| How to Wash Fuzzy Sweaters Posted: 28 Dec 2020 12:00 AM PST We've all had it happen at least once—the fluffy sweater you loved has lost its softness and now the fabric is pilled. This might mean you need to change the way you wash your soft sweater, either by hand or in the machine. Making a few simple care changes can keep your comfy sweater looking great, and if you do see a few fuzzy pills, don't worry. It only takes a few minutes to get them off. [Edit]Machine-Washing - Check the label to see if it's machine-washable. The care label is your friend! Importantly, it tells you if you can wash the fuzzy sweater in the machine or if you should hand-wash or dry-clean it. The label also tells you what water temperature to use so you don't accidentally shrink your sweater.[1]
- If you see a symbol that has a washing machine with a line crossing through it, don't stick the sweater in the machine.
- Can't find a care label? Play it safe and wash the sweater by hand instead.
- Turn the sweater inside out to prevent friction. Friction is the enemy of fuzzy sweaters since all that rubbing makes the fluffy fibers clump together. Flipping the sweater inside out minimizes that friction.[2]
- Are you washing a delicate fabric like merino? Toss the sweater into a mesh laundry bag to give it even more protection in the machine.
- Put the sweater into the machine with of liquid detergent. It's totally fine to wash your fuzzy sweater with a few other garments, but don't overload your machine! If you do, the clothes rub against each other more, which causes pilling. Don't forget to put of liquid laundry detergent in for a small load.[3]
- Don't want to use liquid detergent? It's totally fine to use powdered detergent as long as you dissolve it in a little water first. This prevents the powder from rubbing against the fabric of your fuzzy sweater.
- Run the machine on a gentle or delicate cycle. You're all set! Just turn the machine to the gentle, delicate, or hand wash cycle and get it started. All of these cycle settings are slow so your fuzzy sweater won't rub back and forth against other items and lose its softness.[4]
- Most washing machines automatically adjust the water temperature when you select a gentle or delicate cycle, but if yours doesn't, manually choose a cool or cold water setting.
- If your machine as the option, choose a short or light cycle length. This way, your fuzzy sweater isn't agitated as long. Remember, the less your fuzzy sweater is stretched or rubbed, the softer it will stay.
- Lay the fuzzy sweater flat to air dry. We know it's tempting to toss the sweater into the dryer, but don't do it! Even the delicate cycle on a dryer can damage the fibers and cause static electricity to build up, which makes your sweater look shaggy. Instead, spread your sweater flat on a dry, absorbent towel and leave it to air dry completely.[5]
- Since the sweater will hold its shape as it dries, it's really important to smooth out wrinkles.
- Want to speed up the drying time? Lay the sweater to dry near a dehumidifier or fan.
[Edit]Hand-Washing - Fill a sink with lukewarm water and of laundry detergent. Washing a fuzzy sweater by hand might seem like a big effort, but it's actually really easy. Start by filling a clean sink at least half full with lukewarm water. Then, pour in of liquid laundry detergent and swish the water with your hand until it becomes sudsy.[6]
- Is your fuzzy sweater too bulky to fit in your sink? Don't worry! Fill your bathtub 1/3 to 1/2 full with water and use twice as much detergent.
- Flip your sweater inside out and submerge it in the soapy water. One of the easiest ways to keep your sweater soft and fluffy is to turn it inside out before you wash it. This way, the fluffy fabric doesn't rub against itself and pill. Then, push the sweater down into the soapy water.[7]
- Although you could wash more than 1 item with the sweater, it's better to wash the sweater by itself to reduce friction.
- Swish the sweater in the water to loosen dirt and grime. Grab the sweater and swirl it around in the water for a few seconds so the soapy water gets into the fibers. If your sweater is really dirty or smelly, swish it for up to 1 minute.[8]
- There's no need to squeeze or pull on the sweater since this damages the fibers.
