101 things to do with Soak | 027 Carrie and Phil. Cottage companions.
Posted: 17/08/2010 Filed under: Uncategorized, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, carrie, hand washing, phil, soak wash, soakwash, wash 2 CommentsAuthor: Ngoc
Every year, my friend’s family graciously opens up their house for our annual weekend reunion. They’ve been building this beautiful cottage for the past five years and we’re all very lucky to be able to catch up in such a relaxing and beautiful place. We’ve been going once a year since high school and it’s an annual trip that is eagerly anticipated by all. It’s the one time of the year where I get to see my friends that have moved away for work.
Carrie and Phil happened to be in my car so I decided to leave them out on the dock to see how my friends would use them. I snapped a few photos of them in action.
Phil holding some cottage essentials: dry towels, a good book, sunscreen and a pair of binoculars. We were lucky enough to spot a beautiful loon and haron while we relaxed on the water.
Carrie flipped upside down made a great foot rest.
The water was beautiful and we spent a lot of time hanging out on the floating dock. We kept sending one person in to grab drinks and snacks but with only two hands, you can only carry so many at a time. This is when Phil jumped in and graciously helped out. We were able to pile a bunch of drinks and chips in him and float him across the water! Once he made it to the floating dock, we used him to throw our garbage in so they wouldn’t fall into the water. How handy!
All in all, it was a very successful weekend with my new cottage companions, Carrie and Phil. Can’t wait to do it all again next year.
101 things to do with Soak | 026 The bright red canoe
Posted: 10/08/2010 Filed under: Uncategorized, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, cottage, hand washing, soak wash, soakwash, wash Leave a commentAuthor: Ngoc
One of our customers sent us these fun photos from her latest weekend at the cottage. Feeling refreshed and ambitious, she decided pull out the canoe that hasn’t been used in far too long, and spend the evening out on the water.
With every intention of pulling out the big red canoe and dropping it in the water, she came upon a small hiccup. After being stored away for years and years, the canoe had collected a good amount of dust, dirt, mud, cobwebs and many tiny little critters.
Taking a look at all her cleaning supplies available at the cottage, she decided that she really didn’t want to put any of those cleaning solutions into the same water that she would be swimming in. So instead, she grabbed her favorite bottle of Soak in the nice fresh citrus scent. Soak is gentle and biodegradable so she felt assured that it wouldn’t be toxic to herself, or the friendly ducks that have joined her in the lake.
Using a sponge, Soak, and some elbow grease, she got her bright red canoe into tip top form.
Do you have a fun Soak story? Send in your Soak experiences to ngoc@soakwash.com. We’d love to hear from you!
101 things to do with Soak | 025 Pantyhose, stockings, fishnets and garters
Posted: 03/08/2010 Filed under: Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, garters, hand washing, soak wash, soakwash, wash 1 CommentAuthor: Ngoc
I can’t decide whether I love or hate hosiery. I love that they make my legs look gloriously smooth and even, and add that finishing touch to an outfit. I don’t enjoy how often I get pulls in them.
If I’m wearing stockings to an important event (meeting the in-laws, or to a job interview) I’ll often bring an extra pair because I know more often than not, I will walk into a rough surface and get a nice pull right down the front of them. Their delicate material means that you have to be gentle when washing them to ensure they last for another wear. Thowing them directly in the washing machine can leave you with a tangled mess of stretched out hosiery.
I recommend hand washing them in warm water in your sink or your Phil wash basin.
Directions
1. Fill up your sink and add one teaspoon of Soak to your water.
2. Make sure you remove any rings or bracelets that may catch while you are hand washing.
3. Turn your hosiery inside out just incase there is lint stuck in the toe. You should wash your garters in a separate wash to avoid the clasps or any embellishments from catching on the hosiery.
4. Leave to soak for 15 mins and gently squeeze out the water. Roll them in a towel and lay flat to dry. Hanging them may cause them to stretch.
Some hosiery tips
- If you get a small unnoticable pull, you can use clear nail polish and brush over the run to help prevent it from growing in size.
- When using the washroom, make a conscious effort to ensure that your skirt/dress is NOT tucked into the your pantyhose.
- There are many fun crafts for kids that use old pairs of panty hose so if you have a young one at home, perhaps you can have some craft time and make a chia pet.
