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Washing Sensitive Clothing by Hand – This is How it Works

Almost every household has a washing machine, but delicate items of clothing are often unsuitable for this. What now? Do you go to the dry cleaners or do you prefer to wash by hand?

What temperature for handwashing?

Hand washing is not as complicated as you might think at first glance. And you don’t need a tumble dryer to get your favorite pieces back in shape. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your favorite jacket or an evening dress, the first thing you should do with all items of clothing is the label beforehand washing them. Because even if you don’t put your clothes in the machine, temperature specifications may have to be observed. These help you to ensure that your best piece does not shrink and that you do not bring your favorite classics out of shape by washing them incorrectly. You can easily determine the temperature with a bathtub thermometer.

The right detergent for sensitive clothing

It is best to use a washbowl or a corresponding basin, where you fill in enough water at the required temperature. Then add the detergent according to the recommended dosage. But be careful: you have to make sure that the detergent is suitable. A mild detergent is the best choice for many sensitive items of clothing. On the other hand, if the item is made of wool, you should use a wool detergent. If you need to remove stains first, you can treat them with cold water or a suitable stain remover. Please also note our tips for removing make-up stains with the effective gall soap.

Hand wash instructions

Once you have found the right temperature and detergent for your hand wash, you can begin. To do this, choose a bucket suitable for the laundry or wash larger items by hand in the bathtub. You should proceed as follows so that everything works perfectly:

Step 1: Soak

You now put the garment completely into the soapy water and move it back and forth a little. Be careful not to twirl, rub, or scrub, as this will distort the delicate fabric fibers. Now wait about 30 minutes and let your clothes soak. If stains are still visible afterward, add more warm water and extend the time. Here, too, make sure that you do not exceed the maximum temperature on the washing label.

Step 2: Rinse

The next step is to drain the soapy water or empty the tub. Now fill it with cold, fresh water and gently squeeze out the garment inside. Repeat this process until no more foam comes out of the fabric. The water must remain completely clear before the next step, as soap residue can cause discoloration.

Step 3: Express

After the cold water runs clear, empty the tub again and squeeze the liquid out of the fabric. Please make sure that you do not rub, twirl or even wring, as this will damage the fabric. Spread a dry towel on the floor and place your garment on it. Now you can carefully pull it back into shape. Now roll up the towel along with your clothing to draw even more moisture out of the fabric. And you’re done with the hand wash. In addition, read our guide to removing stubborn stains with lawn bleach.

Hand wash to dry properly

After you have largely removed the excess water with the towel, you can start drying the clothes. Layout a wide, dry towel on the drying rack or a table and spread out the washed clothes on it. Now you let it dry until there is no more liquid in the tissue. Make sure to turn every 2-4 hours so the garment dries evenly.

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Cooking Tips

Coffee Grinders – Electrical and by Hand

Coffee lovers agree: fresh beans – ground from coffee grinders – taste better than packed coffee powder! Because the aroma flies much faster with finished coffee powder than with entire or freshly ground beans – despite aroma protection packaging. To grind an entire pack of beans immediately would be also unclear.
So grinding coffee yourself is not only authentic, but you can prepare a high -quality coffee yourself without expensive fully automatic coffee machines.
Do you want to grind your coffee yourself from now on? We have created a small coffee grinder for you, which should go into the criteria for choosing the right coffee grinder.

Which coffee grinder? Electrically or by hand?

Hand coffee mill or electric mill? If you decide to grind your beans from now on, you first face the choice of the right coffee grinder. But which variant is the best?

Basically, we advise you to pay attention to the quality than the price when choosing a suitable coffee grinder. Because there are definitely differences in quality between the coffee grinders.

Nevertheless-hand coffee mills are generally cheaper than electric coffee and also a bit more authentic and casual-they are also mostly equipped with a so-called grinder (more on that later). The hand coffee grinder is a classic that attracts us from our comfort zone and which brings a little relaxation into our fast-moving world.

The production of coffee powder is of course more powerful because the mills are driven over a crank. For small quantities of powder, high -quality hand mills are certainly a good solution, but with larger quantities the procedure is too difficult and time -consuming. Here electric coffee grinders are simply more practical than manual coffee grinders! With them it is done at a push of a button. With intensive use, you should also comply with the maximum operating time, because grinding coffee beans is also an exhausting matter for an electric mill.

Ultimately, we recommend that if you like to drink coffee, you should use the electric coffee grinder. The grinding by hand becomes very exhausting and time -consuming over time. Hand coffee mills are not worse, but it is much more uncomfortable than electrical coffee grinders.

