How to Clean Running Shoes?

On March 15, 2023

Keep in mind that while running shoes are designed to be durable on the road, they’re made with special materials that are best treated delicately. The global product line manager of footwear , explains it this way:

“The synthetic fibers, gluing techniques, foams and stitching running shoes are carefully engineered to provide the best experience on the run. Any unnatural cleaning techniques can harm the integrity of the shoes, change the fit and lead to a less premium experience.”

Think of your running shoes like any other quality piece in your closet – you wouldn’t throw a cashmere sweater in the washing machine, would you? But don’t worry, there’s no dry cleaner needed here. You can wash your running shoes easily, and effectively, right at home.

So how do you clean running shoes? Here’s our step-by-step guide.

What you’ll need to clean your shoes:

Mild detergent or clothing-safe soap
A soft scrubbing brush or toothbrush
A sponge
Paper towels
A bucket of warm water

How to clean your running shoes:

1. You’ll want to wash the different parts of your shoes separately, so start off by taking out your shoelaces and insoles.

2. Fill a bucket or bowl with warm water and add 15-30ml of mild detergent.

3. With a dry paper towel, clean off any clinging mud, dirt or debris before you get your shoes wet.

4. Use a soft scrub brush or toothbrush dipped in warm, soapy water to clean the outsoles (bottoms of the shoes) by hand. Rinse with a wet sponge or towel.

5. The next job is to clean the uppers of your shoes. The upper is the part of the shoe that wraps your foot, and how you clean it will depend on what it’s made of. If it’s made of fabric, mesh or canvas, then you should use a wet, soapy sponge and scrub gently. These materials can handle handwashing, but don’t submerge your shoes in water. If the upper is made of suede, nubuck or leather, then be aware that soap and water can damage or discolour these materials. Only use cleaning products made specifically for these materials and follow the product instructions.

6. Clean your insoles with soapy water. Scrub the surface thoroughly with a toothbrush or scrub brush, then clean off the dirt and excess soap with a wet sponge. Don’t soak the insoles or you risk damaging the foam and its shape.

7. You can clean your shoelaces using soap and a scrub brush under running water.

8. Once all of the parts of your shoes have been cleaned, let them air dry with paper towels stuffed inside. This will help absorb moisture and maintain the shape of your shoes as they dry. (Just take care not to dry them near a radiator or in direct sunlight, which can cause damage).

9. Once your shoes have dried, you can sprinkle baking soda inside them to absorb any odours or residual moisture.

Keep in mind that while running shoes are designed to be durable on the road, they’re made with special materials that are best treated delicately.

What not to do:

1. Don’t put your running shoes in the washing machine. Soaking your shoes in water can damage the fabric and adhesives.

2. Don’t use bleach or household cleaning supplies to clean your shoes. Stick to gentle, clothing-safe options.

3. Don’t dry your running shoes in the dryer, near a radiator or in direct sunlight. Heat can cause your shoes to lose their shape or come apart. Air-drying is best.

With some care and attention, you can keep your running shoes in their best shape and put their toughness to the test where it counts: on the road.
Sadly, there comes a time when a quick clean just isn’t enough.

Don’t Like Her Look? Get Over It

On May 4, 2022

In Children’s clothes

Your girl is so many wonderful things. She’s smart and thoughtful. She’s creative and daring. She’s curious and strong. Despite all those amazing inner qualities that we want to reinforce daily, it’s likely that as she’s gotten older, you (like so many other parents!) have found yourself getting into at least a few arguments over her outer appearance—the clothing she chooses and the way she chooses to style herself.

Maybe she wants to wear a tux to a school dance, dye her hair blue, or dress in all black with heavy eyeliner—and you’re simply not into the look or think she’ll regret these decisions later on. But before you put a moratorium on her preferred style, take a minute to see things through her eyes.

“Your girl is starting to develop her own identity, and fashion and style are a creative way for her to express her individuality and interests,” says Girl Scouts’ Developmental Psychologist, Dr. Andrea Bastiani Archibald. “When you dictate what she can and cannot wear based on what you like and don’t, you’re stifling her self-expression, which can affect her ability to make friends and connect with other like-minded kids.” Beyond that, it’s important to keep in mind that many middle and high school age girls already feel self-conscious about their looks, and giving them the freedom to express themselves through clothing they feel good in can boost their confidence.

