eHow.com Video: The Natural Way to Clean Salt from Suede Shoes with Vinegar

The Natural Way to Clean Salt from Shoes With Vinegar

The Natural Way to Clean Salt from Shoes With Vinegar

White vinegar can be used for a variety of purposes, including safely removing salt stains from suede and leather shoes

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Video Transcript:

I'm Anjie Cho, and this is a natural way to clean salt from suede shoes with vinegar.

During snowy winter months, the salt used to melt snow can leave white patches on our suede shoes. This is my favorite pair of shoes, and sadly I walked out one day in the snow and now look at them. But there's a natural way to clean salt stains from suede shoes with vinegar. You'll just need some common household items, cotton balls, a rag, an old toothbrush and of course white vinegar.

White vinegar is a great all-around natural non-toxic cleaning alternative for everything from cleaning windows, as a laundry booster, and as I'll show you, for cleaning the salt from your shoes. The acidic acid in the vinegar dissolves the salt deposits without damaging the suede. In fact, this also works with leather.

Before you start, be sure to test a small area of the shoe, like the tongue. If that test area dries fine, you're good to go.

First step, dilute the vinegar in equal parts water.

Next step, dip the toothbrush or any nylon bristle brush into the solution and gently loosen the salt from the shoe. Then if required, use a cotton ball or a rag to blot. Now let the shoe air dry.

Check if the stains are gone. If not, repeat the steps. It may take a couple tries. Amazingly, the salt stains are gone and you don't have to worry about the salt on your suede shoes anymore.

Use vinegar as a natural and eco-friendly way to clean the salt from your shoes.

by Anjie Cho

eHow.com Video: Ideas For Painting Flat & Imperfect Walls

Ideas For Painting Flat & Imperfect Walls

Ideas For Painting Flat & Imperfect Walls

The type of paint as well as the treatment of the wall can greatly improve any wall imperfections!

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Video Transcript

I'm Anjie Cho, and these are some ideas for painting flat and imperfect walls.

Imperfections and blemishes on your walls can definitely be an eye sore, but there are ways that you can improve the appearance of paints. The finish of the paint, as well as the treatment of the walls before you paint, are very important.

Before you start, make sure to fill the imperfections with Spackle, like so. You can get Spackle along with a putty knife at any hardware store. Let it dry, then make sure to sand the surface smooth with sandpaper.

Second, the type of paint is very important. Matte or flat finish paints will hide the imperfections the most effectively because they are not as reflective as egg shell, semi-gloss or glossy finishes. The more reflective the paint, the more it will accentuate the imperfections, 'cause the light will hit, will reflect off the uneven surfaces. I'm painting here with the zero VOC eco-friendly paint, which I recommend for a non-toxic holistic home.

Preparing the wall with Spackle and using a flat or matte finish paint is a fairly easy and inexpensive way to improve the look of your flat and imperfect walls.

by Anjie Cho

Starphire vs. Standard Glass

Starphire vs. Standard Glass

Starphire vs. Standard Glass

Learn about the differences between Starphire and standard glass. Although it seems like glass is just glass, there are differences and there may be a type that's more appropriate for your home. 

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Video Transcript:

I'm Anjie Cho, and this is about Starphire versus standard glass. When selecting what kind of glass you want in your home, most people don't know that there are few options to choose from.

Starphire is the brand name of a type of low iron glass also sometimes called water clear glass. So what does low iron glass mean? When standard glass is produced they use iron oxide which leaves a greenish tint to the glass. It's difficult to see the difference between low iron glass and standard glass until you compare them to a background or look at the edge. Here you can see how they look virtually the same until you look at them against a background. You can also look at the edges where the green is always very apparent.

The low iron glass has more clarity and is very clear, hence the name water clear. Low iron glass is slightly more expensive than standard glass. Since you can't really see a major difference except on the edges, there are some home applications that I would recommend you consider going low iron for. Low iron might be considered for any frameless glass applications like shower enclosures, tabletops and glass doors. Also if the glass is a quarter inch thick or more you will really start to see the green.

Low iron glass works exactly the same as standard glass. It can be tempered, textured and laminated. Although it seems like glass is just glass, there are differences and there may be a type that's more appropriate for your home. You might want to opt for Starphire, low iron, water clear glass over the standard green tinted option.

by Anjie Cho