2010-01-08 - Proper tie care/travel tips

I must be growing up or something. Due to Patrick's generosity my tie collection has grown significantly. Now I have almost enough ties to warrant a tie rack- but I don't think I'm ready for it. I could simply sling them over a hanger but that's not gonna work for a couple reasons. I don't wear ties often so they would be sitting there like that for months at a time- potential for creasing. There are way too many and they would likely fall off every time I went near them.

Solution: rolling. Rolling the tie for storage is a good way to save space and protect the tie. Simply grab the skinny end of the tie and loosely wrap it around your hand. Be sure to leave enough space so they can stay in a circular roll- and store them somewhere where they won't get crushed.

Rolling your tie is also a good way to prevent wrinkling while traveling. You can roll your tie and put it in a sock to keep it rolled up- or for extra protection put it inside of a shoe. If it's a silk tie you might want the extra protection of a rigid shoe.

In the event that your tie does become wrinkled during travel- a quick fix is leaving it draped over something in the bathroom and letting steam from the shower straighten it out.

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2010-01-07 - Cleaning mold with vinegar

This one is out of necessity. About a month ago I noticed a few black spots on the bathroom ceiling. I knew it was mold- but I was lazy. A couple of days ago I had to admit it had gotten pretty bad- imagine something that looks like an inverse Starry Night.

Originally I was just going to go to town on it with bleach and detergent and what ever chemicals the internet told me I should use. Then I went out for a few drinks with some people and got a better suggestion. I was discussing my exciting plans for the rest of the evening with them when someone recommended I use white vinegar and water. It's more of a 'green' approach to cleaning I guess and apparently works pretty well.

I mixed it 2 parts vinegar to 3 parts water. Sprayed the affected areas pretty thoroughly and started scrubbing. The mold came off with a little bit of work. I was impressed with how well it worked but didn't try anything else- so I can't really compare it to anything. I sprayed the area again and let it dry in hopes of preventing any regrowth. We'll see how it turns out- I'll have to make an update in a few days. Also- as expected it smelled like vinegar for a bit- still does.

So I got my vinegar and it seems to work pretty well - but why would you use it over any other cleaner or detergent or bleach? Well- most importantly it's effective. In addition to that it's cheap, and safe. Vinegar is a lot less harmful than bleach or other harsh chemicals- it's better for you and also the environment. It can be used on just about anything you need to clean. A quick search will give you tons of cleaning applications for vinegar.

I'm glad that I finally cleaned the ceiling but I really should have done it earlier. Mold is pretty gross- and it can cause all sorts of health problems if it gets bad enough. I suggest this quick, cheap and easy method of removing mold.

2010-01-06 - How to iron properly

This is another skill that I 'knew' how to do before. I was never officially taught how, just sort of figured it out well enough to get by. Part of it is due to not really owning nice clothes- and also due to the fact that I only need a well-ironed shirt a few times a year. I know it's not a really complex thing but there are certain intricacies I was unaware of.

"Divide and conquer"-Patrick. The first of several tips to ironing. I'm lucky enough to have a roommate who knows a thing or two about dressing well. He owns clothes that you can't just throw into a washer/dryer- clothes that you actually need to take care of. I see him ironing his shirts for work on a regular basis- a ritual that few people in the engineering discipline need to worry about. He was taught by his uncle and now that knowledge has been passed on to me.

Things I got from my lesson:

• Work on the item in sections.
• Once you start a section, finish it.
• Move the iron the length of the section you're working on, not the width.
• For resilient wrinkles, use steam. For belligerent wrinkles, use stream.
• If you end up using water- iron it until it's completely dry. Wet spots will wrinkle if they air dry.
• Never linger with a hot iron- but don't be afraid to press hard as long as you're moving.
• Don't be afraid to use the tip of the iron- it works just as well and you need it for the tighter areas.
• When doing the sleeves- or pants- remember you're ironing the front and back simultaneously. Any wrinkles on the back will be pressed through to the front so straighten out both sides before you start.
• On sleeves and pants- respect the seams that are there. Don't misalign them and make shadow seams- you'll look stupid.
• Don't screw with the yoke- leave it to the professionals. (the thing in the middle)

Just because I'm still a dumb college kid doesn't mean my shirts have to look like a dumb college kid ironed them. Now I can travel with nice shirts with confidence, knowing that if my shirts become wrinkled in transit I have the power to correct it. Had to learn some time. Thanks Pat.