| How to Make Your Room Look More Grown Up Posted: 11 Mar 2022 12:00 AM PST As you grow up, your surroundings should grow up, too. You can easily transform your room into a more mature space by making some simple tweaks to the room's color scheme, moving and updating the furniture, and doing a little reorganization. Many modifications can be made on a tight budget, and some of them won't even cost you a dime. [Edit]Updating Color Scheme and Design - Choose the right color scheme. Since your color choices for the walls, bed, and curtains are going to create the main vibe of your room, stay away from pastel colors like pink and yellow. Pastels sometimes give the room a "nursery" atmosphere, but can work if used properly.[1] Avoid colors that are very dark or neon.
- Gender neutral colors to consider are purple, orange and green.[2]
- Choose contrasting colors that look trendy, youthful and really pop, like rich dark purple with yellow.
- Bright red also goes great with purple, and so does black.
- Stick with neutrals if you like to change your color scheme often. This makes it easier to switch your accent colors.
- Work with the color scheme you have. Instead of a full color revamp, you could instead try playing off the color scheme that's there already. By updating and accenting the current color scheme, you can vastly change the appearance of your room.[3]
- For instance, if your room currently features a lot of pastel pink, update it by adding accent colors like fuchsia, hot pink and chocolate brown.[4]
- If your room currently features a lot of pastel blue, update it by adding some royal blue accents and maybe even hunter green.
- Whatever you end up going with, strive to choose colors that contrast and play off one another.
- Paint an accent wall. Since you're going darker with your color theme, paint only a single "accent" wall in your newly chosen shade. Dark paint on all four walls can make your room feel much smaller and more cramped than it is.
- Streamlining in any way that makes your room look bigger and less cluttered will make it appear more adult.
- If your parents are reluctant to let you paint your walls, they will be a lot more willing to allow you to paint just one.
- Make sure that the paint job is done neatly so that everything looks nice and crisp.
- If you don't want to paint a wall, then try using peel and stick wall paper, a wall decal or stencil, or a tapestry to accent the wall.
- Add a pop culture flair.[5] As a teenager, pop culture is around you all the time and you probably have evidence of it all over your room already. Use that to your advantage! For example, if you're really into music, collect all of your past concert ticket stubs and display them in a mountable case on the wall. Get rid of band posters unless they are nice enough to frame, then get nice frames for them.
- You could also use a guitar rack to neatly display your instruments, and maybe even put a keyboard somewhere in your room as a final dash of style.
- Check out your garage for cool items that you can re-purpose and display in your room.
- Cut out images and advertisements from magazines to accent the colors in your room in a unique way.
- Display old license plates on the wall for a colorful, masculine touch.
- Paint, hang, or display old surfboards, sporting equipment, and typewriters for a mature, vintage style.[6]
- Acquire some adult items. Get nice frames for anything hanging on the wall. If your walls look bare, try buying some art prints and putting them in matching frames. If you don't own a desk or bookshelf and there's enough room, get one or both of them.
- Add a throw rug that matches your new color scheme. Throw rugs pull the look of a room together and look very adult.
- Get a plant for your window sill. Choose something low maintenance, like a fern or potted aloe vera plant.[7]
- Arrange ore adult-like items on bookshelves, such as pictures and trinkets, and eliminate more juvenile items, such as stuffed animals and toys.
- Choose a comforter and curtains with a mature pattern.[8] Get rid of the teddy bears and firetrucks and go with patterns like bold stripes, simple plaids, or tasteful polka dots.
- If you aren't sure what kind of design works best, choose bedding and trimmings that are solid colors.
- Add a dust ruffle to your bed that matches your new color scheme, which will hide any storage and clutter you might have underneath it.
[Edit]Modifying the Layout - Move or revamp the less mature furniture. For instance, if you have a very childish looking dresser, position it somewhere in the room that hides or deemphasizes it. Consider revamping childish furniture, as well. A new coat of paint in a different color can make a world of difference on even the most insignificant of items.
- Always get permission before you permanently alter any furniture in your room.
