101 things to do with Soak | 017 Soaking corn for the BBQ
Posted: 01/06/2010 Filed under: Food, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, phil, Soak corn, soakwash, summer 1 CommentAuthor: Ngoc
I don’t think there’s a single person who doesn’t enjoy a backyard barbeque. With temperatures averaging about 25 degrees last weekend in Toronto, having a barbeque seemed like the only reasonable option for dinner.
During the summers while I was in university, my friends and I would live on barbequed food. We’d switch between chicken and beef depending on what was on sale at the market, but the one constant was the corn. We learned that soaking your corn in water for at least 30 mins prior to throwing them on the grill helped keep the corn moist and help prevent the kernals from burning.
- Left the sink free to wash other vegetables.
- Was able to soak 10 cobs at once.
- Could be kept outside near the BBQ which made it easy to throw the cobs on as soon as the meat was finished cooking.
- I didn’t have to carry the soaking wet corn from my sink to my backyard. This means no water dripping around the house.
- After soaking, the water can be used to water your plants instead of just going down the drain.
Once on the grill, the husk will darken and burn. Don’t worry, since you soaked the corn, the kernels inside should be steaming without burning. Turn the cobs periodically for even cooking. Once cooked, remove from the grill and let sit for 10 mins before peeling back the husk and silk. I know it’s hard to wait but the corn will be very hot right off the BBQ. I like to twist the husk into a nice handle to avoid holding on to the steaming hot cob. Now dress with your favourite toppings and enjoy!
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101 things to do with Soak | 016 When the tag says “wash separately”
Posted: 25/05/2010 Filed under: Uncategorized, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, hand washing, soak wash, soakwash, wash Leave a commentAuthor: Ngoc
Don’t you love when the tag says “wash separately”? Throwing it in with the rest of your laundry could result in excess dye staining the rest of your clothing, but washing it alone in the machine just seems wasteful. This is my dilemma with red shirts. I love red t-shirts. I don’t love how many of them run the first time you wash them.
I have a cousin who only likes fans and vacuums. ‘Likes’ is a fairly modest word, obsessed might be more suitable. He’s loved them since he was 3 (that was almost 10 years ago) and carries them everywhere. He lives in the States and every time he comes to visit, you can be sure that he’ll bring along at least 3 fans and a vacuum. You can also count on the fact that he’ll vacuum your home when he visits. When he walked down the aisle at my aunt’s wedding as a ring bearer, he had a pillow in one hand and a fan in the other. He called and informed me that he’d be coming to visit on his birthday. So what do you get a kid who only loves 2 things? Well I decided to get him t-shirts with pictures of vacuums and fans on them.
My aunt and uncle modelling the shirts.
I didn’t want his mom to curse me later on if she accidentally threw the brand new red shirt in with the rest of his laundry and turned everything pink. So I handwashed with some Soak to remove most of the excess dye and give it a nice light aquae scent. It took me about 4 washes before the water stopped coming out bright red.
Even after the second rinse, the water was still coming out bright red. This could have resulted in many pairs of pink tinted socks.
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101 things you can do with Soak | 015 Sequins
Posted: 18/05/2010 Filed under: Uncategorized, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, hand washing, sequins, soak wash, soakwash, wash Leave a commentAuthor: Ngoc
Shiny sparkly flashy sequins. There’s just something about sequins that calls to me. I’m attracted to them the same way an insect moves towards that pretty blue light.
I’ll walk into a store and just naturally gravitate towards things that sparkle and shine. No matter how tacky the piece is, I’ll pick it up and whisper to myself, “ooooo pretty!” Now a lot of people avoid buying sequined apparel, or buy it and never wear it because of the hassles involved with washing it afterwards. Well I’m here to tell you to stop holding back!
I tried washing a few different sequined shirts in Soak and they all came out beautifully. I checked the care tags and they all said that you could hand wash in cold water or dry clean. I’d recommend checking your tags for instructions but if it can get wet, then it can be washed in Soak. I tested several different shirts made of different materials. I had silk, polyester, cotton, and sheer chiffon.
I filled my basin with cool water and left my darks and lights to soak separately. Sometimes the sequins are not sewn on tightly so being able to leave it to soak without all the extra agitation helps to keep the sequins on your clothing, where they belong.
Squeeze gently to remove excess water. Be careful to not squish or bend any of the sequins. Lay flat or hang to dry. Avoid the dryer as the high heat can melt, distort or discolor the sequins.
