101 things to do with Soak | 036 Hand wraps and bag gloves
Posted: 19/10/2010 Filed under: health, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, hand washing, soak wash, soakwash, wash Leave a commentThis week’s story is submitted by my friend Benson. He gets his weekly workout by sparring and working his punching bag.
He uses hand wraps and training gloves that he has admitted to not having washed since he bought them over a year ago. They’re at the point where he’s about ready to retire them so he figured he might as well try washing them with Soak. The gloves were still in really good condition but your hand sweats in them during a work out, and after a year of sweating, they have developed quite a distinct odor.
Make sure you read the washing instructions to see if it is ok to wet your gloves before attempting to wash your gloves.
Fill your sink with warm water and add some Soak. Put in your hand wraps and gloves. The gloves will likely float so give them a dunk and swish them around every now and then.
Leave to soak for about 15 mins. Squeeze gently to remove most of the excess water. Benson chose to hang his to dry but you can also lay them flat on a hanging rack.
There was still a faint lingering scent left in the gloves, though it was a significant improvement. Keeping your gloves clean will help prevent the build up of bacteria and germs that can develop in warm moist material.
Thanks for the story and the photos Benson!
Do you have a unique use for Soak? Send me your fun stories along with some photos and we’ll feature it on our blog!
Business is cool | Design Strategy Part 2
Posted: 15/10/2010 Filed under: Business, school | Tags: business, Jacqueline Sava, marketing 1 CommentAuthor: Jacqueline
Everyone thinks that if you just make a better mouse trap, you’ll be rich. Each business discipline has its own priorities in terms of mouse trap function and profit. As designers, we want to understand it all.
Sales thinks… that without them, there is no business- your mouse trap is nothing, if I don’t sell it.
Marketing thinks… if nobody knows there’s a new mouse trap, who cares?
Finance/business thinks… if it’s just about the bottom line, the trap isn’t important.
Designer thinks… if I design a better mouse trap, it will sell.
Design must be all encompassing. One must understand all aspects and priorities in order to create useful products.
In the second part of the design strategy course, we dive into marketing. We talk about marketing as part of the strategic mix, not to become professional marketers, but to be able to understand what marketing is all about when in a business or client meeting.
We skim the surface of famed marketing terms such as the 4 P’s, (Product, Price, Place, Promotion), we look at types of products (core, functional, augmented, potential) and try to define the ‘true’ solution a consumer is seeking when they look at goods or services. We stop for a while on pricing products, understanding how value compares with price (why starbucks can charge 4x more for coffee than say, Tim Horton’s or the local gas station) and why people pay more for certain things. We close off understanding how to define consumer needs and target markets. When we move towards the world of understanding brands, we look at product lifecycles, adoption curves and a few other marketing fundamentals.
It’s important to note that this marketing research is done in the context of the business strategy (which we learned how to analyze in the first part of the course). If we don’t have context, all the marketing research in the world won’t help our products succeed. That’s just my opinion, based on lots and lots of experience.
You might have the same glazed over look my students did this week in class as you read over these topics. I’m okay with that. It’s not that our designer/ students need to master brand strategy. If they did, they’d go get degrees in Marketing. They need to be familiar with the concepts and terms, so they can work well alongside marketers and agencies collaborating on client projects.
Should you feel the need to understand these points further, I would direct you towards our course text book, my favorite marketing book for non-marketing majors, ‘Marketing a roadmap to Success’ by Ajay K. Sirsi. Professor Sirsi was one of my MBA Profs at Schulich School of Business and he wrote this book to help simplify marketing terminology for us mere mortals, who don’t have the time for four inch thick text books. Happy reading.
Birthday Celebrations
Posted: 14/10/2010 Filed under: Business, Craft | Tags: birthdays, prizes, the workroom, yarn 1 CommentCongratulations to The Workroom in Toronto who celebrated their birthday on the weekend.
For those of you who haven’t heard of The Workroom, it’s a great place to sew, knit, quilt, and make new friends.
Karen, the owner, had a little party to celebrate full of great food and fun prizes. We included a fun raffle prize that included a Carrie basin, some fun yarn (thanks to Louet for the contribution), a bottle of Unleash, a travel pack, and some great knitting books. If you didn’t win the Soak prize but still want to get your hands on a Carrie basin, you can purchase one from our online store.
Thanks Jean for taking these great photos!
