well.
- Make a cleaning solution out of water and dish soap. Mix a few drops of mild dish soap into a bucket filled halfway with warm water. Use a long wooden spoon to stir this mixture together until the dish soap is completely mixed with the water.[2]
- Use a mild dish soap to avoid inadvertently damaging the slate on your hearth.
- You can also use an all-purpose surface cleaner if you don't have any mild dish soap.
- Avoid using a bucket that's too small. You should mix the dish soap with at least of water.
- Scrub the slate with a cloth or mop soaked in the soapy water mix. Dip your cloth or mop into the mixture, then ring it out slightly to get rid of excess moisture. Then, scrub the slate using circular motions to clean it.[3]
- Don't apply too much pressure when you go to scrub the slate. If a gentle once-over isn't enough to clean off any dirt and grime on your hearth, use a more powerful cleaning solution instead.
- Pay special attention to the corners, as this is where a lot of grime can build up unnoticed.
- Rinse the slate with clean water to get the soap off of it. Spray small amounts of water onto the slate with a spray bottle in order to rinse the hearth without making a mess. You can also use a sponge soaked in clean water if you don't have a spray bottle handy.[4]
- You should also allow the hearth to air dry overnight if you intend to polish it after you clean it.
- Use a clean towel to dry any excess moisture off of your hearth. You can use any ordinary towel to dry the slate, so long as it's clean. If you plan to do any further cleaning, allow the hearth to air dry overnight first.[5]
- Get as much of the water off of the slate as possible. Any excess moisture left on the slate may cause water stains.
- Wipe down the slate with teak oil to polish your hearth. Use a soft cloth to apply a thin layer of teak oil to the surface of the slate. Then, use a second clean cloth to remove any excess oil from the surface.[6]
- You can buy reasonably priced teak oil at most large hardware stores.
- You can also use slate oil instead of teak oil, although the former is usually more expensive and a bit harder to find in stores.
- Teak oil also helps hide scratches on your hearth, making it easier to seal.[7]
EditRemoving Stains - Make a cleaning solution out of hydrogen peroxide and water. Mix equal portions of water and hydrogen peroxide in a small spray bottle. If you don't have a spray bottle, you can also mix these ingredients in a bucket and use a sponge to apply it.[8]
- You can also use a mixture of equal parts of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide to provide stronger cleaning power.
- You may also use 1 part rubbing alcohol with 8 parts water as an alternative.[9]
- Spray your mix of water and hydrogen peroxide onto the stain. Apply a thin layer of the water and peroxide mixture directly to the surface of the stain. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes before proceeding.[10]
- Avoid spraying this mixture near any colored grout, since the bleach in the mixture can discolor your grout.
- Scrub the stain with a soft scrub pad or brush. Scrub in a circular motion without applying too much pressure in order to clean the slate without damaging it. If you used baking soda and hydrogen peroxide instead of the water mixture, use a moist cloth to scrub the slate.[11]
- Refrain from using steel wool, as this might cause damage to the slate.
- Allow the slate to air dry after you've scrubbed the stain clean. There's no need to wipe the solution off of the slate after you're done. For best results, allow the slate to dry overnight before putting anything on it or using the fireplace.[12]
- Use a Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) mix on tougher stains. Make a cleaning paste out of TSP and water, carefully following the manufacturer's instructions for use. Spread the paste onto a sponge and use that sponge to scrub the slate. Finally, soak a separate clean sponge in water and use it to remove any residue from the slate surface.[13]
- This method is particularly useful if the stains on your slate were caused by smoke or soot.
- You can also use a commercial fireplace cleaner to help remove soot and smoke residue.[14]
- Clean the slate around your fireplace every 2-3 months to prevent the buildup of grime and stains, even if the hearth doesn't look dirty.
