|DICASTIO|

How to Keep Fruit Flies Away
How to Clean Sneakers
How to Dye Cotton Yarn

Posted: 26 Mar 2019 01:00 AM PDT

Discovering fruit flies in your kitchen can be annoying, but there are plenty of ways to prevent them in the first place! Making sure your kitchen is clean, especially your trashcan and counters, can help. So can washing and storing fruit properly. If you discover you do have fruit flies, there are a few at-home measures you can take to get rid of them.

EditSteps

EditKeeping Your Kitchen Clean

Wipe your sink and counters after you cut fruit. If you're peeling, cutting, or washing fruit, make sure you wipe down your counters and clean out your sink when you're done. Soak a sponge or cloth in warm water and then ring the excess out. Squeeze a bit of dish soap onto the cloth and rub it so it the soap bubbles up. Then wipe down your sink and counters, and wipe them down again with clean water.^[1]
- You can also use a multi-purpose cleaner. Spray your surfaces with the cleaner and then wipe them down with a clean cloth.
Take out your trash regularly. Even if you have a trashcan with a lid, the refuse from fruit and vegetables can be a breeding ground for fruit flies. You don't have to wait for your trashcan to be full to take the bag out. If there is food waste in the bag, it's better to take it out as soon as possible.^[2]
Rinse out empty cans and bottles. Fruit flies are attracted to bottles and cans that had sweet or fermented liquid in them. This means that wine, beer, and soda bottles that haven't been rinsed properly can attract fruit flies. Make sure you rinse out all of your empty cans and bottles and then place them in a recycling container with a lid.^[3]

EditProtecting Your Fruit

Wash fruit as soon as you buy it. Fruit flies will often get into your home by coming in on fruit that you buy. Wash any fruit that you've purchased – especially fruit that will sit out in a fruit bowl like bananas – as soon as you bring it home.^[4]
Store fruit in a new container. After you've washed the fruit, don't just place it back in the bag it came in. Place it in a fruit bowl (make sure it's clean first!), or a container with an airtight seal so you can put it in the fridge.^[5]
Cover the fruit bowl. An uncovered fruit bowl can be a breeding ground for fruit flies. Use a clear cake dome to cover the bowl. It lets you see what fruit is in the bowl, but prevents fruit flies from getting to your fruit and multiplying.^[6]

EditGetting Rid of Fruit Flies

Use unfiltered apple cider vinegar. You don't have to buy a brand-new bottle of apple cider vinegar if you already have a half-used bottle. Take the lid off the bottle, place plastic wrap over the opening, and secure it with a rubber band around the neck of the bottle. Poke a small hole in the plastic wrap and set the bottle near where you've seen the most fruit flies.^[7]
Trap fruit flies with dish soap and vinegar. Fill a small bowl with vinegar and then add 3 drops of dish soap to the vinegar. Then set the bowl out near where you've seen fruit flies. The flies will be attracted by the vinegar but the soap will cut the surface tension of the vinegar and the flies will drown.^[8]
Hang fruit fly strips. You can find these odorless strips in most home improvement stores or online. Simply hang the strips from cabinets near where you notice the fruit flies. If you don't have a convenient cabinet handle, prop the strip up against a wall or cup in the area with the fruit flies.^[9]
Make lemongrass spray. Combine of water with 14 drops of lemongrass essential oil in a sealable container. Shake the container well to mix, and then transfer the spray into a glass spray bottle. Spray the areas where you've seen the fruit flies.^[10]
- Don't spray any food with this spray, only the surfaces where you see fruit flies: cabinets, countertops, and walls.

EditSources and Citations

EditQuick Summary

Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

How to Clean Sneakers

Posted: 25 Mar 2019 05:00 PM PDT

Cleaning your sneakers keeps them smelling fresh, prolongs their life, and doesn't take very long to do. Clean your shoes by hand to give them a little more TLC, or put them into the washing machine for a primarily hands-off approach. You can even tackle cleaning the soles of your shoes to spruce them up without having to clean the entire thing. Whichever method you choose, you'll end up with clean shoes that look (and smell) a lot better!