Of course that doesn’t mean you need to let your girl wear anything and everything she desires, though. “There will be outfits or items that you will say no to because they might not be age-appropriate,” says Dr. Bastiani Archibald, “but the important thing is to never say no without an explanation. Let’s say she picked out a dress that you think is too revealing—rather than shutting her down immediately, ask her what she likes about that dress and see if you can come to a compromise.” Chances are, it won’t be hard to find another item that evokes her style—be it emo, boho, edgy, or something else—but with a bit more coverage.

The key is to make sure your girl feels heard and that she can feel good in whatever she’s putting on. If you veto the look she wants to project, she’s far more likely to think you simply don’t respect or value her opinion—neither of which are true!

Besides, you might not agree with your girl’s decision to get a pixie cut or wish she would wear clothing more suited to your own tastes, but really—is your daughter dyeing her hair pink really going to affect anyone in a negative way? “Probably not,” says Dr. Bastiani Archibald. “And besides, there’s going to be way bigger stuff coming up in her life that you really may need to put your foot down over for her own safety and health. It sounds cliché, but this is one of those times where it helps to choose your battles wisely.”

How to make your soil retain more water?

On March 14, 2022

In Gardening Tips

Some plants love moisture and love to be in soil that keeps them moist at all times. This sounds like quite an easy thing to do: just water your plants more often. This works really well in the short term, but isn’t a great long-term solution. What if you go on vacation and you can’t water your plant for 2 weeks? How do you make sure your soil is moist without attracting pests or overwatering your plant?

In this plant care guide, we’re going to look at how we can improve our soil and hold more moisture. We’ll also explain why simply watering your plant more often isn’t a great long-term solution. There are much better, more sustainable ways that will make your plant happy and help it thrive.

These are the things we’re going to look at:

Why watering more isn’t a long-term solution
The perfect soil for moisture-loving plants
Excellent drainage for moisture-loving plants

Let’s get into the reason why watering more often isn’t a long-term solution for your moisture-loving plants.

Why is watering more often not a long-term solution?

Watering your plant more often to give it more moisture isn’t a good long-term solution. But why not? Here are 3 reasons:

Your plant relies on you
Soil compacts over time
Accidentally overwatering

1. Your plant relies on you

When you water your plant more often and that’s the only way your plant gets enough moisture, it relies on you being there. If you, for any reason, can’t water your plant for more than a week at a time, your plant will dry out and die. You can’t go on vacation without having to worry about your plants dying while you’re away. That’s something all plant owners have worried about at some point, but it doesn’t have to be that way any more.

2. Soil compacts over time

Another reason watering more often isn’t a great way to keep your plant healthy is the fact that soil compacts over time. When you water your plant often, the soil will compact and become dense.

Most houseplants don’t do very well in dense soil, because it doesn’t allow as much oxygen to get to your plant’s roots. When your plant’s roots don’t get enough oxygen, it might cause root rot. Dense soil also doesn’t drain the excess moisture away very well. This is the perfect place for fungi to grow.

3. Accidentally overwatering

When you water your plants more often, you could accidentally overwater it. Plants don’t respond to watering issues right away; it takes them a few days. If you accidentally misread your plant and water it more than you should have, you’re at risk of overwatering your plant.

If you can extend the time between watering, you run a much lower chance of making mistakes. You can see how your plant responds over a few days and see if you need to change your plant care.

How to make the perfect soil for moisture-loving plants?

Simply watering your plants more often doesn’t work in the long term, but what does? There are many great ways to help your soil retain more moisture, while keeping your plant happy.

First, we’ll need to determine what the perfect soil for moisture-loving plants is and does. The perfect soil for your moisture-loving plants should:

Keep the soil moist for multiple days
Keep it’s structure to prevent the soil from becoming compact
Let excess water drain away quickly

This soil will stay the right moisture level for your plants, without overwatering it. This soil will also make sure plenty of oxygen can reach your plant’s roots. But talk is cheap, lets see how we can do this!

The ingredients

In this section, we’re going to look at which ingredients you’ll need for your soil. By adding these ingredients, your soil holds onto moisture for longer, without risking the health of your plant.

You’ll need these any one of these ingredients to retain more moisture:

Vermiculite
Sphagnum (peat) moss
Coconut coir

You don’t have to use all 3 ingredients. Using 1 or 2 of these ingredients is enough for your soil.