Hand coffee mill-what to look for when buying a manual coffee grinder

Did you choose the classic hand coffee grinder? Then you should also make sure that you buy a high quality model. Because there are large differences in quality even with hand coffee mills.

You should pay attention to this when buying a hand coffee grinder:

Here, too, it is best to choose a grinder: the coffee beans are shredded particularly evenly.
The heat development must not be too strong even with a hand coffee grinder, otherwise heat-sensitive flavors will be lost.
Pay attention to the grindless adjustability so that you can adjust the degree of grinding individually.

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Lifestyle

Use Washing Machine or Hand Wash?

There is a washing machine in every household these days. Operating the washing machine is not difficult, but which laundry actually belongs in the washing machine? With the following tips and tricks, it will be easier to clean your clothes correctly in the washing machine or by hand in the future.

Do I still have to wash the laundry by hand?

Doing laundry wasn’t easy in the past. Because in the last centuries it was usual to clean the laundry by hand at any time. The housewives soaked their clothes in a large cauldron for 24 hours before they worked them by hand with various tools such as washboards. Since this washing process could take several days, people only put in a washing day every few weeks. Today we have high-tech devices that make life easier. This includes the washing machine. But not every piece of clothing is suitable for the washing machine.

1) When is hand washing of textiles necessary?

Although a washing machine is now standard equipment in a household, many people wash their textiles by hand. Even today there are some situations in which there is no way around handwashing. Consequently, you should also prefer hand washing in the following cases:

  • Silk and wool are delicate textiles. They can be damaged in the washing machine despite the appropriate washing programs. It is better to wash these textiles by hand.
  • Garments that rub off can in principle be washed in the washing machine – in individual wash cycles. However, this procedure consumes a lot of electricity and water and is time-consuming. It can therefore make more sense to hand wash textiles that stain.
  • A defective washing machine due to a move or other unplanned situations makes hand washing a suitable means again. If you don’t feel like laundry service, wash the laundry by hand in a water bath.

2) Observe care instructions and sort laundry accordingly

When washing clothes with the washing machine, it is customary to sort the laundry according to color and material beforehand. It is also important to pay attention to the care instructions for the clothing when washing the clothes. Because washing a garment wrong ruins the fabric and makes it unsightly. In the worst case, the clothes can no longer be worn after washing.

Consequently, it is advisable to find out about the explanation of various laundry symbols in order to avoid mistakes in the future. Furthermore, it makes sense to only wash identical fabrics together. White laundry, colored laundry, and special items of clothing made of fine fabrics such as wool or silk should be washed separately. And for some items of clothing, hand washing is explicitly indicated, especially here you should take the washing recommendation seriously. The symbol usually shows a hand reaching into a kind of tub.

3) Which detergents are suitable for handwashing?

Delicate items of clothing should only be soaked briefly before washing. Liquid detergent is preferable to powder detergent for washing by hand. Because the powder is anything but skin-friendly and makes your hands rough. As far as the detergent is concerned, special delicates or wool detergents are suitable for sensitive textiles. Detergents for coloreds are more suitable for the clothes that go in the washing machine. Also, it doesn’t hurt to use rubber gloves when washing by hand to protect the skin from inflammation. You can also use this to make a mild detergent yourself.

4) Dry laundry after cycle or hand wash

The washed laundry – regardless of whether it comes from the washing machine or the water bath – can be dried in the air. The following applies to hand washing: It is best to wrap the textiles in a bath towel beforehand and let them lie flat to dry. If a dryer is used, only non-sensitive fabrics may go into the dryer. Either way, it’s important to flatten and hang up the finished laundry. If the laundry is left in the laundry basket or washing machine for a long time after washing, there will be musty smells in the washing machine and clothes. And it is then more difficult to iron the textiles. Therefore, note further tips on how to dry laundry properly. These help for perfectly dry laundry.

5) How can the washing machine be used in an energy-efficient manner?

Costs can be saved in the household by using the washing machine in an energy-efficient manner. In principle, it is worth fully loading the washing machine and setting the washing program gently. The material is preserved in the long term and you can save electricity with the washing machine. In this context, washing at low temperatures (30 or 40 degrees Celsius) has proven itself, whereby a detergent containing bleach can be used once a month to prevent biofilms from forming on the textiles. If infections occur in the household, it also makes sense to wash the textiles at high temperatures. This applies to non-sensitive textiles such as linen towels, nightgowns, pajamas, or hand and tea towels.