101 things to do with Soak | 024 Golf clubs and balls
Posted: 27/07/2010 Filed under: Uncategorized, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101 Leave a commentThe other day when I went to visit my friend Ryan, I found him in his washroom with his golf clubs and a bottle of Soak. With the Canadian Open just wrapping up on the weekend, it seems appropriate that this weeks post is dedicated to the ever popular and frustrating game of golf.
So when I walked in to find him with his clubs and Soak in hand, I asked him what he was doing and he explained that he was going to wash his clubs. “Do you always use Soak?” I asked. He explained that he used to use dish soap, but one time he grabbed the bottle of Soak because it was conveniently located by the washroom sink instead of having to run downstairs to grab the dish soap. He went on to say that he now always uses Soak because it “just smells nice.”
I’m not much of a golfer myself, I’ve occasionally been spotted at the driving range but I don’t have my own set of clubs, so I’ve never had to wash them before.
To wash your clubs, you can give them a soak with handles facing downward and use a soft clean washcloth to gently scrub off any dirt and oils.
Then turn them around and dip the heads into the Soak water. You can use one of the handy golf club brushes to gently scrub the faces to remove the dirt stuck in the grooves.
You can leave your balls to soak dry them off with a clean wash cloth.
He explained to me that there are a few reasons to keep your clubs clean.
- A clean club face and ball will allow for better contact between the club and the ball during your swing. If you have dirt stuck in the groves on the ball and the club face, it makes the surfaces more slippery and gives you less control. He also made a jab at my golfing abilities saying that a person of my caliber probably wouldn’t notice the difference.
- Clean handles/grips will make them “tackier” and give you a better grip when you swing.
- A good club or driver is very expensive. And once you find a club that is perfect for your needs, you want to take care of it so it’ll look great and last longer.
101 things to do with Soak | 023 Dog baths
Posted: 21/07/2010 Filed under: Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, Dogs, hand washing, soak wash, soakwash, wash 1 CommentWe always get emails and hear stories from our customers about how they reach for a bottle of Soak when it’s time to bathe their dog.
I have a Shih Tzu named Toby who is a little furry terror but is so cute and affectionate that it’s hard not to love him. He has a strong hatred of baths and will hide for hours in an attempt to avoid one. I swear I just have to think about giving him a bath and he’ll take off and hide under the couch.
He runs around the house while I run after him shaking his bag of treats to try to bribe/trick him. This has never worked but I am still hopeful. Once I finally catch him and put him in the tub, he’ll do anything to try to get out. This creates a big wet mess. He eventually gives up and just stands there looking at me with his unimpressed eyes. If this is anything like bath time with your furry friend, perhaps adding some Soak to the mix will make it slightly more pleasant. I know my favorite part of the whole ordeal is that when it’s all over, my hands are soft and smell like Aquae.
One of our loyal customers, who also happens to be Chris’s mom, sent us some wonderful photos of her bathing her beloved friend, Jenna. Jenna is a beautiful Rottweiler who is much better behaved during bath time than my mischievous Toby.
Please give your pup a good rinsing. Soak’s no-rinse properties are only effective when the item being washed is emersed and surrounded in water. I’m assuming that you aren’t soaking your pup in a giant basin of Soak and water. If you are however soaking your pup in a big giant basin, I’d like some pictures please.
Does your pup become extremely hyper and run around at lightning speeds after a bath? Does anyone know why this happens?
101 things to do with Soak | 022 RC car filters
Posted: 13/07/2010 Filed under: Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, hand washing, Jacqueline Sava, soak wash, soakwash, wash 1 CommentAuthor: Jacqueline
Boys and their toys.
Rumor has it, my sweetie pie Ted’s friends were stealing their wives’ bottles of Soak. Crazy, I know, I didn’t believe it myself… until this past Saturday. Ted and his pals were at a radio control car race , as they often are on summer weekends. This particular weekend was of interest, because the track was half way between home and the cottage at Hardwood Ski and Bike. Interesting how, you ask? Well, it’s rather simple. I was able to spend time with the guys at the track and make it to the cottage for the balance of the weekend.
We were a couple of hours in; the pit was full of people working madly on their cars between races when one of the guys, Marco started asking for dish soap. Dish soap? Why on earth would they need that, there were no dishes to be found… just beer cans, junk food and barbecues. Before I could even ask why, Steve stood up and said, ‘Jacq- got any Soak?’ Well, as it turns out, the washing in question was for the foam car filters. Steve always said Soak was the best for degreasing the filters between races, I had just never witnessed the sacred washing event before.