You’ll also want to add ingredients to improve drainage, any one of these is great:

Perlite
Leca
Grainy sand

Now, we’ll look at what each of these things are and how it can help you to retain more moisture in your soil. Afterwards, you’ll be able to choose which one you want to use.

What is Vermiculite and how can you use it?

Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral that’s heated until it expands and forms into lightweight particles. It’s a material that’s naturally resistant to mold and other diseases and can hold a lot of moisture. It’s sterile, non-toxic and will never go bad. This means that it’s great for long-term use with your moisture-loving plants.

You can use this with your soil by mixing it in, just like you would with Perlite. It’s quite cheap and you can find it at almost all gardening centers, or through a link at the bottom of this post. Vermiculite is not a natural growing medium for plants, so it also doesn’t contain any nutrients to help your plants grow. You’ll need to add these nutrients through soil and fertilizer.

Vermiculite retains a lot of water, so when you’re mixing this with soil, be sure to not add too much of it. A good measurement is 1/6 Vermiculite, 2/6 leca/perlite/sand, and 3/6 soil.

Advantages: Sterile, resistant to mold, doesn’t go bad

Sphagnum moss (and peat moss)

Sphagnum moss and Peat moss are both the same type of moss: both are dead and dry. The only difference between the two is the way they’re collected. Peat moss is collected as dead moss from the ground and Sphagnum moss is collected as live plants and then dried.

If you have a plant that’s fine with more acidic soil, you can use peat moss to retain extra moisture in your soil. But if your plant needs more neutral soil, adding Sphagnum moss adds the water retention properties you need.

You can use both of these types of moss by mixing it in with the soil. The chunks of moss will retain moisture quite easily, while also giving the soil some structure. This helps to prevent compacting soil. Moss is a natural product, so it does contain a few nutrients to help your plants grow. Most of the nutrients will come in through the soil and any fertilizer though.

Perlite, Leca, and sand are ingredients for your soil to improve drainage. This might sound strange as an ingredient for soil that you’d want to improve the water retention of, but there is a good reason.

When you add Vermiculite, Sphagnum moss, and/or Coconut coir, you add material to your soil that hold on to a lot of water. This soil will want to compact to retain as much moisture as possible. This is bad for drainage, because the excess moisture will stay behind in the soil. This is why you need to break up the soil into draining and retaining pockets. You can do this by adding Leca, Perlite, or Sand to your soil mixture.

The Leca, Perlite, and sand make sure that any excess water is quickly draining to the bottom of the pot. Leca and Perlite also help to keep the shape of your soil to prevent the soil from compacting. It can do this, because Leca and Perlite are quite large, unlike sand. By breaking up your soil, you prevent overwatering and allow the flow of oxygen to the plant’s roots.

You can use Perlite, Leca, or Sand, either works well and you can pick the one you prefer.

Conclusion

When you give your moisture-loving plants the moisture they want, they’ll be happy plants for a long time. There are a few ways to keep your plants happy with long-term solutions. These long-term solutions help you feel at ease, but also help your plants thrive.

You can improve the water retention properties of your soil by adding vermiculite, sphagnum (peat) moss, and/or coconut coir. When you make the soil retain more moisture, you’ll also need to improve the drainage to prevent any watering issues. You can improve the drainage by adding perlite, Leca, and sand to your soil. A combination of these ingredients will make sure your plants are always in the soil they love: a lot of moisture, but not wet; plenty of oxygen to prevent pests, and plenty of nutrients to grow with.

Thank you for reading this post! I hope it helps you to keep your plants healthy and beautiful! If you’re looking for more guides on specific plants, you can always request a plant guide to get a guide for the plant you have trouble with.

6 Steps For Protecting Your Floors From Furniture

On May 22, 2021

In Floor Care

How to Protect Wood Floors from Dining Room Chair and Furniture Scratches

So you have redone your dining room and entered into the glorious realm of hardwood floors, what next?

Well, there are a few things to consider like how to keep your floors clean, how to prevent pet damage, and most importantly how to protect your floors from furniture scratches!

You picked the perfect dining room table set, but how do you make sure everything goes altogether without causing damage to your beautiful flooring? Well, we are here to give you all the tips and tricks, because protecting your wood floors is definitely worth it!

Use an Area Rug

One great way to protect your hardwood floors is to use an area rug. You can place all your furniture on top of the area rug to prevent scratches and extend the lifetime value of your flooring.

