| How to Extend a Candle Wick Posted: 01 Feb 2021 04:00 PM PST We've all been there—you go to light your favorite candle, only to find that the wick is covered in wax. But don't throw out that candle just yet! If you can still see the wick but it's too short to light, try adding a makeshift paper or wooden wick to burn off some of the wax. If the wick is completely covered with wax, replace the wick to save your candle! [Edit]Adding to a Short Wick - Dig out the wick if it's covered in a little wax. If the wick is buried just under the surface of the wax, use a spoon or a butter knife to carefully scrape away the wax until the wick is exposed. You could also use a lighter or a hair dryer to melt the wax—just pour the excess wax into a separate heat-safe container.[1]
- The new wick needs to sit right beside the old one, which is why it's important to dig the existing wick out from underneath the wax.
- Don't just try to dig a deep enough hole to burn the wick—the candle will just burn down in a tunnel, and the wax will eventually drown the wick again.[2]
- Melt some candle wax in a wax warmer or double boiler. The easiest way to melt wax is to put it in a wax warmer, but if you don't have one, set up a double-boiler—fill one pot with water and put it on to boil, then sit a metal bowl or another pot inside the first one so it's just touching the boiling water. Place the wax inside the second bowl and stir it frequently until it melts.[3]
- Use the wax you scraped or melted out of your candle, or scrape some wax out of another old candle if you have one on hand.
- No matter which type of wick you're making, it's best to dip it in wax first. This will help it burn more slowly and evenly.
- Make a paper wick if you just need a little extra length. For a quick way to fix a short wick, take a scrap of paper and roll it up tightly. Choose a thicker paper, like notebook or copy paper, since it will burn more slowly.[4]
- You can even use toilet paper or a paper towel if that's all you have on hand.[5] However, avoid using colored paper or a page from a magazine—the fumes from the ink can be toxic.[6]
- You'll only need the wick to be about , but it's okay to roll it longer if it's easier. You can trim it down later.
- Opt for a wooden wick if the old wick is very short. If your wick is just barely sticking up, you'll need a sturdier wooden wick so you can push it deeper down into the wax. Use a toothpick, matchstick, wooden skewer—whatever thin piece of wood you have on hand.
- You can also cut a popsicle stick lengthwise into halves or thirds to use as a wick, if you'd like.
- Use tweezers to dip the wick into the melted wax. Carefully lower your paper or wooden wick into the bowl with your melted wax. Use the tweezers to turn the wick back and forth, ensuring it's completely coated.[7]
- If you're using a paper wick, keep a grip on it with the tweezers so it doesn't come unrolled.
- Once the wick is coated in the wax, remove it and let it cool for about 5 minutes or until the wax hardens.
- Use a lighter or hair dryer to soften the surface of the candle. You don't have to melt the wax all the way. Just heat it up a little so the wax starts to soften.[8]
- This will make it easier to push the wick into the candle.
- Press the wick into the candle wax. If you're using a paper wick, wrap it around the existing wick, then gently press just the very bottom into the softened wax. If you have a wooden wick, place it beside the old wick and push it deep down into the candle.[9]
- If you need help pushing the wooden wick into the candle, try tapping it lightly with a mallet or hammer.
- Use sharp shears to trim the wick so it's only about long.[10]
- Light the wick, then pour off the wax once it melts. Try to let your new wick burn long enough for the wax to melt all the way across the surface of the candle. Then, pour the melted wax into the same container you used to melt your wax earlier. Keep doing that until the old wick is long enough to use again![11]
- Using the same wax container will make cleanup easier! Just let the wax cool until it hardens, then scrape it out of the bowl or pot. If you'd like, save the wax to use in a wax warmer or another project—or simply toss it in the trash if you don't think you'll use it again.
[Edit]Replacing a Lost Wick - Melt a little wax in a double boiler. If you have a dedicated double boiler, use that. If you don't, it's easy to make your own! You'll either need 2 pots or a pot and a metal bowl—either way, the second pot or bowl should rest on the sides of the first pot without touching the bottom. Fill the bottom pot with water and bring it to a boil, then place the wax in the second pot or bowl and stir it frequently until it melts.[12]
- Make sure the pot or bowl doesn't touch the bottom of the first pot. If it does, the wax will scorch!
