A dishwasher is a great addition to any kitchen.
It can give you freedom from all that washing up allowing you to do other things in your home.
But to get the most from your dishwasher and to protect your kitchen goods there are some simple rules you must follow.
Do use only the recommended amount of detergent -- too much can leave behind a residue, and too little can result in dirty dishes.
Do run only full loads.
If the dishwasher is partially full, use the rinse-hold cycle to remove odour-causing foods.
This is more economical than rinsing dishes by hand, which can waste up to 20 extra gallons of water per load or 6,500 gallons per household each year
Do use a rinse aid.
They lower the surface tension of the rinse water so droplets don’t form.
Particularly helpful if you have hard water, they also help dishes dry faster, which can be helpful when using the Energy-Saving Dry cycle or air-drying dishes
Do dry dishes on the lowest temperature setting.
Hotter temperatures can leave spots on glassware.
Don’t put the following into a dishwasher:
Don’t spill dry dishwasher detergent on flatware, it can cause dark spots.
Don’t jam too many pieces into the silverware basket, which can lead them to get scratched.
Don’t mix sterling or silver-plate and stainless steel flatware in the dishwasher, even when using the rinse-hold cycle.
A reaction between the two metals can damage both finishes.
Since most knives, including sterling ones, have stainless-steel blades, keep them away from other silver pieces too.
You can download a copy of these tips Here.
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We all love our leather bags. They are just lovely.
They feel good, they look good and they are such a fashion necessity.
However, leather bags can be tricky to look after especially in extreme weathers.
Every leather has a type and every type needs a different care.
If you buy the leather bag from a manufacturer, then it would be wise to follow the instructions given by him for only enhancing the leather quality and appearance.
There are a few everyday tips you can follow in order to make your bag look even more beautiful and stylish.
2. If you spill water on your bag or it gets wet in the rain, dry it slowly. Room temperature with gentle air works better than direct heater time with hair-dryer, as that can dry out and crinkle the leather by changing its chemical structure. And make sure while drying to keep it in the shape you want it in.
3. If leather gets too dry, rub something moist onto it. Pick a leather dressing or cream, preferably recommended by the maker. Leathers can have paints, waxes, oils and all sorts of things applied to their surface, so you probably want to pick something you are familiar with.
4. Do not use soap if the leather gets dirty. Soaps are harsh and can affect the chemical structure of the skin. Just use a damp cloth.
5. Don’t overfill your leather bag as it can lose its shape! Leather easily stretches out, but not back: Once de-shaped, it will never really return to its former taut self. If you stretch a leather bag when wet or very humid, it will move even faster. Just learn to carry the right amount, and this takes care of itself.
6. If packing your leather bag for a longer stretch of time, make sure it can breathe Think of leather as having the life frozen rather than completely killed. What you’re really trying to stop is any mildew growth, so keep some ventilation going
7. Give it a good cleaning once a year. It’s not just good wardrobe hygiene—taking your bag to a leather specialist once a year prolongs the bag’s life, cleaning away buildup and germs so the leather’s natural character continues to show through. Most cobblers will care for bags too.
8. Soften the leather by hand. Your bag becomes buttery-soft on their own, but you can speed up the process. Lay the bag on a flat surface and, starting from the bottom, roll it up. Reroll starting from a different side of the tote. Then turn it inside out and roll it again.
9. Resist the urge to treat stains. If you carry your favorite bag like we carry ours—that is, all the time and everywhere—accidents happen, from grass and grease to ink and wine. Thankfully, a leather specialist knows just how to remove stains without ruining the leather, or the patina it’s developing.
When buying new clothes or accesories you not only want it to look good but to feel good too.
12 reasons why this alpaca fiber garments are a stylish addition to your fashion accessories.
Its most remarkable quality is its softness – alpaca fibre is inherently soft. This is due to the fact it has less scales on each individual fibre, compared to sheep's wool which has many, and more prominent scales on each individual fibre. (Suri alpaca have less scales than huacaya alpaca so their fibre is even softer.)
Strands of alpaca fiber are smooth and so feel less prickly or itchy next to the skin.
Even at its coarsest, alpaca is inherently softer than sheep's wool and often a certain percentage of alpaca fibre is added to sheep's wool during the woollen process to enhance the handle or feel.
Alpaca fiber is softer due to their low micron count, resulting in a luxuriously soft texture.
Baby Alpaca is the most rare and finest classification of Alpaca fiber. Don't worry, it is simply a measure of fiber density, not fleece from baby alpacas.