Grab some measuring tape, and figure out how large your area rug should be based on the space and your furniture of choice. Then head out, web out, and look out for the perfect color pop or decorative rug to add flair and functionality in your dining room. You may need to grab some extra hands to help you safely move the furniture around and avoid dents and scratches.

Consider adding a rug pad underneath your rug for extra protection on your new hardwood floors! This will prevent slipping and sliding of furniture and yellowing of floors.

Furniture Pads

The most popular form of protection for your furniture legs is felt furniture pads. These little things are lifesavers. Usually, one side is adhesive, and the other side is felt. You can stick the adhesive side right on the ends of your furniture to provide a buffer between your floors and any sharp edges.

Felt pads come in all shapes and sizes and can even be cut out to fit any size. However, if you are feeling more of a DYI project, there are other options you can try!

Felt Pads
Tennis ball
Old carpet
Velcro Pads
Leather scaps
Towels

Tennis Ball DYI

You can cut open a tennis ball and stick it right on the end of your chairs or sofa legs. If you are ever in the mood to rearrange and decorate this makes for easy maneuvering of furniture while protecting your hardwood floors.

Old Carpet

Do you have an old carpet laying around? Get crafty, cut it up, and fit it perfectly to the ends of your dining room chairs and table. This will help your chairs glide across the floor with ease, and without causing damage.

Velcro Pads

If you have any industrial velcro around the house, you can use the soft side as an efficient furniture pad. This will also allow you to move your furniture around with ease without causing any dings, dents, or scratches on the floor.

Leather Scraps

Leather is soft and durable, which makes it an excellent option for furniture pads. The material is also stylish and will blend with your furniture a lot better than a bright yellow tennis ball.

Towels

If you are waiting for your furniture pads to come in through the mail, feel free to grab some old towels and wrap them around the ends of your chairs. Towels will do the trick in an emergency situation. So if you want to rearrange a room in your house while protecting your hardwood floor surface, grab towels and get moving!

The Furniture Foot Check

Check out your furniture from time to time. What do the feet look like? Has the velcro or furniture pads worn down or collected dust? If so, it may be time to do a little sanding and update the old towel scraps. This way, you can prevent scuffs and scratches on your beautiful hardwood floors!

Furniture with Wheels

Buying TV sets or cabinets with wheels is also an option! Furniture with wheels makes it easier to rearrange and redecorate without the worry of scratches and scrapes. It is important to note that not all furniture with wheels is safe, try staying away from metal or steel wheels.

Furniture Casters

Speaking of wheels, have you heard of furniture casters? There are actually four different types of wheels that you can buy for your furniture, and it is crucial to choose the right option for your hardwood floors.

Furniture Caster Types:

Nylon casters
Urethane casters
Polyurethane coating
Neoprene rubber

If you have hardwood floors, make sure you have the right wheels on your furniture so that your floors are not damaged. The type of wheel you chose for your furniture depends on the weight and size of the piece you are using.

Neoprene rubber wheels are probably the best choice for hardwood floors; this is because the synthetic rubber maintains its flexibility for a long time, and works well with any type of flooring.

Protect your Floors

When you invest in hardwood floors, you invest in the long-term value of your home. New flooring can provide a beautiful aesthetic in your home and make you want to redecorate and move around furniture.

It’s important to be careful when moving things around so that you don’t scratch or dent your floors. We hope these tips help prepare you for keeping your new hardwood floors scratch-free!

HOW TO CLEAN A FABRIC SOFA AT HOME

On April 12, 2021

In Sofa

Welcome to our step-by-step guide to cleaning your fabric sofa: no baking soda, vinegar or liquid cleaning detergents required.

In this post, we look at

The pros and cons of fabric upholstery
Choosing upholstery fabric that’s right for your needs
Spills and thrills: how to clean your fabric sofa
How to clean your upholstery
What fabric upholstery types are easiest to clean

THE PROS AND CONS OF FABRIC UPHOLSTERY

Choosing a fabric sofa over a leather one has many benefits (we’re not biased, we swear). A fabric sofa is not cold to sit on in the winter and you don’t stick to it in the summer, for example. Another reason is the wide variety of designs and patterns you can get for fabric sofas over leather ones.

But what about when it comes to cleaning?

Leather seems like it’s just wipe and go. Surely cleaning up a spill on your new, clean fabric couch is a task and a half?

Not necessarily. What if we told you that there’s fabric available that is fundamentally stain-resistant? What if we said that not only is this fabric easy to clean, it’s soft and touch-friendly?