EditSteps

EditUsing the Washing Machine

Check the label to make sure it's safe to machine wash your shoes. Most sneakers can be cleaned in the washing machine, but it's always a good idea to double-check beforehand. If the label says "hand wash only," you may want to consider cleaning the shoes by hand. If your shoes don't have a label, search the brand online to get cleaning recommendations.^[1]
- If your shoes have any leather or suede, it is not a good idea to machine wash them, as the water can damage those parts of the shoes.
Use a scrub brush to brush away any visible clumps of dirt. Preferably, do this over a trash can or outside to keep the dirt from getting all over your floor. If the dirt is wet, let it dry completely first. Dry dirt brushes away more easily than wet dirt does.^[2]
- Removing as much dirt as possible before washing the shoes will help them get cleaner in the washing machine.
Remove the laces and treat dirty sections with laundry detergent. Check them out to see if there are any areas that are particularly dirty. If so, take a little bit of laundry detergent and use your fingers to rub it into the shoelaces. This pretreating will help the dirt come out more easily.^[3]
- Put the laces into their own small mesh bag to keep them from wrapping around other items when they're in the wash.
Put the shoes into a mesh bag and wash them along with towels. If you don't have mesh laundry bags, you can buy them online or at department stores for about $10. Put the bag with your shoes in it, the one with the laces, and a load of towels into the washing machine.^[4]
- Washing the shoes along with towels keeps the shoes from banging around in the washing machine, which could potentially damage your shoes or the machine itself.
Run a gentle cycle with cool water. Use the same amount of detergent you normally would, and avoid using hot water. Choose the gentle cycle if you have the option.^[5]
- Don't overdo it on the detergent. Excess detergent can cause soap residue to build up on your shoes, making them stiff and possibly even staining them.
Let the pair of shoes air dry. You can put them in front of a dehumidifier, a fan, or an open window, but avoid putting them in front of any type of heat source or into the dryer. If the shoes have insoles, take them out and let them dry separately to speed up the process.^[6]
- You might be tempted to toss your sneakers into the dryer so you can wear them sooner, but doing so could ruin the shape of your shoes. The high heat could warp plastic or synthetic fibers.
- To help the shoes keep their shape, stuff the insides with crumpled newspaper.
Reassemble the shoes once everything is completely dry. It should take anywhere from 8 to 12 hours for your shoes to dry, just depending on whether or not you do anything else to speed up the process. Once they're dry, put the insoles back in place and re-lace them.^[7]
- If your shoes still look really dirty, you may need to treat the soles separately or perhaps try putting them through the laundry again. If you can't get them clean, it may be time to invest in a new pair of sneakers.