101 things to do with Soak | 014 Carrie separates your laundry
Posted: 11/05/2010 Filed under: lingerie, Uncategorized, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, carrie, hand washing, laundry, soak wash, soakwash, wash Leave a commentAuthor: Ngoc
We had a very busy day at the frolic last weekend. Carrie and Phil’s popularity soared as they flew off our tables and into the welcoming arms of their new families. Carrie and Phil have many uses and this week, I’m going to talk about my main use for Carrie.
How many of you have one hamper and end up mixing your delicates and hand washables in with the rest of your dirty laundry? How often have you accidentally thrown one of these hand wash only items into the machine? I have enough slightly pink tinted white shirts, bras with bent underwires, and stretched out lace panties that I’ve learned to carefully sort my dirty laundry instead of throwing it all in the washing machine together. Carrie makes the job of sorting slightly less painful.
I keep Carrie in my closet where she discreetly holds my not-so-fresh undergarments and delicates. My silks, cashmeres, panties, bras, lace, and sequins all go in her instead of with my everyday laundry. Trust me, your pretty bras and expensive garments will thank you for this little extra bit of care.
At the end of the week, I just grab her handles, and easily take all my delicates to the sink to hand wash all at once. Nice and painless.
101 things to do with Soak | 013 Washing winter knits
Posted: 04/05/2010 Filed under: Knitting, Uncategorized, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, hand washing, soak wash, soakwash, wash Leave a commentAuthor: Ngoc
It’s that time of year when you collect all your scarves, toques, neck warmers, balaclavas, and other winter knits and pack them away until next winter.
I am an embarrassingly slow knitter and can usually only finish one project before the snow melts. This year I used Louet’s Riverstone wool to knit myself a pretty burgundy slouch. Unfortunately for me I only got to wear it about 5 times before the weather warmed up.
Now as much as present Ngoc wants to just throw all these knits into a box and go outside to enjoy the sunshine, she knows that future Ngoc will be very sad when she goes to open that box next winter only to find them full of moth holes. Do your future self a favour and take the necessary steps to prevent moths from having a feast in your knits.
The best way to prevent moths from ruining your garments is to keep them clean. Moths are especially attracted to dirty fibers that smell sweaty. Giving your winter knits a good washing in Soak before storing will help to ensure that you get another season’s wear out of them.
Once clean, store your winter knits in a tightly sealed container. Now give yourself a pat on the back from your future self and go outside and enjoy the weather.
101 things to do with Soak | 012 Wash swimwear
Posted: 27/04/2010 Filed under: Uncategorized, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, beach, hand washing, soak wash, soakwash, swimwear, wash Leave a commentAuthor: Ngoc
Some girls love shoes, others love purses, I love swimsuits. They are colorful and bright and when they start popping up in stores, it means that my favourite season is just around the corner.
As many of you lucky ones are getting ready for your vacations, remember to wash your swimsuit after every beach or pool trip. Take care of your suit and it can last you through several summers. Washing is especially important after swimming in a pool as the chlorine can damage the fibers and weaken the elasticity of the fabric. If going on vacation, remember to take a few single use mini-soak packets so you can easily hand wash in your hotel sink.
I absolutely cannot wait for summertime. The sun is shining, birds are chirping, you can hear the chimes of the ice cream truck, picnics are had, pools are open, and beaches are filled with happy smiling people. In an attempt to persuade mother nature into giving us Ontarians some nice warm weather, I’ve decided to put away all my winter clothing and pull out my bright colorful spring/summer wardrobe including all of my swimsuits.
I know I have more swimsuits than any sensible marketing coordinator living in Toronto should have.
I like to give my swimsuits a quick wash at the start of the season as they’ve been sitting in a box for a good 8 months. Luckily for me, my Carrie and bottle of Soak made this process very easy.
I put all my suits into Carrie, let them soak for 15 mins and rolled them in towels to absorb most of the water. You can lay them flat or leave on a drying rack to dry. Do not throw them in the dryer as the heat can damage your suit and ruin the elastic in the material.
Nice and clean. Now all I need is the sun.
101 things to do with Soak | 011 Removing Paint from brushes
Posted: 20/04/2010 Filed under: Craft, Design, Uncategorized, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, hand washing, paint brushes, soak wash, soakwash, wash Leave a commentAuthor: Ngoc
If you are anything like me, then you’re guilty of abandoning your paint covered brushes as soon as the first coat is done, to sit, relax and reward yourself with a drink. This results in many curses the next day when you go to paint your second coat, only to find the rollers and brushes completed caked in dry paint due to your laziness the day before. 10 minutes will then be spent trying to remove the dried paint before giving up and making a trip to the hardware store to pick up another set. To avoid this frustration and extra cost, I’ve vowed to take a page from Jacqueline’s book and become a diligent brush washer.