CHOOSING UPHOLSTERY FABRIC THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOUR NEEDS

Fact time! ‘Upholstery’ is everything that makes up the soft coverings of chairs, sofas, and other furniture. It includes not only the fabric you can see, but also the padding, webbing, and springs that are all inside the sofa or chair.

One mistake that companies and individual consumers alike make is not thinking about what they need, and not thinking about how their fabric sofa is going to wear over time. It’s just so important to choose upholstery fabric that fits you and your needs and tastes. You might be in love with that silk armchair but you need to think about whether it is really going to stand up to constant use by a messy family.

Plus, all fabrics will feel different when touched. A fabric that feels smooth or silky is likely made with a synthetic fiber such as polyester or nylon. Natural fibers like cotton, linen and wool have more texture and sheen to them and may feel warmer in winter months.

A good place to start is by looking at:

The style and size of the room
The purpose of the room
The climate in which you live
How much you want to spend on upholstery fabric
Your personal preferences
Your family’s needs

The upholstery fabric on your sofa is an important part of the total look and feel of your room. It can also be one of the most expensive parts of your sofa purchase. To get the most out of your investment, it’s important to choose the right upholstery fabric for the job. Here are some tips on how to choose the best upholstery fabric for you.

WHAT FABRIC UPHOLSTERY TYPES ARE EASIEST TO CLEAN

Upholstery fabrics come in many different types, each with its own set of pros and cons. Fabric comes in many different types and qualities, including synthetic, natural and blended fibers.

Natural fibers are durable but require regular cleaning because they attract dirt more than synthetic fibers do. Shedding is also an issue with some natural fibers like wool — especially when new — so be sure to test a swatch before buying large quantities of fabric for your next project!

Blends of natural and synthetic fibers are often used for indoor as well as outdoor furniture because they offer the best of both worlds: durability and easy maintenance in one package.

Learn more about different kinds of fibres and the fabrics that are made from them here.

SPILLS AND THRILLS: HOW TO CLEAN YOUR FABRIC SOFA

If you have a fabric sofa, you need to know how to clean it. The best upholstery fabric for furniture is one that can withstand spills and stains, as well as all the daily wear and tear of family life.

The good news is that most sofa fabrics can be easy to clean — just wipe them down with a damp cloth or use a vacuum with an upholstery attachment. If you have kids or pets, though, you may need to give your fabric sofa a more thorough cleaning from time to time.

Remove any food or liquids from the sofa as soon as possible after an accident occurs.

Pour liquids into a bowl or container and blot them with paper towels until they’re absorbed by the towel.

Then let the liquid soak into the towel so it doesn’t leave behind any residue on your upholstery.

If food gets onto your couch, try removing it with a stiff-bristled brush before using water to rinse off any remaining residue.

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR UPHOLSTERY

fabrics are low maintenance and easy to clean. From ballpoint pen to coffee, mud, red wine, and ketchup, common household stains are easily removed allowing you to keep your furniture fabrics looking fresh year after year. Stains can be removed from fabrics using mostly water, stubborn stains may require a small amount of household soap.

While it’s best if you get to cleaning a stain quickly after it happens, it’s actually ok with our fabrics if you don’t clean it up immediately. People are always surprised by the amount of water you need to clean fabrics, thinking that it might ruin the fabric.

Don’t worry. Our fabrics can handle it: they’re designed to. Through constant testing, we’ve ensured that the soft touch, rich colour, and the dimensional stability of the fabric itself are all maintained throughout the washing process and life of the product.

Step one: first tackle any stain residue that might be left. For stains like ballpoint pen, this isn’t necessary – check out our YouTube video for the guide on that. Cleaning up residue is really important though for oily stains like mustard or mayonnaise, mud or lipstick. Grab a teaspoon and scrape off what you can.
Step two: apply water to the stain and blot it with a paper towel. You don’t have to scrub at the stain; in fact, this will just force the structure of the paper towel into your fabric. Keep applying water and blotting until the stain doesn’t appear on the paper anymore.
Step three: Grab a microfiber cloth, apply more water, and rub the stain gently in a circular motion. If you’re faced with a particularly stubborn stain, this is where you might need to enlist the help of a standard bar of hard white soap. Use the soap intermittently between the circular motion rubbing and the water application until the stain is completely gone.
Step four: let your fabric air dry. Seriously, don’t apply any heat (no hairdryers needed!).