- Soak the sweater in the soapy water for 10 to 15 minutes. Now take a little break! Let your fuzzy sweater soak for at least 10 minutes without agitating it in the water. Soaking the sweater just gives the detergent a chance to remove dirt.[9]
- If your fuzzy sweater has a stain, give it a few extra minutes to soak.
- Rinse the sweater with cold water to get rid of all of the detergent. Drain the sink and turn on the tap to run cold water. Hold the sweater under the cold water so the soapy detergent rinses away. Keep rinsing until the water runs clear.[10]
- Squeeze out the excess water and lay your sweater flat on a towel to dry. Push the sweater against the side of the sink so water drains. You can also squeeze the sweater between your hands, but be really careful not to pull, stretch, or twist the sweater since this can damage your sweater. Then, lay your sweater on a fluffy, absorbent towel to air dry.[11]
- In a hurry? To speed up the drying process, lay the sweater on a towel and roll the towel up. Squeeze the towel so it absorbs a lot of water. Then, lay your sweater flat on a dry towel to finish drying.
[Edit]De-Pilling the Sweater - Drag a sweater comb or razor to manually get rid of a few pills. Don't wait until your sweater is completely covered with pills! It's a lot easier to remove a few pills as soon as you see them. Lay your sweater flat and drag a sweater comb over the surface of the sweater. A dry razor also works really well.[12]
- Keep the comb or razor on the surface of the sweater so it doesn't dig down into the fibers. If you're not careful, you could accidentally snag the fabric.
- Don't have a sweater comb or clean razor? A Velcro hair roller is also really effective at pulling off pills. Push the Velcro hair roller into the sweater and roll it across the sweater so it picks up the pills.
- Rub a pumice or sweater stone over the sweater to remove tiny pills. If you'd rather de-pill a small area without worrying about snagging the sweater, buy a pumice or sweater stone. Lay the sweater flat and hold it taut with 1 hand. Then, press the stone onto the fabric and brush it away from you. Work in the same direction instead of going back and forth. The stone catches tiny the tiny pills.[13]
- This is a kind of messy way to de-pill the sweater since the stone can leave some powder behind. Take a lint roller or piece of duct tape and press it over the sweater to remove the mess.
- Run a sweater shaver over the sweater to automatically remove a lot of pills. If you have a sweater that's completely covered with fuzzy pills, save some time and buy a sweater shaver from a craft store. Lay your sweater flat and turn the shaver on. Then, press the blade against the sweater and rub it across the surface using circular movements. This is also a really good way to remove pet hair from your sweater.[14]
- Sweater shavers have compartments for trapping the pills they pick up. This makes clean up even easier!
- If you use a sweater shaver a lot, look for a rechargeable shaver that you can plug in to charge.
- Wear the sweater a few times before you wash it to minimize pilling.[15]
- Need to clean a small area on the sweater? Just spot-treat it instead of washing the entire sweater!
- Sweaters made of a blend of materials are more likely to pill. If you have the option, go for a 100% cotton sweater.[16]
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Sweater shaver
- Razor or sweater comb
- Sweater stone or pumice stone
- Velcro hair roller
- Gentle liquid laundry detergent
- Absorbent bath towels
[Edit]References |
| How to Customize Black Shoes Posted: 27 Dec 2020 04:00 PM PST Black shoes are both timeless and classy, but they don't stand out from the crowd much. If you don't want your black shoes to look like everyone else's, you can customize them to make them your very own. Spend an afternoon crafting and DIYing to freshen up your look and turn heads when you go out. [Edit]Permanent Marker - Clean your shoes off with wet wipes. If you're drawing on the body of your shoes, focus on that area; if you're going for the soles, clean those off first. Scrub your shoes with a wet wipe until they're really clean, then dry them off with a soft cloth.[1]
- If your shoes are brand new, you can skip this step.