EditWashing Sneakers by Hand

Remove the laces from your shoes. As you take out the laces, pay attention to their condition—are they grungy? Are they fraying? If they're just dirty, you'll be able to clean them, but if they're fraying and threadbare, it may be time to buy a new pair.^[8]
- If you do need to buy new laces, measure your current ones to see what length they are. That way, you'll be sure to purchase replacements that are long enough for your shoes.
Rub laundry detergent into the stained areas of the laces. For this purpose, it's helpful to pour a small amount of laundry detergent into a bowl; should do. Dip your finger into the laundry detergent, and then rub it into grungy sections of your shoelaces. Repeat this step until both laces have been treated.^[9]
- Rubbing the laundry detergent into the laces causes the soap to start reacting with and breaking down the ground-in dirt.
Rinse the laces with warm water and pat them dry with a clean towel. Take your shoelaces to the sink, and turn the water on to warm. Rinse each shoelace, taking time to rub along the entire length to remove all the dirt and soap. Keep rinsing until the water runs clear and your laces are clean. Dry them off with a clean towel and set them to the side.^[10]
- If your laces are particularly dirty, you could also fill your sink with warm water and leave the shoelaces to soak for 10 to 15 minutes while you clean the rest of your shoes.
Clean the eyelets with a toothbrush and a little bit of laundry detergent. The eyelets are the little holes that the shoelaces wind through. Continue using the small bowl of laundry detergent from earlier, and dip a clean toothbrush into it. Scrub the eyelets with the toothbrush to remove any built-up dirt or grime, then wipe them clean with a damp sponge.^[11]
- When rinsing away the laundry detergent, avoid using an overly-wet sponge. Wet the sponge then wring it out so it's not dripping wet. This'll keep the suds from spreading too far and your shoes won't get over-saturated.
Dislodge dry dirt with a small scrub brush. Pick up your shoes and examine them. If there are dry clumps of dirt or grass, brush them away with a small scrub brush. Do this over a trashcan or outside to keep the dirt from getting all over your floor.^[12]
- Don't try to brush away dirt that is still wet. Let it dry completely first—it'll be much easier to remove once it's dry.
- If there are stuck pebbles, use a pair of tweezers to scrape them out.
Mix together of laundry detergent and of water. Depending on how much laundry detergent is left in your bowl after cleaning the shoelaces and eyelets, you may not need to add more. Stir the water and laundry detergent together until the mixture is sudsy.^[13]
- It doesn't matter if you use warm or cold water. The laundry detergent will dissolve easily in either one.
Wet a toothbrush in the mixture and scrub the entirety of the shoes. You can use the same toothbrush you used to clean the eyelets, or you could even use the small scrub brush from earlier. Whatever you choose to use, dip it into the laundry detergent and water mixture, and then proceed to scrub the entire body of each shoe. Clean the body of the shoe, the tongue, the soles, and even the inside of the shoe. Use a circular motion to dislodge ground-in dirt.^[14]
- Re-wet the toothbrush as many times as you need to while you clean.
- Don't forget that insole! Remove it and clean it the same way you did the exterior of the shoe. If it still isn't coming clean, you can always buy replacement insoles.^[15]
Wipe down the shoes with a clean, damp sponge. After you've scrubbed the shoes, dampen a sponge and then wring it out so it's not dripping wet. Wipe away all the soap residue and dirt, rinsing the sponge out as often as you need to.^[16]
- Don't forget to wipe down the insides and the bottoms of the shoes, too.
Let the shoes dry naturally and then lace them back up. Set the shoes to the side on a dry towel. Leave them to air dry, which should take anywhere from 8 to 12 hours. You can speed up the drying process by putting the shoes in front of a fan or an open window, but don't put them in front of any kind of heat source because the heat could warp the shoes or even shrink them. Once they're dry, replace the insoles and re-lace the shoes.^[17]
- If your shoes were really stinky, sprinkle some baking soda over the insides while they dry overnight. In the morning, knock out the excess baking soda before putting the shoes on.^[18]

EditCleaning White Soles

Mix together equal parts of baking soda and laundry detergent. Since you don't need too much of either ingredient, start off with 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of baking soda and of laundry detergent. Stir them together to create a paste.^[19]
- This method works great when you simply need to spruce up the soles of your shoes but don't need to clean the rest of them.
Apply the mixture to the soles with a clean toothbrush. Take a toothbrush and dip it into the baking soda and laundry detergent. Scrub it into the soles of the shoes, taking care to get all the sides and the bottoms of the shoes, too.^[20]
- Don't be afraid to really pile the paste onto the soles. You can always make more if you run out, and it won't hurt anything if you use a lot.
Wet a sponge with cold water and wipe away the baking soda mixture. Once you've scrubbed in the paste, take a sponge and saturate it with cold water. Wring it out so it's not dripping wet, and then start to wipe away the paste from the soles. Scrub away at any areas that are still dirty, and rinse out the sponge as often as you need to.^[21]
- Use a sponge rather than running the shoes under a stream of water. The sponge will keep the rest of the shoe from getting wet, which means you won't have to wait for them to dry after you've cleaned them.
Wipe the soles down with a dry towel. Don't forget to dry the bottoms, too, so that you don't slip if you decide to wear them right away. Enjoy your clean shoes!^[22]
- If you notice any sections that are still dirty, you may want to apply a second coat of the baking soda paste to see if that helps lift the remaining dirt.

EditTips

When in doubt, check the shoe manufacturer's website to see how they recommend cleaning their shoes.^[23]
When in a pinch, use a white eraser to rub off smudges.^[24]
Avoid putting your shoes in the dryer or near a heat source, as the high temperatures can warp the shape of the shoes.^[25]