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Cooking Tips

Prepare Hand Filter Coffee: Here’s How

More and more people appreciate the original coffee taste of filter coffee. In particular, the hand filter method is more popular than ever. You can read everything about the preparation and its advantages here.

What is hand filter coffee?

If you want to prepare a coffee with the hand filter, you only need two utensils: the filter holder and a filter. In addition, of course, the appropriately ground coffee powder and hot water are required for the preparation. Hand filter coffee is characterized by a clear aroma and full-bodied taste. The difference between filter coffee and hand filter coffee is already evident in the name. While normal filter coffee is usually prepared in a machine and the brewing process runs automatically, with hand filter coffee the water is poured over the ground coffee by hand.

This is how you prepare the perfect hand filter coffee

The hand filter method is a little more complex than the automated brewing process with the coffee machine. It takes several manual steps and of course your time. But it’s worth it. We explain how to brew hand filter coffee correctly.

Ingredients needed for one liter:

60 grams of ground coffee with a medium degree of grinding
1 L of water with a temperature between 93 and 96 degrees

Step 1: grind beans

For the preparation with the hand filter, the beans should be ground to a medium degree of grinding. The coffee powder is perfect when it is a little finer than for the French Press, but not as fine as for an espresso. The ground coffee should be as fresh as possible so that the extraction process works optimally. In addition, the ground coffee loses more and more aromas the longer it has been roasted and ground. The reason for this is oxidation.

Step 2: Fold filter paper, insert and rinse

First fold the filter paper at the lower end. Why? It’s very simple: the filter fits exactly into the filter holder due to the buckling. So there is no slipping that could cause coffee powder to get into the drink. Then insert the paper filter into the hand filter. Before brewing, the filter should be rinsed once with boiling water to remove any flavors.

Step 3: Add ground coffee

Put the ground coffee into the filter. Pay attention to the crowd. For one liter of coffee you need about 60 grams of powder. For a cup with 250 ml you calculate with about 15 grams of coffee powder. How many spoons that is depends on the size of your spoon. Just weigh the amount and you have the perfect dosage of coffee spoon to ground coffee.

Step 4: Boil water and let coffee swell

Boil the water, ideally it should be between 93 and 96 degrees. There is a reason for this: the coffee beans contain oils. At the specified water temperature, these combine best and ensure an aromatic taste. In the first step, pour enough water onto the coffee powder until it is completely covered. Now the coffee begins to swell, which is also called “blooming”. This “pre-brewing,” where small bubbles appear, should last about 30 seconds.

Step 5: Top up with water

After about 30 seconds, slowly pour the remaining water into the filter in a circular motion. Gradually add more water to the filter until you have the desired amount in the jug. When pouring the water, make sure that the ground coffee is wetted and not the edge of the filter. This prevents the water from running past the powder. It should take a total of two to four minutes – depending on the amount of water – until you have poured the liquid completely over the ground coffee.

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health

12 Tips for Hand Care: Beautiful Hands at Last

Proper hand care is important to protect your hands. With simple tricks, you can avoid cracked and dry hands. Now use hand care home remedies for beautiful and well-groomed hands. Learn how olive oil and avocados care for your hands.

Soft and well-groomed hands are often a hallmark. And with a few simple tricks, you can ensure soft skin over the long term. Therefore, you should avoid certain mistakes in your hand care, such as using lukewarm water and pH-neutral soap.

That is why well-groomed and beautiful hands are important

Our hands are used every day and are very stressed. Well-groomed hands are also important in many professions. Because they make a good impression because they suggest that a well-groomed appearance is very important. Consequently, in some professions, well-groomed and beautiful hands can be seen as a calling card. This is why proper hand care is so important. And who doesn’t like beautiful hands?

The skin on our hands

The skin on the back of our hands is very thin and has only a few sebaceous glands and almost no fatty tissue. And the palms have no sebaceous glands at all. Therefore, they are less protected from degreasing or moisture loss. Our hands are therefore very sensitive, dry out quickly and age quickly. Frequent hand washing can remove additional moisture from our hands. In addition, external environmental influences such as cold, sun, and dry air put a strain on our hands.

Hand care tips for soft, well-groomed hands

Since you use your hands a lot and they have to endure a lot, you should pay attention to special hand care. This will prevent them from losing moisture or degreasing. And caring for your hands is not difficult at all. Also, note our useful tips and home remedies for dry hands.