Alpaca fiber is a natural thermostat. It contains microscopic air pockets that keep body heat in cooler temperatures and releases it in warmer temperatures.
Alpaca fiber is similar in structure to sheep wool but it is warmer the sheep wool.
The alpaca has a fine and light fleece. It does not keep water, is a thermal insulator even when wet and can resist solar radiation effectively. These characteristics guarantee the animals a permanent and appropriate coat to protect against extreme changes of temperature. This fiber offers the same protection to humans.
In testing at the Yocum-McCall Testing laboratories alpaca fiber was shown to be three times warmer than sheep’s wool.
One reason is that alpaca is more heavily medullated: in other words, there are tiny hollow areas in the centers of many individual alpaca fibers. These areas hold the warmth and, in addition, make alpaca lighter in weight than other animal fibers.
As each strand of alpaca fiber is hollow this gives it tremendous thermal capacity. This gives you a breathable fiber with an insulating nature.
Alpaca insulates from cool and warm temperatures. This gives you a jumper, scarf or throw that you can use all year round. Especially a scarf which can be worn all year round as a necessary fashion accessory.
Alpaca fiber is a light weight and breathable material that allows you to wear it next to your skin.
Your scarf or throw won't be restrictive on your skin and will allow you to easily move and stretch your arms. You won't feel weighed down by a heavy garment.
The alpaca fiber is smooth not prickly like sheeps wool.
Sheep's wool has a different physical make-up than that of alpaca fiber. The outside of each strand of wool has tiny, microscopic scales along the length of the strand. When garments made with wool are worn next to the skin, these scales catch the surface of the skin and cause some wool to feel prickly.
These feelings do not occur with alpaca fiber
Alpaca fibers have a higher tensile strength than wool fibers. In processing, slivers lack fiber cohesion and single alpaca rovings lack strength. Blend these together and the durability is increased several times over.
Alpaca does not contain lanolin, making it easier to process than sheep’s wool.
Some fabric experts say alpaca is more resilient and wrinkle resistant than cashmere. They also suggest that it has a lower tendency to shrink than wool and cashmere.
No lanolin which makes it hypoallergenic, which means fewer allergic reactions.
As Alpaca fiber is lanolin free (lanolin holds dust and microscopic allergens that create allergies to wool), which allows for the hypoallergenic nature of the fiber.
This makes alpaca fiber safe for you to wear.
People have long observed that alpaca fiber is water resistant.
Tests at Gaston College in 2009 proved that. Their representative told the Alpaca Fiber Symposium that alpaca is virtually water repellent. In the testing process they found it all but impossible to saturate alpaca fiber to do the test.
This extreme water resistance may be the reason alpaca so successfully wicks moisture away from the body. The many fans of alpaca socks tell us that the socks are very warm but that their feet don’t feel sweaty while wearing them. Thus, while wearing alpaca socks, one’s feet remain comfortable in cold, wet conditions.
The water resistant quality of alpaca may be a reason some report that it resists odors better than other fibers, even in socks.
The designer Armani has used Suri alpaca to fashion men's and women's suits. Alpaca fleece is made into various products, from simple and inexpensive garments made by the indigenous communities to sophisticated, industrially made and expensive products such as suits.
An alpaca that grows soft spongy fiber, has natural crimp, thus making a naturally elastic yarn well-suited for knitting.
Alpaca is more flame resistant than plant or synthetic fibers. Also in case of fire, it does not melt onto the skin like synthetics do.
Fiber diameter is a highly inherited trait in both alpaca and sheep. The difference in the individual fiber scales compared to sheep wool also creates the glossy shine which is prized in alpaca.
The lack of scales and smoothness of the fibre also gives alpaca a natural brightness as the smoother surface reflects the light better. Suri alpaca (because it has less scales) reflects the light like a mirror and is renowned for its deep lustre, as well as its luxuriously smooth handle.
Alpacas come naturally in 22 color variations; the spectrum includes white, fawn, brown, gray and black, with all the natural shades between.
Alpaca dyes beautifully and is available in a variety of dyed colors. The color spectrum is as vast as your imagination if you choose to dye your own yarn.
Alpaca was the fiber reserved for Inca royalty dating back thousands of years. In the mid 1800's Sir Titus Salt (England) discovered the alpaca fiber and fashioned the first modern alpaca garments.
These special characteristics makes alpaca fiber garments a must.
Check out our range of scarves and throws for you to choose from.