- Scrape some of the wax out of the candle you're replacing, use another old candle, or melt a small tealight or taper candle. You don't need much—just enough to coat the wick.
- Dip 100% cotton cord into the melted wax. Cut a length of cord that's at least longer than the height of your candle jar. Use tweezers or tongs to carefully place the cord into the wax. Hold it there for about 30 seconds, stirring it around with the tweezers to ensure it's completely saturated with the wax.[13]
- Cord is typically thicker than string, so it will burn more slowly. Butcher's twine is a good option for this—it's about 2mm in diameter and is already braided.[14]
- If all you have is string, try braiding 3 strands together to create a thicker cord.[15]
- The wax will help the cord burn slowly and evenly.
- Allow the cord to dry completely. Remove the cord from the wax and stretch it out so it's completely straight. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, or until the wax is dry and the cord feels stiff.[16]
- If you need to, cut the cord into shorter lengths once it's dry.[17]
- Place the candle inside your double boiler to melt the wax. Carefully lower the candle jar into your double-boiler. Let it sit there for about 10-15 minutes, or until the wax starts to soften.
- You can also use your oven to melt the wax, if you prefer. Place your candle upside-down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then put it in an oven that's been heated to for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the wax from the candle and place it in the double boiler. Once the wax is soft enough, use a butter knife to scoop it out of the jar. Then, place the wax inside the bowl or pot you were using until it melts completely.[18]
- If you melted the wax in the oven, carefully pour it from the sheet pan into the double-boiler to keep it warm until you're ready to use it again.
- Thread the new wick through the metal-bottom. Use tweezers to carefully grab the old wick and metal-bottom (the metal piece that holds the wick in place) from the melted wax. Then, squeeze the top of the metal piece with needle-nose pliers to open it. Pull out the old wick and discard it, then thread the new wick through the same hole and pinch it closed again with the pliers.[19]
- If you don't want to reuse the metal-bottom, use hot glue to attach your new wick to the bottom of your candle container.
- Use a stick to center the new wick in the candle. Wrap the loose end of the wick around a pencil or popsicle stick, then drop the other end into the bottom of the candle container. Make sure the metal-bottom is laying flat on the bottom of the candle jar. Rest the pencil or stick across the mouth of the container—this will ensure the wick stays centered as the candle hardens.[20]
- Pour the melted wax back into the candle jar. Grab a couple of pot holders, then carefully pour the melted wax back into its original container. Be sure not to bump the wick as you do this—you want it to stay perfectly in the middle of the jar![21]
- Be very careful so you don't burn yourself on the hot bowl or wax.
- Let the wax cool until it's completely hardened. For the best results, give your candle at least 3 days to cure before you light it again. However, some candle experts recommend letting the candle cure for at least 1-2 weeks.[22]
- Once the candle has fully cured, trim the wick to before you light it.[23]
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Adding to a Short Wick - Tweezers
- Wax warmer or double boiler
- Paper or wood for your wick
- Lighter
- Spoon, knife, lighter, or hair dryer (optional)
- Hammer or shears (optional)
[Edit]Replacing a Lost Wick - Wax warmer or double boiler
- 100% cotton cord or string
- Tweezers
- Needle-nose pliers
- Scissors
- Pot holders
- Baking sheet (optional)
- Parchment paper (optional)
- If you want to re-jar your candle but you don't want to make your own wick, buy a pre-made wick at a big-box or craft store. If you do that, just skip to melting your candle wax.
[Edit]References |
| How to Stop a Shoe Tongue from Sliding to the Side Posted: 01 Feb 2021 08:00 AM PST It's pretty annoying when you're out and about and the tongue of your shoe keeps sliding to the side. You pull it back to its original position and then 5 minutes later it's back on its side again! Luckily, this problem is easily solved if your shoes have a tongue loop, which is a small strip of fabric in the middle of your tongue. Since most sneakers, boots, and casual footwear have these, you should be good to go after you spend a few minutes re-lacing your shoes. If you don't, there are a few other hacks you can use to keep that tongue right where it belongs. [Edit]Tongue Loop - Check your tongue to see if there's a small fabric loop in the middle. Most sneakers, boots, and casual footwear have a tongue loop. Grab one of your shoes and loosen the laces up so you can see every portion of the tongue. Look for a fabric loop somewhere in the middle of the tongue. If you have one, you can use this to hold your tongue up and keep it from sliding around.[1]
- It's extremely uncommon these days, but some shoes have a set of vertical slits that are cut into the tongue instead of fabric loop. You can use these slits the same way as a tongue loop if you have them.