- Make your initial lines with a fat tip marker. You can use a permanent marker, a paint marker, or a fabric marker to draw your design. Metallics and bright colors pop well on black shoes, so try gold, silver, pink, green, blue, or white to really make your design stand out![2]
- You don't have to be an amazing artist to draw on your shoes. Simple lines, scribble art, or even words all look great on black shoes.
- Try making random shapes in varying colors for a simple, fun design.
- Or, fill in the logo on the side of your shoes to make them pop.
- Add details with a fine tip marker. You can use a fine tip marker on top of the designs you drew, or you can use it on the soles for small details. Add flower petals, clouds, or beach waves to make your shoes your own.[3]
- If you're working on white soles, a black marker will really pop.
- Seal your shoes with an acrylic finisher. Permanent marker actually does wear off over time. Use a small paint brush to add a layer of acrylic finisher onto the soles of your shoes, and let it dry fully before you put them on and show them off.[4]
- Even with the acrylic finisher, your marker may fade a little bit over time. Expect to refresh your design about once a year to keep your shoes looking great.
[Edit]Acrylic Paint - Clean the shoe well with a soft cloth. If your shoes are leather, grab a wet cloth and wipe them down to get rid of any dust or dirt. If you're working with canvas or mesh shoes, use a lint roller to get any hair or dust off your shoes for a clean, smooth surface.[5]
- If your leather shoes are really dirty, use some acetone on a cotton ball to clean those cracks and crevices.
- Take the laces out. You probably don't want to get paint all over your shoelaces. To prevent that from happening, slide your laces out of your shoe and set them aside for now.[6]
- Even if you aren't painting your entire shoe, you should take the laces out just in case.
- Cover the parts you don't want to paint with tape. If you aren't painting the soles of your shoe, grab some painter's tape and place it carefully all over the bottom of your shoe. That way, you won't accidentally drip any paint onto parts of your shoe where it doesn't belong.[7]
- Acrylic paint doesn't stick to rubber very well, so it's best to customize the body of your shoes, not the soles.
- Push a towel into the shoe so it holds its shape. Painting the tongue and body of the shoe can be tough if it doesn't have anything behind it to hold it up. Grab a small washcloth and push it into your shoe to push the tongue outward.[8]
- This will also make the front of your shoe much flatter so it's easier to paint.
- Mix a 1:1 ratio of acrylic paint with paint softener. On its own, acrylic paint has a tendency to crack with any movement. Grab whichever colors you're using and mix them with a paint softener in a 1:1 ratio. This will help keep the paint flexible as it dries so it doesn't crack as easily.[9]
- You can find this additive at most craft stores near the acrylic paint.
- Angelus 2-Soft is the most common brand of fabric additive for acrylic paint.
- Paint your design onto your shoes. Here's where you can really let your creativity shine. Go in with your bright colors and make your shoes your own! For large areas, use a large, wide paint brush; for fine details, go with a small, skinny paint brush. You could try:[10]
- A sunset
- Your national flag
- Characters from a TV show
- Words and symbols
- Floral designs
- Peel the tape off and clean the soles off with a spot remover. Peel the tape off your rubber soles and check to see if any paint got on them. If it did, dip a cotton swab into a spot remover and use that to quickly wipe off any areas that look splotchy.[11]
- You don't necessarily have to do this, but it can give your shoes a cleaner, more professional look.
- Brush on an acrylic finisher. Grab a small, clean paintbrush and dip it into a bottle of acrylic finisher. Cover all the areas that you painted with the finisher to seal the paint so it doesn't run when it gets wet. Let your shoes air dry before putting them on and showing them off to your friends.[12]
- You can also spray on a clear gloss coat instead of using an acrylic finisher. Both work just fine!
[Edit]Decorations - Glue on rhinestones to make your shoes sparkle. Fill a syringe with super glue and draw a line across your shoe. Carefully pick up your rhinestones one at a time and press them into the glue, holding for about 10 seconds. You can do stripes, embellish the logo, or even add rhinestones all over for a totally bedazzled shoe![13]
- If you're pretty rough on your shoes (if you go running or hiking in them a lot) the rhinestones might fall off. Keep a few extra around in case you need to patch up your design.