I sent Marco off to my car, to the ever faithful Soak sales kit, consisting of bottles, mini-soaks and catalogs. It is, after all, my job to always have Soak on hand. A bottle of Citrus was secured, and before I could even say, someone pass me a camera, Marco had immersed the dirty foam filters in Soak and water. He was even resourceful enough to use an old zip lock parts package as his wash basin. No Carrie or Phil needed here.
After an undisclosed time frame (I told him they were soaked enough, but he insisted on soaking and squeezing them longer- he is passionate about how clean his filters need to be) the filters were removed and rinsed, ready to be reattached to the cars.
On the left, you’ll see a shiny, soft and round filter. On the right, a grease filled dirty one. We think this photo speaks for itself. So ladies, hold on to your bottle of Soak if you have RC racers in the family. Or, next time you order a bottle, buy one for your beau.
Oh, and for the technically inclined, the air filter keeps dirt out of the engine. It needs to be clean and oiled. When it gets dirty, dirt can start getting into engine. A dirty filter also restricts air flow to engine thus reducing power and making fuel consumption rise. So really, we’re cleaning out dirt and dirty oil. Pretty fancy!
PS. No names were changed in the documentation of this event. Steve is really proud of how much he loves Soak. He also uses Soak to wash his rags after each and every event.
101 things to do with Soak | 021 Clean your camera bag
Posted: 06/07/2010 Filed under: Uses for Soak | Tags: 101 Leave a commentAuthor: Ngoc
Snow, dirt, mud, clay, chocolate, sand, juice, and sweat. These are just a few of the substances that you’ll find on my camera bags.
Just this past weekend, my camera, inside its bag, went with me to the beach, to a clay pit, and to the pride parade. I always, at any given time have at least one camera with me. On the weekend, while I was standing outside in the scorching heat with my camera strapped around my neck and the bag on my shoulders, realized that there is about 5 years’ worth of sweat accumulated on these straps. It was about time that I gave my bags a nice thorough washing. If you keep your bag fairly clean, then you can just periodically spot clean them as needed.
The bags and straps I washed are made fabric, vinyl, foam, mesh and nylon. I filled up my orange Carrie basin with warm water, added Soak, and dropped in my bags. Make sure you remove your camera first! You have to dunk them under the water and swish them around every once in a while since the foam padding makes them float. 
After soaking for 15 mins, I gave the bags a quick rinse and hung them outside to dry. With the sun beaming down in the 38 degree weather, they dried quickly and are now ready to go with me on my next adventure.
101 things to do with Soak | 020 flip flops
Posted: 29/06/2010 Filed under: Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, Chris Leave a commentDuring the summer months, flip flops are a staple in many wardrobes. As fun and cute as flip flops can be, they become dirty easily and expose our feet to a variety of harmful bacteria.
Now we all know that we should clean our sandals and flip flops but it’s often a task that gets put off. We recommend giving your sandals and flip flops a soak regularly to remove the dirt and oils and wash off some of the harmful bacteria.
Chris gave her flip flops a quick and easy wash last week and photo documented it for us.
Collect all your flip flops. I know you have more than one pair.
Fill up a sink or basin. Add Soak. Add flip flops.
Leave to soak for at least 15 mins. For extra dirty flip flops, put a little soak right on the shoe and scrub with a brush.
Drain. You can leave them outside to dry or in Chris’s case leave them in a drying rack.
Quick and painless.
It’s too bad she can’t actually wear any of them because of her cast.
101 things to do with Soak | 019 The autographed shirt
Posted: 22/06/2010 Filed under: Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, hand washing, soak wash, soakwash, spot cleaning 1 CommentAuthor: Ngoc
I spent last Saturday at the Mississauga Waterfront Festival. There’s nothing like sitting on the grass under the stars and listening to the talented Jim Cuddy sing “Pull me through”. Listening to Mr. Cuddy’s soothing voice made me think of Blue Rodeo, and my autographed shirt.
I love this shirt. This 5 dollar white tee with its bad paint job brings with it the memories of an amazing night. This shirt is from my very first concert, with my very first real boyfriend. After the show, he took my hand and went up to the security guard and asked if the band would sign my shirt; and they did!
It’s hard to tell in the pictures but the shirt is very dirty. It was quite hot when I was wearing it so it became sweaty and had small stains from other sources that I can’t quite figure out. These stains have become increasingly yellow over the years. I wouldn’t dare throw it in the washing machine or even hand wash it in case the paint and marker ran. Instead, I used Soak to spot clean the stains.