- This works with basically any lace pattern so long as the laces cross over one another at an angle. Out of all of the popular ways to lace shoes, the only shoelace pattern that you can't do this with are the parallel bars.
- Unlace your shoes down to the row of eyelets just below the loop. Starting at the top of each shoe, undo the laces by pulling them out through the eyelets, which are the parallel sets of holes that hold your shoelaces in place. Remove the laces from each row until you get to the set of eyelets that are just below the tongue loop.[2]
- Make sure each side of your laces is roughly equal in length before proceeding. Sometimes, uneven laces lead to uneven pressure on the tongue, which can cause the tongue to slide to one side or another. If your laces are uneven, unlace your shoes all the way and relace them.
- Thread your shoelaces through the tongue loop. Slide each lace through the loop. Depending on how much room you have in the loop, you may need to slide one lace under the other so that they're resting on top of one another. Pull the laces all the way through so there's no unnecessary slack in your laces.[3]
- Do not thread each lace through the eyelet on the opposite side. You're actually going to break the lace pattern here.
- Pull each shoelace through the eyelet on the same side. Lift each end of your shoelace up and pull it back to the eyelet on the same side that it started from. In other words, for the shoelace on the left side of the shoe, you slide it through the loop and then pull it back to the first open eyelet on the left side. Do this for each end of the shoelace.[4]
- Relace the remainder of the shoelace the same way you normally do. Resume your standard lacing pattern and continue relacing your shoes the same way they're laced beneath the tongue loop. If you're using the traditional crisscross method, keep alternating your laces on top of one another until you get up to the top eyelets.[5]
- You can use any other pattern you'd like so long as the laces cross one another on their way up to the top of each shoe.
[Edit]Other Solutions - Run the second-to-last row of laces behind the tongue. If you don't have a tongue loop, unlace the top two rows of eyelets. Lift the tongue up a bit and relace your shoes by running the second-to-last row of laces behind the tongue, not on top of it. Then, relace the top row of eyelets on top of the tongue. This way, the tongue stays in place since the row of laces behind the tongue holds it up when your shoes are tied.[6]
- This is an especially good option if you've got a pair of sneakers with a really large tongue that you'd like to show off.
- Use the extra eyelets at the top to pin the tongue down. Undo the top row of your laces and slide each lace into the eyelet at the top on the same side of the shoe. Leave a little room to create a loop. Then, run each lace through the loop on the opposite side and pull tight before tying your shoes.[7]
- This holds your tongue in place by pinning it down once your shoes are tied. It's an especially good option if your heels tend to slide around in your shoes, which may be causing the tongue to slip to the side.
- Since the loop holds the laces in place at the top of the tongue, there won't be a ton of friction pulling your tongue to one side or the other.
- Relace your shoes entirely if the laces are uneven at the top. If one end of your shoelaces is longer than the other, undo your laces down to the bottom row. Then, adjust the length of each lace so that they're identical before relacing your shoes.[8]
- When the laces are uneven, there may be an asymmetrical amount of pressure on your tongue that causes it to loll.