- Add some lace to your shoes to make them look classy. Pour some fabric glue onto the top of your canvas shoe and spread it around with a small paint brush. Cut out a piece of lace that's slightly bigger than the front of your shoe, then press it onto the fabric glue. Once the glue is dry, use scissors to trim the excess away for a beautiful, delicate shoe.[14]
- Fabric glue won't stick to leather shoes, so this method works best on canvas or mesh ones.
- Try using red or white lace to really make the design pop on your black shoes.
- Make your shoes shine with glitter glue. Draw your design lightly on your shoes with a pencil so you have an outline to work with. Grab a few glitter glue pens and fill the shapes in (and try to stay in the lines as best you can). Let your shoes dry for about 30 minutes before you show them off![15]
- You could draw stars, circles, or fill in the logo on your shoes.
- Try mixing and matching glitter colors, like silver and gold, red and pink, or green and blue.
- Draw your design on paper first to see how it looks before painting your shoes.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Permanent Marker - Wet wipes
- Soft cloth
- Permanent marker
- Acrylic finisher
[Edit]Acrylic Paint - Cloth
- Acrylic paint
- Painter's tape
- Acrylic softener
- Hair dryer
- Paint brush
- Acrylic finisher
- Spot remover
- Cotton swab
[Edit]Decorations - Super glue
- Fabric glue
- Lace
- Rhinestones
- Glitter glue
- Paint brush
[Edit]References |
| How to Decorate Beige Walls Posted: 27 Dec 2020 08:00 AM PST Beige is a great backdrop for any room in your home, but it can become a bit of an eyesore when the walls are bare. Thankfully, beige is a super versatile shade, which gives you a lot of options when it comes to design! Play around with different color schemes and decor as you spice up your living space, and see what you come up with. [Edit]Hang up some bold art.[1] - Add a little color into the room with brightly-colored prints and paintings. Hang up some wall art with a lot of bright hues, like red, orange, purple, yellow, or any other bold color that really stands out. Let your art do the talking—if your prints and portraits are filled with beige, they aren't going to really make a statement on your wall.
- With that being said, you don't have to decorate with bold hues. If you aren't a fan of bright colors, decorate with neutral tones instead. Shades like gray and cream go really well with beige without being too eye-catching.
[Edit]Contrast with white.[2] - Paint your door frames, window frames, and moldings white. White can give a subtle, cozy look to your living space, and helps give your beige walls a little extra depth without overdoing it. If your walls have windows, paint over the frames and window sills so they're completely white. Do the same thing with any molding or door frames near your wall, as well.
- If you'd really like to go the extra mile, repaint your doors so they're white.
[Edit]Decorate with uniform picture frames.[3] - Frame your prints, portraits, and wall art in the same type of picture frame. This really helps tie your room together, and will stand out well on a beige wall. Pick out neutral-toned frames like black, brown, or white for a really striking look.
- For example, hang up animal prints on the wall with the same dark brown frame to make the pictures look uniform.
[Edit]Fill up the walls with big pieces of art.[4] - Play around with spacing as you decorate your beige wall. When it comes to interior design, the world is your oyster—or in the very least, your wall space. You don't have to leave huge gaps of beige all over your wall. Instead, fill up this space with really big prints, portraits, or other works of art.
- For example, you can hang up 4 large photos to create an even bigger square shape.
- Line up pictures, prints, and portraits on top of each other in a grid to take up as much wall space as possible.
[Edit]Light up the room.[5] - Get rid of any extra shadows from the room. Beige doesn't look too great in a dark and shadowy room, so light things up with some natural and artificial light. The brighter your room is, the more beautiful your beige walls will look.