- If possible, try to get pieces of furniture that match each other or are part of the same set.[9]
- Create texture and layers.[10] Add vibrant accent rugs and well-constructed bean bag chairs to your floor to provide an additional pop of color and to give the space a little more texture. Stack a few bright throw pillows on your bed and nestle a few into the bean bag chairs.
- Stack a few warm colored blankets on your bed in the wintertime for a cozy look.
- Try hanging colored lights (like Christmas tree lights or Chinese lanterns) around a window, your bed or a bookcase. This can add a fun dimension to your room.
- Fold blankets and place them into a basket for a neat way to store and display them.
- Make a nice desk or bookcase the focal point of the room. If you have a nice piece of furniture, such as a bookshelf or desk, move them around into the more visible areas of your room. Clean up and organize your desk or bookcase so that it looks its very best. This will give your room a much more mature vibe.
- Make sure to declutter the dresser and bookshelf and only display your nicest items on it to make it seem more grown up.
- Reposition your bed. While it usually depends on the size of your room, your bed is probably the current focal point.[11] The traditional place for a bed is on the wall opposite the door, so this would be the most mature looking choice.[12] If you have a nice bed frame and headboard but your bed can't be seen from the door, move it so that it becomes the focal point.
- If you aren't sure, go with the arrangement that makes your room look the least cluttered. Open spaces are streamlined and more adult-looking than a cramped room.
- If at all possible, don't put your headboard against the same wall as your bedroom door, since this can have a disorienting effect on anyone who enters.
[Edit]Organizing and Maintaining the Room - Move or remove your stuffed animal collection. Put your stuffed animals out of sight in your closet, gift them to a younger sibling or store them in the attic. The last thing a mature-looking bedroom would ever have is a pile of plush dolls on the bed or lined up on the window sill.
- Also remove any dolls and put visible toys out of sight. Store them in your closet or give them away. The same goes for childish books.
- In order to make your room look more grown up, you have to be willing to put away some of your favorite childhood things.
- However, you don't have to get rid of everything! Keep a favorite item out and store the rest away.
- Eliminate extra clutter. If you have too many chairs, too many photos on the wall, or too many clothes bursting out of your closet, sort through them and get rid of some things. Consider donating the items that are in good condition to a local shelter or Goodwill.
- Simplifying and organizing your room will lend it a sleeker, more mature vibe.
- Use brightly colored storage boxes to organize your loose items. You can organize your room and add a pop of additional color at the same time.[13]
- Tidy your closet. Hang up all of your clothes neatly instead of leaving them in a pile on the floor. Get a hamper (bonus points for getting one that matches your room's color scheme) and always put your dirty clothes in it. Keep the hamper in your closet unless you're doing laundry.
- Sort through your closet and get rid of any clothing and items that you've outgrown.
- Get a new set of clothes hangers that are sturdy and identical. Get rid of any mismatched or broken hangers.
- If you want to go a step further, organize your clothing on the rack by color or by function.
- Vacuum and dust at least once a week. Keep everything clean and put away any loose items on the floor. Store your backpack, school items and sporting equipment in the closet and vacuum in there as well. Remove any loose trash and empty your trash can.[14]
- Keeping your room tidy definitely gives your bedroom a much more mature vibe.
- You may also want to get a nice looking hamper to throw dirty laundry into so you will not be tempted to throw it onto the floor.
- Make your bed every day. Incorporate this into your daily routine and do it every morning. It's a simple act, but also a very adult one. Making your bed will instantly give your room an orderly and more mature atmosphere.[15]
- If you've moved your bed to be the focal point of the room, making it every day is a must.
- You may also want to arrange a few throw pillows and blankets on the bed to make it look appealing. This may even help you to feel less stressed when you enter the room.
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Clean Cloudy Glasses Posted: 10 Mar 2022 04:00 PM PST Glasses made cloudy by grime, damage, or dirtiness can reduce your vision to next-to-nothing. While there is little you can do to restore scratched lenses to a clearer state, there are tricks you can use to clean your cloudy glasses efficiently while preserving the lenses.[1] With the right supplies on hand and the knowledge of proper lens cleaning, soon you'll be seeing blue skies where once you only saw cloudy lenses. [Edit]Cleaning Cloudy Lenses - Acquire a soft, clean cloth. In most cases, when you purchase your glasses from an optometrist, optical office, or eye boutique, you will also receive a microfiber cloth intended for cleaning your lenses. This cloth is ideal for cleaning smudges and cloudiness.
