Rigby & Peller recommends Soak for new (and royal) moms
Posted: 17/08/2013 Filed under: SWmain | Tags: lingerie, rigby & Peller, soak, wash Leave a comment
Rigby & Peller introduces you to the ‘Lingerie Must Have’s for New Mothers’. We’re super excited to be included in this prestigious list.
Shop Soak items here. Don’t forget to get some new lingerie as well!
101 things to do with Soak | 038 Halloween costumes
Posted: 09/11/2010 Filed under: Craft, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, halloween costumes, hand washing, soak wash, soakwash, wash Leave a commentAuthor: Ngoc
Lions, goblins, princesses and super heroes. These are a few of the interesting characters that you may have seen roaming the streets a week and a half ago (or perhaps you were one of those interesting characters).
If your house is anything like mine, then you’ll have an endless supply of single sized chocolate bars, chips and jujubes. Discounted candy after Halloween gets me every time. I am also notorious for not taking down decorations once the occasion has passed (this is reinforced by the ‘Season’s Greetings’ banner that still hangs in my mom’s house from the time I wanted to decorate in Gr. 10. Let’s just say I’ve finished highschool… and University… and that banner still hangs. It’s a running joke now amongst my friends).
I digress, let’s get back to the topic at hand. If you have kids or you chose to dress up yourself, I’m sure you have a crumpled up costume either thrown into your laundry basket or in the corner of a room somewhere. It’s been a week and a half, it’s time to wash and put it away for either next year or to be donated to your local Goodwill shop for someone else to enjoy. Or maybe you have a toddler at home that loves being a princess or superman more than just 1 out of the 365 days of the year. Or perhaps, you had on a slightly risky costume (a mistress Claus? Wonder women?) that may be pleasing to your partner on days other than Halloween. Either way, it needs to be washed.
Many of the store-bought costumes aren’t made to the highest quality and may not survive a trip in your washing machine. A lot of the time you will see costumes with lace, satin, nylon, sequins and other fun materials, that need extra care. A nice gentle wash in Soak is exactly what your costume needs.
Washing your Halloween costume
- Check the label of your costume for care instructions. A general rule is, if it can get wet, then it can be wash with Soak.
- Make sure you take out any left over candy that may have found its way into the pockets. If your costume was battery powered, make sure you remove the batteries and the hardware.
- Fill up your sink with cool water, add some Soak.
- Put your costume in to soak for 15 mins.
- Give it a gentle squeeze to remove excess water. Roll in a towel to remove more excess water.
- And as always, hang or lay flat to dry.
I also made a Where’s Waldo costume this year. Can you do me a favour? If you have young kids in the house, can you ask them if they know who Waldo is? I walked by a boy who looked about 12 and he looked at me with zero recognition of who I was dressed up as. Do kids still look at Where’s Waldo books? Has Waldo gone the way of cassette tapes?
I love home-made costumes and would love to see your wonderful craftmanship. Send your photos to ngoc@soakwash.com.
101 things to do with Soak | 037 The walking cast
Posted: 26/10/2010 Filed under: health, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, cast, hand washing, soak wash, soakwash, wash Leave a commentAuthor: Ngoc
Our ankles have been having a bad summer here at the Soak office.
A few months ago, just as the weather was warming up, Chris showed up to work with a broken ankle. Since it is illegal to drive with a cast, Jacqueline graciously acted as Chris’s chauffeur, driving her to and from work, and on small errands for a good 2 months.
Chris was just absolutely ecstatic when the 2 months was up, and she could walk around in her walking cast without crutches, and drive herself wherever her heart desired. Jacqueline’s duties as a chauffeur were finally over. But as luck (or bad luck?) would have it, shortly after, Jacqueline limped into our office with a defeated look and tells us that she too has broken her ankle.
Crafty Jacqueline decided to spruce up her cast with racing stripes, and pretty fabric straps.