I put a little bit of Soak right on the stains and gently rubbed it in.
I then used a slow stream of water to rinse the area, carefully avoiding the signatures.
I put a towel on the inside of the shirt so the wet back wouldn’t be touching the front and possibly making the ink on the front run. I gently pressed another towel on top to absorb as much water as possible and then hung the shirt to dry. 
Now I’ll safely put it away until Aug 26th where I will be sporting this shirt and singing along to “5 days in May” at the Molson Amphitheatre.
101 things to do with Soak | 018 Fabrics. Quilting. Pre-washing.
Posted: 15/06/2010 Filed under: Craft, Quilting, Uncategorized, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, hand washing, Jacqueline Sava, quilt, soak wash, soakwash, wash 3 CommentsAuthor: Jacqueline
Truth be told, I love it more than yarn. I love looking at it, cutting it, designing with it, wearing it and resting under it. My mom was a clothing designer. I grew up with fabric. I’ve recently acquired an exceptional stash of Liberty of London fabrics from a recent trip to England.
My first thought was to introduce these limited edition fabrics from the V&A collection to my stash immediately, so the various prints, colours and textures could get to know each other. My fabric stash enjoys new friends. I also had a few select acquisitions from the Liberty store itself but I wanted to include some of them in my summer quilting projects. I knew what had to be done. They all needed to be unfolded from their neatly packed pile and given a good Soak.
There are some basic rules to pre-washing quilt fabrics. We’ve talked about pre-washing fabrics for textiles in general, but here, we’re talking quilting specifically. The liberty fabrics I bought at the V&A suggested cold water wash, and discouraged drying, ‘do not tumble dry’.
First, if you are making a quilt that is going to be used, like this one which was a wedding present for my cousins in the UK, at some point it is going to be washed.
Second, if a giant quilt gets wet, it is likely to end up in the dryer, regardless of instructions. So, I recommend pre-washing and drying all fabrics.
I did wash and dry my liberty prints, fear not, I’ll share my secrets.
First, unfold all your fat quarters, yardage and fabric.
It is essential that the pieces be loose and relaxed when they go into the wash.
If you have (or have access) to a front loader, I would suggest using it. The agitation caused by the upright machines does add a bit of roughness to the washing (and it tends to increase fraying).
Use cold water, and of course, Soak.
Nothing too crazy happens in the washing machine. Sometimes, you get a bit of fraying at the edges, but mostly you just end up with a tangled bunch of fabric swatches. It is imperative to separate and loosen all the pieces again, before they go in the dryer.
Drying is an important part of the washing process, arguably, the most important. For my machine at home, 6-9 minutes on medium heat is enough to dry cotton. I highly recommend not leaving the room during drying. Your goal, when drying fabric is to remove most of the moisture, while leaving the fabric slightly damp so you can take it out, flatten it and keep it from wrinkling. Clearly I left my liberty print too long, it wrinkled. I am not looking forward to the arduous ironing that will follow. Every fabric and every machine commands different drying times. Once again, grab your favorite craft magazine, say, the summer issue of Studio magazine, featuring Soak and hang out in the laundry room. Your fabric will love you for it.
I remove a few pieces at a time, fold them in half and flatten them out. The continuous movement and heat from the dryer keeps the cotton soft and wrinkle free. If the dryer finishes and the cottons remain still, they will wrinkle. I suspect Liberty suggests not drying, to avoid wrinkling and the countless hours that follow, should one choose to try to iron the wrinkles out.
Here is my stack of fat quarters after I took it out of the machine. Note the small amount of fraying that occurred along the edges.
When I get my fabrics back upstairs, I drape them over chairs and other firm objects, to air dry.
Once dry, my fabrics were transferred to the stash where they took great comfort in all the other prints. Some were cut up for my summer project, as I mentioned, and more importantly, the rest are ready to go on a moments notice. There’s nothing worse than wanting to start a new quilt and knowing you have to do laundry first. That’s how unwashed fabric ends up in quilts. It’s never pretty, so wash new fabrics immediately for safe keeping.
Distracted by the liberty prints? Find them in Canada at Hyggeligt. Your local home for liberty prints. Both online and in a store front in London, Ontario, Hyggeligt is a haven for fantastic prints. I’m grateful that some of my chosen prints can be found there. I will never be without liberty again. Oh, and if you pass through, they also now stock Soak!
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