- Don't be afraid to mix natural and artificial light! There's nothing wrong with having several lamps or wall fixtures in a room with windows.
[Edit]Place wooden furniture against the walls.[6] - Use your furniture placement to your advantage. Slide bookshelves, desks, or other pieces of wooden furniture against the wall as a striking accent. This adds an extra dimension to your wall, and shifts the focus of the room away from just the beige walls.
- For example, place a wooden bookshelf against the wall in your living room, or set up a wooden desk in your study.
[Edit]Install tasteful shelves.[7] - Arrange multiple floating shelves at eye-level on your beige wall. Place special mementos on your shelves, like photos, or place other decorative odds and ends on top. Choose decorations with a similar color scheme for a really sleek, uniform look.
- For instance, you can display multiple photos or prints with the same white photo frame.
[Edit]Jazz up your walls with patterned curtains.[8] - Pick a fun pattern that adds a little pizzazz to the room. Beige is a great base color, but it can only add so much to a living space. Patterned curtains are a fun, easy way to breathe some life into your walls, while also framing and decorating the windows.
- For instance, you can play around with stripes, polka dots, or some other funky pattern that fits your home's aesthetic!
- A ton of colors go well with beige, so it's hard to go wrong with any curtains. In particular, dusty pink, purple, blue, forest green, and neutral tones are especially striking with a beige wall.[9]
[Edit]Stick decals on the wall.[10] - Pick up some decals online or at your nearest home goods stores. Decals are essentially big, fun stickers that go on your walls. Pick up designs that work well with the beige, or add a splash of color, instead! Stick these decals onto the wall alone or in a group to give your living space a little extra pizzazz.
- For instance, you can center 1 large decal on the wall, or line up multiple small decals in a row.
- Subtle designs, like sunflowers, work well as designs.
[Edit]Incorporate textured beige accents.[11] - Pick out beige curtains to add an extra dimension to your room. There's nothing wrong with having a little extra beige in your room, as long as you find a creative way to throw it in. Pick up a set of beige drapes or curtains and use them to frame your windows, which can really tie your room together.
- It doesn't technically count as "wall decoration," but textured beige blankets, rugs, and throw pillows are other great ways to liven up your beige living space.
[Edit]Hang up kitchenware on beige kitchen walls.[12] - Display your pots, pans, measuring cups, and utensils all over the wall. Beige is a great color for your kitchen, but it may seem a little bland on its own. Use nails or adhesive hooks to display all of your pots, skillets, pans, and other kitchen tools along the wall. They'll not only look great, but they'll be easy to grab, too!
- For instance, you can hang up a row of pots or saucepans right above the stovetop, and display your measuring cups near your cutting board.
[Edit]Put up string lights.[13] - Drape some string lights over the doors and windows. These add a fun, subtle glow to your room, and look great on a beige wall. You can hang up traditional lights, or play around with colorful string lights to make your wall a little more festive.
- For example, you can drape the lights over the top of a window or door as a fun accent.
[Edit]Hang up a couple mirrors.[14] - Fill up some open space on the wall with a mirror. Mirrors can be a fun way to add some brightness and light into the room. You can place them in just about any living space, whether it's a bedroom, bathroom, or something else altogether. Play around with different sizes, shapes, and frames and see what kind of designs you can come up with!
- For example, you can place 2 mirrors along both sides of a headboard in your bedroom.
- You can also space out 2 mirrors over 2 vanities in a master bathroom.[15]
- Neutral tones work great for frames, like black or brown.
[Edit]Frame windows with bamboo shades.[16] - Liven up your walls with a little texture. A little texture can go a long way in a beige room, especially around the windows. Instead of traditional drapes or curtains, opt for bamboo shades.
- Mirrors can be a fun way to add some brightness and light into the room.[17]
- Center your room around a beige color scheme. Your beige won't seem out of place when it's paired with whites, creams, and other neutral tones![18]
[Edit]References |
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