She had thought that when Chris said, “I owe you one for driving me” that her favor would be repaid in the form of a delicious meal. Never would she have guessed that her favor would be repaid in the form of a chauffeur. How ironic.
Now whenever we have visitors to the office and they hear our ankle stories, they always look at me and jokingly say “looks like your next”, where I then let out a very nervous laugh and quickly look around for some wood to knock on.
If you’ve ever worn one of these walking casts, then you will be familiar with that indescribable odor that builds up after wearing one of these. Imagine walking around all day with your leg wrapped in foam, in the middle of the summer. Needless to say, the cast is often drenched in sweat by the days end. Luckily for Jacqueline and Chris, (and for me too!), we work in an office where Soak is readily available.
How to: wash your walking cast.
The foam in the walking cast is hand-washable, and you can wipe down the hard exterior shell with a gentle detergent. It is best to do it in the evening before you go to bed so the cast has time to dry overnight.
- Remove the foam piece from the exterior.
- Fill a basin/sink with water and some Soak.
- Leave the foam in to Soak for about 15 mins. Give it a dunk every once in a while if it is floating.
- Gently squeeze out the excess water, then press between a towel to absorb the rest of the excess water.
- Hang to dry or lay flat on a drying rack.
- Take a soft cloth, dip it in some water and Soak and gently wipe the hard shell of the cast.
If you find yourself in the situation where you have to wear one of these, I wish you luck and hope that you recover quickly!
How to: Block a hat
Posted: 21/10/2010 Filed under: videos | Tags: blocking, hand washing, how to, Jacqueline Sava, Knitting, soak wash, soakwash, Video, wash 2 CommentsWe were tweeted by one of our friendly customers who had just finished knitting her very first hat and had no idea how to block it. We thought that answering her question would be a great way to start off what we hope to be a series of helpful videos about caring for the items you cherish most.
If you have any questions, requests or suggestions for videos, we’d love to hear them! Send your thoughts to ngoc@soakwash.com.
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!
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.
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.
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.
101 things to do with Soak | 032 Suitcases
Posted: 21/09/2010 Filed under: Travel, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, Esther, hand washing, soak wash, soakwash, suitcase, wash Leave a commentAuthor: Esther
I love everything that comes with travelling: exploring new places, trying new foods, experiencing new cultures, and meeting wonderful people. I have been lucky enough to travel to many different cities around the world for both missionary work and for pleasure. My trusty bright green suitcase has been the perfect companion during my trips to Seoul, Puket, Vancouver, Torreon, Monterrey, Tampico, Nava and most recently, New York City.
I’ve had this suitcase for years and the once bright vibrant green fabric is now decorated with stains and has dulled in color due to the thin layer or dirt and dust. Having a brightly colored suitcase makes it easily spottable when it circles the luggage conveyor belt. After returning from my latest vacation, I decided that my suitcase needed a good cleaning.
How I cleaned my suitcase:
Please remember to empty everything out of the pockets.
I put the suitcase into my bathtub and poured some Soak directly on the heaviest stains and used a slightly wet brush to gently scrub away the dirt. I gave the bag a quick rinse and was amazed at how dirty the water was.
Open up all the pockets/compartments and leave it to air dry.
I left it in the bathtub overnight to dry and when I went to check on it in the morning, it looked brand new. I forgot how bright and vibrant it used to be. My green suitcase is now clean, smells great and is ready for our next great adventure together.
101 things to do with Soak | 031 Canning tomatoes.
Posted: 14/09/2010 Filed under: Food, Uses for Soak | Tags: 101, hand washing, Jacqueline Sava, soak wash, soakwash, wash Leave a commentAuthor: Jacqueline
Sometimes you just have too many tomatos.
While making our third batch of sauce we finally ran out of pots. Mini-Carrie came to the rescue storing chopped tomatos and basil pre-cooking. Yum. The Carries and Phils are non-toxic and food safe, so cook away!
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