[Edit]References |
| How to Defrost Frozen Banana Bread Posted: 01 Feb 2021 12:00 AM PST Banana bread is a delicious treat, and it freezes really well if you're not going to eat it all at once. But, once it's gone into the freezer, what's the best way to restore that moist, crumbly texture? Luckily, thawing out banana bread is nearly as easy as actually eating it! The banana bread will thaw faster if you sliced it before you froze it, but defrosting a whole or half loaf is no big deal, either. [Edit]Half or Whole Loaf - Leave the bread wrapped as it thaws. Take the banana bread out of its plastic bag but leave it wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. This will help contain the natural moisture of the bread, so it won't go stale as it's thawing out.[1]
- If the bread is wrapped in plastic wrap and you're planning to heat it in the oven, unwrap it, then rewrap it in aluminum foil.[2]
- Thaw the bread on the counter for 2-4 hours. If you're not in a hurry, just take the bread out of the freezer and let it rest at room temperature. If you froze a whole loaf, it'll probably take about 3-4 hours for it to thaw completely. Then, just slice it and serve it up![3]
- If you froze half of a loaf, it should be defrosted in about 2 hours.[4]
- Bake the bread for 40-90 minutes at to thaw it faster. Turn your oven on and pop in the bread—no need to preheat! If you're heating half of a loaf, bake it for 40 minutes, or set the timer to 90 minutes if you have a whole loaf. When you take the bread out of the oven, let it sit in the foil for about 10 minutes to cool before you slice it.[5]
- Remember, make sure the bread is wrapped in aluminum foil—not plastic wrap![6]
- Store leftover bread in an airtight container for 3-4 days. If you aren't going to eat all of the bread right away, put any that's left into a plastic bag or container and seal it tightly. That will help keep it fresh while you're enjoying the leftovers.[7]
- Don't try to refreeze the bread after it's been thawed out—the texture and flavor of the bread will suffer.[8] If there's anything left after 3 or 4 days, just discard it.[9]
- Also, don't put the bread into the fridge. It will get soggy!
[Edit]Sliced Bread - Thaw individual slices at room temp for 30 minutes. If you individually wrapped slices of banana bread to freeze them, the easiest way to thaw them out is on the counter. Just take out however many slices you want, leave them wrapped, and check them after about half an hour.[10]
- If the slices are very thick, they could take an hour or more to thaw. Try taking them out at breakfast to enjoy with lunch![11]
- Put the slices in the microwave if you're in a hurry. Don't want to wait for the bread to thaw out on its own? No problem! Just unwrap the bread from its aluminum foil or plastic wrap, put it on a microwave-safe plate, and heat it for about 30 seconds. You'll be good to go![12]
- Try spreading a little softened butter over the bread once it's warm. Not only will it be tasty, but it will add some moisture back into the banana bread, too![13]
- Toast the sliced bread if you like it a little crispy. No need to thaw the bread out first for this—just pop a frozen slice in your toaster or toaster oven for a normal toasting cycle. It will thaw out and toast at the same time, giving you banana bread that's still soft in the center but nice and crisp on the edges. Top it with a little butter when it's done![14]
- You can also toast the bread in the oven, if you prefer. Preheat the oven to , place the sliced banana bread on a baking sheet, and pop it in for about 10-15 minutes. Just flip the bread over about halfway through the cooking time so it toasts evenly.[15]
[Edit]Proper Freezing - Cool the bread completely before you wrap it. Don't try to freeze warm banana bread. If you wrap it up before it's cooled all the way, condensation will cause the bread to get soggy.[16]
- Also, you should never put warm foods in the freezer. Anything warm might affect the temperature of nearby foods, causing them to thaw out.
- If the bread is freshly baked, let it cool for at least 3-4 hours before you put it in the freezer.[17]
- Slice the bread if you'd like. If you know you won't eat the whole loaf at once, use a serrated knife to cut the bread into individual slices. That way, you can just thaw out a single slice whenever you want one.[18]
- The banana bread will retain more of its moisture if you leave the loaf whole or cut it in half.[19]
- Wrap the bread in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Make sure you wrap the banana bread completely, especially around the corners. That will help keep the moisture trapped in the bread, so it won't be dry and stale when you thaw it out.[20]
- For extra protection, you can even wrap the bread in plastic wrap first, then aluminum foil.
- Wrap individual slices in a double layer—since more of the surface area is exposed, single slices are more likely to dry out.[21]
- Place your wrapped banana bread in a resealable bag. To help prevent freezer burn, slide the bread slices or loaves into a zip-top plastic bag after you wrap them. Then, squeeze as much of the air out of the bag as you can without squishing the bread and close the top.[22]
- Use a permanent marker to write the date on the bag. That way, you'll remember how long the bread has been in the freezer.[23]
- Use the banana bread within 3-4 months. You can keep banana bread in the freezer indefinitely. However, the taste and texture will be best if you eat it within 4 months of freezing it.[24]
- Use a serrated knife to cut the banana bread into neat slices. Also, move the knife in a sawing motion—don't press down hard with the knife, or the bread will be smushed.[25]
- If you know you won't be eating the whole loaf of banana bread, freeze it as soon as possible—ideally the very first day—to preserve more moisture and flavor.[26]
[Edit]References |
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