101 things to do with Soak | 035 Sand Socks
Posted: 12/10/2010 Filed under: Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, hand washing, sand socks, soak wash, soakwash, sports, volleyball, wash 1 CommentAuthor: Ngoc
One of my favourite locations in Toronto (and there are many!) is Ashbridges bay. The park is constantly filled with people jogging, biking, having bbqs, relaxing on the sand and playing beach volleyball.
Volleyball is the only sport that I am not completely terrible in. I’ve played court vball for years and I thought I’d try my hand at beach volleyball this year. I joined a random team for a tournament and quickly learned that although the concept was the same, my ability to move quickly and smoothly on sand needed a lot of work. I played for a team that was supporting Senhoa, a non-profit organization.
Senhoa supports victims of human trafficking by providing income-generating opportunities, social reintegration and programs for self-empowerment.
Many of the friends I met wore sand socks when they played. I never understood why they were necessary until I found myself playing at noon, in the middle of the summer. The sand became so hot that it would leave you with little blisters on the bottom of your feet.
You can imagine after a day of running, jumping and just sweating due to the heat, that these socks would need a good cleaning after every use. Sand socks are made of a neoprene and lycra material (similar to the materials in a wetsuit) and cannot be thrown into the washing machine. I was a little grossed out when my friends told me that they couldn’t be bothered to hand wash their socks every time and that one of them actually hadn’t wshed their socks all summer. I took his word for it when he told me that they smelled really bad. Instead I gave him some mini-soaks and begged him to give Soak a try.
The following photos were sent to me from my ecstatic male friend who washed his sand socks with great success, and is now searching around his house for other fun things that he can soak.
Dirty sand socks.
Add one mini-soak packet.
Leave to soak for 15 mins.
Good as new and ready for the next game.
Business’S cool- The Context of Business
Posted: 08/10/2010 Filed under: Craft | Tags: business, george brown, Jacqueline Sava, marketing Leave a commentAuthor: Jacqueline
The Design Strategy course at George Brown is neatly divided into three sections. First, we look at the context of business, then we get into the details of marketing and finally we end with integrating the design process into the business process.
This week we’re going to talk about the context of business. We all interact with a variety of businesses on a daily basis. Whether you pick up your morning coffee at a Starbucks, local independent coffee shop or by fresh beans at the grocery store to brew at home, by 9am, you have interacted with a wide variety of businesses. Someone made the coffee maker, someone pays rent and hires people at the coffee shop and someone hooked up the electrical outlets in your home. Each of those functions comes from a different business and each business has a history, vision, strategy, core competencies and operational plans. Each business is also affected by what is happening in its specific industry, the economy and the external environment.
We start with giving the students an understanding of how businesses operate and why they operate the way they do. We look at the driving forces of the organization. Then, we look at the businesses strategy, core competencies and operational functions. From there, we analyze the internal strengths and weaknesses, relative to the above mentioned strategic plan. Finally, we explore the external forces affecting business- the economy (how many of you buy less coffee on the go since the recession?), the environment and other social and regulatory factors affect and influence the business.
Essentially, we can all go on designing stuff, based on client briefs, because our bosses told us to, or because we just feel like creating new products. If we take the time to understand the business environment of our client, our industry or our own company, we bring an entirely new perspective to the design process. We not only design, but design in relation to the functioning business which gives us greater capacity, knowledge and insight that ever before. If we work from the corporate vision, focusing down through the organization and then widening back to the industry and external environment we can get an all encompassing view of what is really going on in business, allowing us to produce and manage stronger designs.
New from Soak | Heel- foot cream for feet worthy of hand-knit socks.
Posted: 07/10/2010 Filed under: Business, Craft, Design, Knitting | Tags: Foot cream, Heel, soak wash, soakwash Leave a commentOur unique combination of ingredients restores the skin and soothes tired feet. Cucumber extract, Vitamin E and the soothing powers of menthol work together to form a luxuriously rich treat for sock worthy feet. Go ahead. Indulge.
Not a knitter? Heel– is perfect for all feet. Whether you are walking the mall in search of holiday gifts or treating your feet after a run, Heel is for you.
We’ve launched this great product with a few of our favorite knitting friends. If you are part of the Loopy Ewe sock club, you were treated to the first batch of peppermint infused foot cream.
We were proud to launch Heel with the Loopy Ewe.
Jimmybeanswool.com devotee? Get a customized tub of soothing scentless with menthol to match the Lorna’s Lace limited edition yarn Goblin. We’ll feature a new limited edition tub each month. There’s also a lovely basic Jimmybeanswool.com batch as well.