- Seal the slate with stone and tile sealer to help protect it against moisture and stains.[15]
- Avoid using acidic cleaners, like vinegar, since they can etch and damage the slate.[16]
- Don't let water pool up on your slate since the water will absorb into it.[17]
EditThings You'll Need EditPerforming Routine Cleaning - Water
- Dish soap
- Cloth or mop
- Bucket
- Spray bottle
- Towel
- Teak oil
EditRemoving Stains - Water
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Spray bottle
- Soft scrub pad or brush
- Trisodium Phosphate
- Sponge
EditSources and Citations
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| How to Fold Long Sleeve Shirts Posted: 27 Mar 2019 09:00 AM PDT Long sleeve shirts can be one of the trickiest clothing items to fold. Use the KonMari method to fold all of your long sleeve clothing items, like long sleeve T-shirts, dress shirts, and sweaters. This technique will save space, reduce wrinkles, and help keep your long-sleeved shirts in good shape! EditFolding T-shirts - Lay out the T-shirt facedown in front of you and smooth it out. Straighten up the body and sleeves, brushing out any wrinkles or folds. You can use any clean, flat surface for folding, such as a table, bed, or the floor.[1]
- Fold the shirt in half so the sleeves line up perfectly. Bring 1 side over to meet up with the other, so the 2 sides mirror each other. You can fold either from the left or right—just go with whatever side is more instinctive.[2]
- Fold both sleeves together to create a triangle shape. Keep the sleeves pressed together as you fold them once backwards. Make a second fold above the elbows going the opposite direction to create a triangle shape. Make sure both sleeves fit on top of the body of the long sleeve t-shirt to create 1 long rectangle shape.[3]
- Tuck the rectangle into halves or thirds to fit in your drawers or shelves. Start at the bottom of the shirt and fold it up into a smaller rectangle. If you want to store your shirts standing up in your drawers for easier access, use the thirds technique. If you stack your shirts on a shelf, use the halves technique.
EditFolding Dress Shirts - Button up and smooth out the dress shirt. Button up the majority of the buttons so the shirt will hold its shape and stay together while you fold it. Run your hands over the fabric to straighten out any wrinkles or creases, then adjust the collar until it lays flat and neat.
- Lay the shirt out facedown on a flat surface. Use a clean, flat surface such as a table, dresser, or bed as your workspace for folding. Lay the shirt facedown carefully, smoothing it out and adjusting the collar if it has folded or collapsed.
- Fold the left sleeve in toward the center of the shirt. Start the fold at the shoulder and bring the left arm across the back of the shirt. This will make the left side of the shirt one long line. The goal is to turn the shirt into a long rectangle shape, so make sure that the cuff on the left arm doesn't extend past the right side of the shirt![4]
- If the arms are extra long and extend past the edge of the shirt, fold the cuff backwards so it stays within the rectangle.
- Bring the right sleeve across the left sleeve to complete the rectangle shape. Now that you've mastered the left sleeve, do the same move with the right sleeve! Fold the right arm in at the shoulder and bring it across the left arm so they cross in the center of the shirt. Once again, make sure the right sleeve doesn't extend past the edge of the shirt.[5]
- You can always fold the cuffs back in if they extend past the sides of the shirt.
- Start at the bottom and fold the shirt up in thirds. Fold the bottom third of the shirt up, then fold the next third up so it meets the shoulders of the shirt. This creates the perfect size for placing the shirt in a suitcase, drawer, or shelf.
- Flip the shirt back over and adjust the collar. Straighten out any wrinkles and make sure the collar is neat before packing or storing your shirt. This technique will help protect the collar from being crushed and the fabric from wrinkling too much.[6]
- Although this technique protects your shirt from excessive wrinkling, you may still notice a little wrinkling from the folds. Just keep in mind that the next time you wear your shirt, you may have to do a bit of steaming first!
EditFolding Sweaters - Lay the sweater out in front of you, faceup, with the sleeves spread out. Choose a flat surface, such as a table, bed, or floor, and lay the sweater out with the front facing up. Smooth out the surface of the sweater and spread the sleeves out to the sides.