- If you've lost or misplaced your microfiber cloth, find a soft, clean substitute cloth. Cotton, so long as it's clean, should be suitable.[2] It is important to use fabric that is not treated with fabric softener as that can cause streaks on the lenses.[3]
- You should avoid using: coarse fabrics, like wool and certain synthetic fabrics, facial tissue, or toilet paper, as these will cause tiny scratches to form on your lenses over time.[4][5]
- Make use of glasses cleaner. These solutions are specially formulated to cut through dirtiness without doing harm to your lenses or coatings that may be on your lenses. Spritz a moderate amount of the cleaner onto your lens and wipe it clean with your soft, clean cloth.
- Do not use your saliva to clean your lenses. Saliva won't clean especially well and is unhygienic.[6]
- Clean with dish soap and warm water. If you don't happen to have glasses cleaner on hand, you can use a drop of dish soap and warm water to cut through grime and leave your lenses pristine.[7] Use your fingers and carefully spread the soap over the surface of your lenses. Rinse the lenses clean of soap with warm water, and you're ready to move on.
- Wipe your glasses with your soft cloth. After applying your cleaning solution, you can take your soft cloth and wipe your lenses dry in gentle, circular motions. You should try not to use scrubbing motions, which can lead to lens damage over time.[8]
- Inspect lenses for stubborn stains. Depending on just how dirty your glasses really are, you may need another application of cleaner before you lenses become fully clean. After using your cleaner or dish soap and hot water, wipe your lenses with your soft cloth.[9]
- Break up nose pad residue. Oil and dust can collect in the nook between your nose pads and lenses, creating a cloudy film in the area close to your nose. By using a soft bristle toothbrush, dish soap, and warm water, you can bust up this grimy buildup, though you should be careful not to scrub your lenses with the toothbrush.
- Fill a basin or container with warm water and soap.
- Dip your cleaning toothbrush into the solution and swish it around.
- Gently scrub at the metal arm that connects your nose pad to your glasses frames.
- Swish your toothbrush in your water/soap solution to remove dirt and gunk that accumulates on your brush.
- Rinse your glasses under warm water.
- Check for remaining grime and buildup and repeat scrubbing until fully clean.
[Edit]Making Homemade Lens Cleaner - Gather your supplies. Homemade lens cleaner won't damage the coating on your lenses like some other cleaning agents might, but you can count on it to cut through the clouds and smudges on your glasses. This is also a cheap alternative to ready-made eyeglass cleaner in the event that you ran out or weren't given any at your previous visit to the eye doctor. To make your own lens cleaner, you will need:
- Dish soap
- Isopropyl alcohol (or witch hazel)
- Measuring cup
- Microfiber cloth
- Small spray bottle
- Water[10]
- Prepare your supplies. You should clean your spray bottle and measuring cup before mixing your glass cleaning solution. This is because any dirt or dust left behind in these can contaminate your homemade lens cleaner. This is especially important if you are using a general purpose spray bottle that might have previously contained other household cleaners.
- Mix the liquids of your cleaner in equal parts. Now that your measuring cup and spray bottle are clean, you should measure your water and isopropyl alcohol in a 1-to-1 ratio and add each to your spray bottle.[11][12] Swirl your bottle gently to mix the solution.
- For example, you may want to combine 1 ounce of water with 1 ounce of isopropyl alcohol in your spray bottle.
- Add your dish soap.[13] For this recipe, you will only need a very small amount of dish soap to give your lens cleaner some added smudge-fighting action. Put one drop of dish soap into your mixed solution of water and isopropyl alcohol. Cap your bottle and swirl its contents gently to infuse the solution with soap.