Soak is also new to JBW. Check out the two-packs on their site.
Along with our scentless Heel, you can also choose from our delicate and cooling cucumer or rich and soothing spearmint.
These delectable treats can also be customized! With a minimum order of 24 units, we can customize the label to your heart’s content. Got a sock club, we can make a label for you. Are you a yarn retailer looking for special holiday gifts for your top customers, Heel is perfect. Knitting retreat? Yoga store? Shoe shop? Even if you have a great group of lucky friends (showers, bridal parties or charity runs) we can personalize Heel for you.
Email us for a quote and conversation on custom designs.
Another brilliant creation by the experts at Soak Wash Inc. Like Soak, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.
101 things to do with Soak | 034 Wool is wool.
Posted: 05/10/2010 Filed under: Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, cleaning, hand washing, Jacqueline Sava, rug, soak wash, soakwash, wash Leave a commentAuthor: Jacqueline
We often get questions related to the effects of using Soak on less common textiles. These requests usually come in the form of ‘well, I’ll try, I’ve got nothing to lose and if it doesn’t work, it was ruined/ old/ garbage anyhow…’. Sometimes it’s ‘can I soak the veil from my grandmother’s wedding gown? It’s old and yellow, and if it doesn’t’ work, it’s garbage anyhow’. Fortunately, these letters are often followed by raving success stories of lovely weddings including gramma’s veil, or otherwise destitute fabrics getting a second life.
This week, I had my very own ‘I might as well try Soak, or I throw it out anyhow’ moment with our spare room carpet. The artistically inclined teenager moved out and left a myriad of purple spotted stains on my favourite throw rug. I knew I was taking a risk leaving the rug in the room, but I neither had anywhere else to put it, nor wanted to move it from its destined home. Plus, she liked the rug, and it’s just a rug.
Luckily I had taken a bottle of Unleash from the ‘friends and family‘ shelf just the other day. So, I got down on my hands and knees, well, sort of, as I am still with a broken ankle and cast, so it was more of a sideways sit and started to scrub. I put some Soak on a scotch brite pad, and off I went. To my shock and pleasure, the agitation caused by the scrubbing was just enough to gently open the fibers, squeeze in some Soak and release the ‘purple spots’, whatever they were, from the rug. I used a damp cloth to blot the spot, gave it a quick rub to restore the threads and was off to the next spot.
I didn’t rinse it out or work it for very long- just long enough to saturate the fibers in question and loosen the stain right on out. Who knew? Wool is wool after all, and Soak worked just as well on my carpet, as it does on my favourite sweaters.
Yippee! My carpet looks newer than new.
Send us your Soak ‘who knew it would work’ stories. We’ve got a favourite from a friend’s mom who Soaked her living room curtains new again. Sadly she forgot to take the before and after photos, so don’t forget those when you send in your submissions! We look forwarding to sharing your stories too.
Business’S cool. Week 1.
Posted: 01/10/2010 Filed under: Business, Design, school | Tags: business, Jacqueline Sava, school, soakwash 2 CommentsThis Friday we are shaking things up. It’s time to put away our summer bags for a school bag fit for fall. We’re trading silk for leather, cotton for vinyl and soft sacs for sturdy back packs. Join us each Friday for Business’S cool.
Stories to inspire and educate, from owner and founder Jacqueline Sava.
Tuesday mornings you won’t find me at the Soak office. I’ll be held up in an interior classroom at George Brown College’s School of Design. My philosophies and practices combining design and business led me right to the Design Management program at George Brown. In class you ask? Well, I’m not taking classes, I’m teaching a class called Design Strategy. Essentially, I teach designers how to think and work like/with business people. I believe (and as a trained designer, I feel comfortable saying this) that designers should learn, at some point or another, that there is a whole world out there that doesn’t understand, speak or think design. More importantly, if we designers want to live in the real world, we need to learn to communicate, work and live in unison with business people.
Most of the students have, like I do, undergraduate degrees in various design disciplines. They all want to work as design managers, design directors or key players in the corporate world, bringing design to the masses, or at least management. Each week (or so) I’ll bring you insights from the classroom. A sneak preview at what we are working on, great books to read, insights from students, and experiences from the Soak office. It is shockingly true, that nothing is more valuable than experience, and these days, we are getting more than our fair share.
This photo was taken at one of our branding sessions.
Education is a core value here at Soak. We not only educate our consumers on best practices with our product, but also continue to learn at the office as well. We are always seeking to improve, share and develop ourselves, as we develop the business. Feel free to send thoughts and ask questions. Sharing knowledge is my passion and I hope you can learn new things here, to apply to your work and life.