- Fold the right side of the sweater over with the sleeve straight out. This first fold brings the outer right edge of the sweater to the middle of the sweater. Keep the right sleeve extended straight out and lay it across the left arm so it's almost perpendicular.
- Fold the right sleeve back and down so it lines up with the first fold. Fold the sleeve back inwardly just above the elbow, forming a triangle shape. Line the cuff up at the bottom of the sweater with the initial right-side fold.
- Repeat the process on the left side to form a rectangle. Fold in the left side and the left arm just like you did with the right, forming another triangle with the sleeve and a straight line along the left side. Once you're finished, the whole sweater will look like 1 long rectangle.[7]
- Bring the bottom to the top to fold the sweater in half, then in half again. This creates a thick rectangle shape that can stand up on its own. Using this method will help keep your long-sleeved sweaters neat and perfectly folded.[8]
- Once you're finished, store your folded sweaters in drawers standing up. Line them up in a row so you can easily see each piece of clothing.
EditPacking Your Shirts into a Suitcase - Lay out your shirt so it's facing down on a flat surface. Smooth out any bumps and wrinkles in the fabric. Spread the arms straight out before you start folding.[9]
- Fold the shirt in half lengthwise so the sleeves line up. Bring the right sleeve over to match up with the left. Fold along the center of the shirt so the 2 sides mirror each other. Smooth out the shirt to get a clean fold and line up the sleeves as perfectly as you can.[10]
- Fold both sleeves inward so they lay along the center of the folded shirt. Fold the shoulder inwards, creating a slanted line. The cuffs of the sleeves will probably hang past the hem a little bit. Run your hands over the shirt, smoothing out any creases, wrinkles, or bunched-up fabric.[11]
- Tuck the cuffs upward so they line up with the hem of the shirt. Keeping the sleeves together, fold in the cuffs so the bottom of the shirt and the cuffs are aligned. This will keep your cuffs from being crinkled when you fold the shirt in increments.[12]
- Fold in sections until you reach the top. Instead of rolling your shirt, fold it flat in small sections, starting at the bottom, until the whole shirt is folded up. Try to match the folds up so the collar lines up with an edge. However, if the collar hangs out a little past the rest of the folded shirt, that's okay.[13]
- Lay the folded shirt in your suitcase. Pack your shirts, especially long-sleeve dress shirts, at the top of your suitcase. This technique will probably require some extra ironing or steaming when you unpack, but the section-by-section folding will save you lots of space in your suitcase![14]
EditSources and Citations EditQuick Summary
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| How to Grow Pandorea Posted: 27 Mar 2019 01:00 AM PDT Pandorea, also known as the bower vine or Pandorea jasminoides, is a native Australian climber with pretty trumpet-shaped flowers. It has tropical foliage that is beautiful even when it's not in bloom. You can grow pandorea in containers or directly in your garden. EditSelecting a Planting Site - Choose a site with well-draining soil. Observe the area where you intend to plant pandorea after a rainstorm or watering heavily. If there are pools of water after an hour or so, the soil isn't well-draining. To amend your soil, dig up the top of soil and mix in a light layer of sand, compost, or dead leaves.[1]
- If you're planting pandorea in a container, choose a loamy soil so it has good drainage.
- Pandorea does well in acidic, neutral, and alkaline soil.
- Select a spot with full sun. Choose a spot in your lawn or garden that gets sunlight for the majority of the day. A spot that is shaded for less than 3 hours a day will also work, but more shade than that can stunt the plant's growth and prevent it from blooming.[2]
- If you're growing pandorea indoors, place the container near a south- or west-facing window.[3]
- Plant pandorea in the springtime. If you're planting pandorea outdoors, wait until the danger of frost has passed. To find the average frost dates for your area, do an online search or check your local weather app.[4]
- If you're growing pandorea indoors, you can plant it at any time of year.
EditPlanting Pandorea - Obtain pandorea seeds. If you have a friend or neighbor that grows pandorea, you could ask them for seeds from their plant. Alternatively, you can purchase pandorea seeds from a nursery or online.