- Apply your cleaner and wipe away the clouds. Spray a moderate amount of your lens cleaner onto each lens. Now you can take your clean microfiber cloth and wipe away all the gunk that has accumulated on your glasses.[14]
- If you don't have a microfiber cloth intended for glasses, clean cotton should do the job.[15]
[Edit]Preventing Cloudiness - Use a clean, soft cloth always. The microfiber cloth that may have come with your glasses is ideal for cleaning your lenses, but even this can become dirty over time. Using a cloth that has dust on it will cause your lenses to develop small pits and scratches over time, creating cloudiness. To avoid this, only clean your glasses with a clean, soft cloth.[16]
- Protect your lens cloth from the elements. The more dust and grime that is on your lens cleaning cloth, the more damage you will do to your lenses over time. Every time you dry, wipe, or polish your lenses, you will be scraping these particles against your glasses.
- To keep your lens cloth cleanest, you may want to hold it in a glasses case that you carry with you throughout the day. You might also put this cloth in a plastic baggie or other container and tuck it away in a backpack or satchel.
- Wash your lens cleaning cloth. Depending on the cloth your are using, cleaning procedure can vary. A soft cotton piece of fabric can be washed normally, but you should follow the directions that came with your cloth. For cleaning a microfiber cloth, you should:
- Separate it with like-fabric items.
- Add a small amount of liquid detergent to your washing machine. Do not use fabric softener — this remains on the cloth and can leave streaks when using it on lenses.
- Set your washing machine to cold.
- Insert your microfiber cloth and like-cloth items into the wash.
- Air dry or use a dryer on a low/no-heat setting.[17]
- Clean your lenses regularly. Over the course of a day your glasses will normally collect dust, dirt, and oil from your face and hands. By cleaning your lenses regularly with glass cleaner or warm water and a drop of dish soap, you can cut down on the overall daily cloudiness you may experience.
- Keep your glasses in a case when you're not wearing them. This will keep dust from settling on the glasses and protect them from harm if they are knocked over. Instead of placing your glasses on your bedside table at night, for instance, place them in their case and then put that on your bedside table. This will also protect your glasses from getting broken or damaged if you knock them over when not in use.
- Many anti-glare coatings have a treatment that repels dust, oil, and water. This can significantly reduce the amount of cleaning that you need to do on your glasses.
[Edit]Warnings - Be gentle while cleaning, the last thing you want is a permanently scratched lens, broken nose pad, or bent frame.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Cleaning Cloudy Lenses - Dish soap (optional)
- Glasses
- Glasses cleaning solution (optional)
- Microfiber cloth (or clean, soft cloth)
- Toothbrush (optional)
[Edit]Making Homemade Lens Cleaner - Dish soap
- Isopropyl alcohol (or witch hazel)
- Measuring cup
- Microfiber cloth (or clean, soft cloth)
- Small spray bottle
- Water
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Make Better Tasting Instant Coffee Posted: 10 Mar 2022 08:00 AM PST Instant coffee dates back to at least 1890 and has been a major industry for over a century.[1] Most consumers, however, like it for the convenience and not the taste. Learn how to leave "coffee flavored water" behind, but be prepared for trial and error. [Edit]Ingredients - Water (bottled or filtered might be best, depending on your local water supply)
- Instant coffee
- Milk or cream (optional)
- Sugar (optional)
- Flavorings, such as cocoa powder, vanilla, or cinnamon (optional)
- Flavored creamer (optional)
- Flavored syrup (optional)
- Vanilla extract (optional)
[Edit]Improving Your Technique - Buy quality instant coffee. Almost no instant coffee brands can compete with ground, but some are pretty decent. Try to find packaging labeled "freeze-dried," which tends to produce a truer coffee flavor than "spray drying."[2] If the label doesn't specify, check the consistency: granules are more likely to be freeze-dried than powder is, though this is not a guarantee.[3] Finally, more expensive brands tend to taste better.
- If you're not sure where to start, try Medaglia d'Oro or Starbucks VIA Colombia. These tend to convert more coffee snobs than most brands.
- Instant espresso powder is a different product, meant for baking instead of drinking.[4]
- Heat a kettle of water. Don't use water that's been sitting in your kettle, which can pick up off-flavors or become "flat" from repeated boiling. If you live in a hard water area or your tap water just tastes bad, put it through a water filter first.