Enjoy.
Back to the design school, and a little bit of history on myself and the program:
The School of Design features many award-winning programs. Design Management draws international students together with diverse backgrounds such as Industrial Design, Fashion, Graphic Design, Advertising, Architecture, Interior Design etc. All students have work experience, ranging from one to several years, in various disciplines and countries. The richness of cultures, experiences and insights is staggering. There is nothing more rewarding than learning while you teach. This is my second year working with the brilliant faculty at the School of Design. In the past I’ve taught at Humber College (in both the Industrial Design department and the School of Fashion Business) as well as done lecture series with various business organizations. My background combining an undergraduate degree industrial design from an art college (RISD) and an MBA in strategy and marketing from SSB (York University) offers a unique combination of art and business, design and strategy. When I speak I try to bridge design and business enabling easy and enthusiastic communication from both perspectives.
Next week, let the games begin. I’ve got my school bag ready. Do you have yours?
101 things to do with Soak | 033 Life jackets
Posted: 28/09/2010 Filed under: Business, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, hand washing, life jackets, sailing, soak wash, soakwash, volunteering, wash Leave a commentAuthor: Ngoc
I had been searching for a place to volunteer when my friend suggested that I look into the Disabled Sailing Association of Ontario (DSAO). They are a great non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing people living with a disability the opportunity to learn about and enjoy sailing.
I had no idea when I walked into the small office at the beginning of the summer, that I would want to spend every single evening down at the Harbourfront volunteering for them. I volunteered as a sailing companion and was able to learn how to sail, spend my summer surrounded by water, and hang out with some of the best company I’ve ever had. I met more inspirational and positive people this summer than I have in my whole life. They showed me that you can overcome any obstacle with the right mind set. One particularly amazing person that I met was Joseph Chessari who had both of his legs severed last year in a work place accident while cleaning a machine. Visit his site www.walkingwithnewlegs.com and learn more about his story and his initiatives to support and encourage other amputees.
Sadly, the sailing season is coming to an end and the time has come to lift the boats out of the water and store all the equipment away until next summer. While putting away the life jackets, I noticed that they had become extremely dirty and had a slight musty smell to them. Of course the first thing that came to my mind was, “These could use a good wash in Soak.”
Washing your life jacket.
There are several types of life jackets out there so take a look at the care tag before washing. Make sure you do this early enough in the day that the life jackets will have enough time to dry completely.
- We had a lot of life jackets to clean so we laid them out on the grass and hosed them all down.
- I filled up a Carrie basin with some cool water and some Soak.
- I used a soft cloth and dipped it in the Soak water and gave each life jacket a gentle rub down.
- Hang them up to dry.
- Make sure they are completely dry before storing.
There are many great activities in Toronto dedicated to providing activities for those living with a disability. If you have someone special in your life that has a disability, I would strongly encourage you to tell them about disabled sailing, or perhaps disabled skiing for the winter. If you or anyone you know has questions about disabled sailing, feel free to contact me at ngoc@soakwash.com and I’d be happy to help you in any way I can.
I am also looking for another interesting place to volunteer. Let me know if you know if any great organizations in need of helpers.
It’s Friday and I’m bagged. Week 31. Romni Wools
Posted: 24/09/2010 Filed under: Business | Tags: bags Leave a commentGrab a coffee or tea and join us each Friday, to learn how these Soak worthy bags came to be. Are you bagged? Send us your favorite bag. If we feature it here, we’ll send you a Soak gift pack, in a pretty bag, of course!
Sometimes you just need to take your favourite shopping bag and visit your LYS for some yarn therapy. With the cooler weather moving in fast, perhaps it is time to pick up some fall/winter weight yarn. 
We don’t have a soakworthy bag this week, instead if you are located anywhere near Goodwood, Ontario, then we encourage you to grab your favourite shopping bag and visit Marilyn’s new store Romni Goodwood. Marilyn is the owner of Romni Wools and will be holding her grand opening event next Sunday for her newest store.
A restored confederation building that was built in 1867 will be the home of this brand new yarn store. They are also big fans of Soak so don’t forgot to pick up a bottle or perhaps a Carrie or Phil basin while you are there.
We always love seeing what our customers are working on. Send us a photo of your Soakworthy project (and reference this post) and tell us why it is so special to you and we’ll send you some mini-soaks to help you care for your most cherished FOs.
soakworthy.com 