- Seeds can be collected from the pods of an existing plant after the flowers die at the end of the fall season.
- Sow the seeds apart. When you're ready to plant the pandorea, keep in mind that this is a fast-growing vine. It spreads quite a bit, so you should space the seeds about apart.[5]
- Alternatively, you can plant 2-3 seeds in a large pot.
- Cover the seeds with of soil. The seeds need light to germinate, so don't cover them with too much soil. Press the seeds lightly into the soil with your finger, then cover them with about of soil.[6]
- Soak the seeds after planting them. To ensure the seeds germinate and take root, you need to water them immediately after planting. Thoroughly soak the seeds and surrounding soil with water. Pandorea seeds will germinate within 6-21 days.[7]
- Pull the weaker plants after the seedlings emerge. Once the pandorea begins to grow, inspect the plants. Those that are smaller, thinner, and weaker can be removed. Leave only the healthiest vines.[8]
EditCaring for Pandorea - Provide a climbing support for the plant. Because pandorea is a vine, it needs something to attach to so it can grow vertically. Unless you want it to spread across your garden and take over, you should provide a trellis or climbing posts for the pandorea.[9]
- Once the vines begin to grow, wrap them around the trellis or climbing pole. They will then begin to grow and climb upward, rather than outward.[10]
- Keep the soil moist. It's important to check the soil around the Pandorea several times a week. If it looks or feels dry, water the soil until it is moist but not soggy. Depending on your location and soil composition, you may need to water the pandorea every day or once a week.[11]
- In the winter, you can water less frequently. Check the pandorea once per week and water it if the soil is dry.
- Expect the plant to bloom from late spring to early fall. Pandorea plants develop beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers. Usually, they have white petals and pink throats. Though these flowers are unscented, they are a beautiful addition to your home or garden.[12]
- Prune pandorea after it flowers. If you want to shape or trim the pandorea, wait until late fall when it is done blooming. Use sterilized pruning shears to snip off dead or diseased vines. You can also shape the pandorea as you like or cut it back to reduce its size.[13]
- When pruning, cut the vines back to a shoot or bud. If you're removing damaged or diseased parts of the vine, cut it back far enough that only healthy tissue remains.
EditTroubleshooting Problems - Introduce ladybugs if you have an aphid infestation. If you notice aphids, which are small, pear-shaped bugs, on the plant, you can get rid of them without using harsh chemicals. Purchase ladybugs from your local gardening center and gently shake them from the bag onto the vines. They will stay with the plant until all the aphids have been eaten.[14]
- Usually, ladybugs come in packages of around 1,000, which should be more than enough to handle your aphid problem.
- If you're growing pandorea indoors, use an insecticidal soap as per the package directions to get rid of aphids.
- Another way to reduce aphids is to spray down the plants with a strong stream of water. Do this once every 2-3 days.
- Get rid of red spider mites with an insecticidal soap. Your pandorea may attract red spider mites, which are small, yellow-green bugs, contrary to their name.[15] If you have spider mites, you can eradicate them with an insecticidal soap, available from your local gardening center. Spray the vines with the insecticidal soap as per the directions on the package.[16]
- Be sure to select an insecticidal soap formulated for use on pandorea. Ask a sales associate for help if you have any questions.
- You may need to spray the plants every 2-3 days until the infestation is gone.
- Control nematodes with a multifaceted approach. Nematodes are small worms that eat the roots of plants. If you have sandy soil, you're more like to have nematodes.[17] Nematodes are notoriously difficult to eradicate, but you may be able to control the problem with a variety of techniques.[18]
- Amend the soil by adding organic material like manure and compost to limit the damage done by the nematodes.
- You can also apply bionematicide on a regular basis to paralyze the nematode eggs so they don't hatch.
- Use solarization to treat the soil after relocating the plant. Work the area with a hoe or tiller, then water the soil until it is moist. Cover the area with clear plastic, and let the heat destroy the nematodes by leaving the area covered for up to 6 weeks.
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations
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