Jacqueline is in the midst of renovating her apartment one room at a time. She is no stranger to primer, paint, rollers and brushes. She’s taken photos to show us all how painless and easy it is to wash your brushes with Soak as soon as you are done using them.
Pour a little soak on the brush and swish it around your hand to remove most of the paint.
Don’t forget to wash between the bristles.
As good as new and ready to tackle on another day of painting.
101 things to do with Soak | 010 Washing fabric purses
Posted: 13/04/2010 Filed under: Uncategorized, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, hand washing, purse, soak wash, soakwash, wash Leave a commentAuthor: Ngoc
This purse is made with a simple yellow and black fabric bag decorated with embellishments. I’ve made the mistake of throwing embellished clothing and accessories in the washing machine before only to have them come out more naked than when they went in. So this time, I smartened up and used Soak instead.
This purse, though not extra stylish, chic or expensive, has a very dear place in my heart. It is one of the only souvenirs I picked up when I went to visit my family in Vietnam 3 years ago. It was a very eye opening and enriching experience to learn about the culture and to experience how drastically different their lives are in comparison. One of my favorite memories was floating in the beautiful blue waters of Nha Trang, in this little tiny “glass bottom boat” while the gentleman beside me shaded me from the sun with his umbrella. 
With summer just around the corner, I wanted my bag to be clean and ready for all my summer adventures. I left the bag to soak for 15 minutes and was shocked at how dirty the water was. I guess it needed this soaking more than I had thought. Now all I need is for the weather to stay warm.
101 things to do with Soak | 009 Phil becomes a cat bed
Posted: 06/04/2010 Filed under: Uncategorized, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, phil Leave a commentAuthor: Ngoc
Everyone here at the office loves Phil. We use him to soak our hand washables, and store our dirty lingerie. We plan on taking him with us to the park to use as an ice bucket, or to wash the sand off our feet at the end of a beach trip.
We never even considered that we’d have to share him with our furry friends. One of our customers, Katherine, sent us her story about how Phil has now become property of her beloved Winnie Fat Cat.
Winnie Fat Cat in all her 14 years of wisdom knows a stylish bed when she sees one. She thinks of Phil as hers and no one would dare to argue otherwise. One day, Katherine heard Winnie Fat Cat calling out loudly. When she went to investigate the situation, she learned that the reason for Winnie’s cries were due to the fact that Phil had been rotated and pushed into a corner so that the handles were no longer accessible. Now why would this be a situation you ask? Well the textured handles on Phil that were designed for easier carrying, are also perfect for scratching your face against if you are a cat. After moving Phil so the handles faced outwards, Winnie quieted down and began to scratch her face. What a character she is.
Thanks Winnie Fat Cat and Katherine for the story and the great photos!
Would you like to surprise your furry family member with a new bed? Phil is now available for purchase at soakwash.com.
101 things to do with Soak | 008 Washing canvas shoes
Posted: 30/03/2010 Filed under: Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, hand washing, shoes, soak wash 2 CommentsThis week’s Soak idea was contributed by one of our customers.
White shoes are a good idea in theory. When you try them on at the store, they’re beautiful and clean and look very smart. Now you can do everything in your power to tip toe around puddles, and not walk in dirt, but it’s inevitable. White shoes attract stains.
This specific story involves a brand new pair of white converse shoes and a steaming hot cup of coffee. He’s finished about half of his cup of Tim Hortons, but it happens to be during roll up the rim season, and he’s just too anxious to discover if he’s won a car. So carefully he tries to roll up the rim with the cup half full. Disaster. His poor white shoes have taken the brunt of the accident. He also won the chance to play again.
How to clean coffee stained white canvas shoes. He figured his black canvas shoes were also due for a good cleaning
Materials
Dirty canvas material shoes
Bucket of water
Wash cloth
Soak wash
Add soak to your bucket of water. He added some more Soak to the washcloth to make it a little more concentrated. Scrub the stains gently. Depending on the shoe, you can just leave them in the bucket to Soak. You can rinse if you prefer.
Put on a drying rack to dry. If you had soaked your shoes, you may want to stuff a sock inside for the first little bit to help maintain the shape of the shoe. Success. Shoes look brand new again.
Do you have a fun Soak story? Send it to us with photos, and if we feature it, we’ll send you a special Soak treat.
soakworthy.com 