- If you don't have a kettle, microwave a mug of water before adding the coffee.[5] Microwaved water can "explode" if overheated. Prevent this by putting a wooden popsicle stick or teaspoon of sugar in the cup.[6]
- Measure the instant coffee into a mug. Follow the package instructions the first time you try a brand. If it's too strong or too watery for your tastes, you can adjust the ratio of coffee and water later. Most importantly, use the same spoon and the same mug each time. If you switch to a different size each time, you can't pinpoint a ratio you enjoy.
- If there's no recommendation on the package, try 1 slightly rounded teaspoon (5mL) per 8 oz (240mL).
- Stir in a little cold water (optional). Add just enough cold water to wet all the coffee, stirring it into a paste.[7] This preparation gives your coffee a smoother flavor, although it won't always have a major effect.
- Pour in the hot water. Instant coffee has already been extracted in water before drying, so the flavor is already set. This means the temperature of the water is much less important than for normal coffee. Instant coffee drinkers disagree over whether boiling water can affect the taste. If you're concerned, just let the kettle cool down for a couple of minutes first.
- Stir in the sugar and milk (optional). Even if you prefer black coffee, most instant blends could use the flavor help. Stir in as much or as little as you like, making sure all the sugar dissolves. If your instant coffee has a particularly bad taste, the cream will hide it better than milk.
- Taste and adjust. The most effective way to improve your cup is to keep experimenting and to keep track of what you tried. Try an extra teaspoon (5mL) of coffee next time if the brew was too watery, or add another pinch of sugar if it tastes too bitter. Instant coffee will never be gourmet, but your choices can make it enjoyable.
- Use the same spoon and same mug each time so you have a benchmark for the coffee to water ratio.
- Store the leftovers in an airtight container. Humidity will spoil the flavor of your instant coffee. Keep it out by sealing the container tightly.
- If you live in a humid climate, transfer the leftovers to smaller containers as you use them up. This will minimize the amount of air that contacts the coffee. In extra-humid tropics, the refrigerator might be drier than your cupboards.[8]
[Edit]Customizing Instant Coffee - Replace the water with milk. Some say that the coffee itself is a lost cause. If the techniques above don't help, try replacing all the water with hot milk. Heat the milk over the stovetop until it begins to bubble around the edges. Pour it onto the coffee powder instead of water.
- Keep an eye on the milk and stir occasionally. Unattended milk can overflow rapidly.
- Froth milk into a cappuccino. Your "instant cappuccino" won't impress an Italian, but a little froth can go a long way. If you don't have a handheld frother, froth the milk and instant coffee by whisking or shaking it in a jar.
- To froth up the mixture with a spoon, add the instant coffee and sugar to a cup, then stir in enough water to make a paste. Beat this with a spoon until foamy, then stir in the hot milk.[9]
- Add flavors. Strong, usually sweet flavors are another way to hide poor tastes. Here are a few suggestions:
- Replace the milk and sugar with flavored creamers, or homemade flavored milk.
- Add flavorings such as vanilla extract, cocoa powder, or ground cinnamon, stirred in thoroughly. Careful — it's easy to overdo these if making a single cup.
- Replace the sugar with the flavored syrup of your choice. You can even buy liquid coffee essence or extract to add a bigger punch of coffee flavor. Keep in mind that commercial syrups often include high fructose corn syrup.
- Add coconut oil or butter to your coffee. Not everyone loves this trend, but you might change your mind when you're slogging through a jar of bad instant. After making your instant coffee, toss it in the blender with 1 tsp (5mL) coconut oil or butter and blend until frothy.
- Tea drinkers have a long-running argument over whether to pour in the milk or the hot water first. This decision can affect the flavor of your instant coffee too if you use a lot of milk. Try both to see which you prefer.
- If you can't stand the instant coffee you've purchased to try, don't toss it away. It's great to use in cooking!
- Different sugars taste quite different. Add raw or brown sugar to your coffee for a richer molasses flavor.
- Pat yourself on the back for drinking instant coffee. It produces fewer carbon emissions than drip-filtered coffee![10]
[Edit]Warnings - Ground coffee is a very different product. It will not dissolve in hot water, and stirring it in a cup will not extract the right flavors.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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