1) Proper hand washing

Proper handwashing is crucial for hand care. That’s why you should never wash your hands too cold or too hot. Because it draws moisture from the skin. Consequently, it is recommended to use lukewarm water to clean hands. You should also use a pH-neutral soap. In addition, see our article on cleaning your hands with lemon or tips on making your own soap.

2) Choose a good hand cream

Since the hand often suffers from environmental influences or other work, effective hand care is required. And in the form of hand cream, you can ensure this. Because hand creams moisturize your skin. Consequently, cracks and drying out are prevented. But beware, not all hand creams are harmless. Therefore, it is better to use certified natural cosmetics and avoid the following ingredients in your cream. Also, note our tips for environmental protection in the household.

  • Environmentally harmful substances such as synthetic polymers (polyquaternium-10, polyacrylamide, etc.)
  • Mineral oil-based greases such as Paraffinum liquidum or Cera Microcristallina
  • Dubious fragrances, such as Lilial (“butylphenyl methylpropional”)
  • Questionable substances such as silicones, kinds of paraffin, or PEG

3) Protect your hands

Protect your hands when cleaning or gardening. You should also avoid excessive contact with water or chemical cleaning agents. Consequently, you avoid unnecessary dehydration of the skin and the development of cracks. Therefore, always use air-permeable gloves for such work. You can also read about natural home remedies for cleaning, such as the home remedy citric acid.

4) Take care of your nails

A well-groomed hand needs beautiful, well-groomed nails. Consequently, when applying cream, you should also apply the cream to your nails and the skin around them. There is also special nail cream that you can use. A balanced diet can also help to get beautiful nails. Because nails need vitamins and trace elements. Accordingly, eat more fruit, vegetables, or whole-grain products.

The best hand care home remedies

Not only the practical tips are beneficial for hand care. Home remedies can also help you care for your hands. And the good thing is: that the application of the hand care home remedy is quick and easy. You can take the following measures for effective hand care:

5) Hand bath for effective hand care

A tip for the soft and delicate skin on your hands is to use a hand bath to care for it. For this, you need a liter of lukewarm milk. Then add 5 tablespoons of olive oil and soak your hands in it for about 10 minutes. Afterward, your hands are nice and supple. In addition, note other healthy oils and their effect on your body.

6) Hand peeling with olive oil and salt

If you want to make your hands soft and supple, spoil them with a homemade hand scrub. There are several recipes for this, all of which are effective. For example, you can add a teaspoon of sugar when creaming your hands. Or make a hand scrub with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon salt. Then mix it well and massage it into the skin in circular motions. Also, note our other recipes and instructions for peelings.

7) Olive oil for soft skin

As you may have noticed, olive oil is a real miracle product. Because it is rich in antioxidants and ensures soft skin. As a result, you can massage your hands with it before bed and leave it on overnight. Or use one of the other numerous ways in which you use olive oil as an additive. In this way, you contribute to the regeneration of your skin.

8) Coconut oil hand care against dry hands

You can use the miracle cure coconut oil very well for your hand care. And so you can do your hand care yourself quickly and easily. The coconut oil has a moisturizing effect and is a good tip against dry skin. Accordingly, you can apply it to your skin several times a day and massage it for a few minutes.

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Cooking Tips

Froth Milk: With a Hand Blender, Without a Frother and Other Variants

Whether on coffee, cocoa or chai latte: frothed milk is part of it. Here you can find out which methods you can use to froth milk.

There are countless ways you can froth milk – from whisks to fully automatic milk frothers. The reason why you can whip the milk at all is mainly due to the natural protein content in milk. It is around three and a half percent. However, how good the froth is depends on the temperature of the milk: about 60 to 70 degrees is ideal, but you can also produce milk froth from cold milk.

Finally, the waiting time also has an effect on the milk froth: it is creamy immediately after frothing, a little later some of the milk becomes liquid again and solid, coarse-pored froth settles on top. Depending on how you like the milk best, you can use it straight away or wait a moment before mixing it with your drink.

Frothing milk – with which accessories?

There are different types of milk frothers on the market. You will find electric or mechanical hand milk frothers, fully automatic devices or cups with a movable sieve insert. But you can also use some household items to froth milk.

Froth milk with a hand blender

Almost everyone has a hand blender in their house. Have you ever used it to whip creamy soup? You can also use it to froth milk.

Since the milk squirts quickly, you should pour it into a tall, narrow container.
Note that the volume of the milk can almost double when frothed. Fill the container only half full with milk.
You can either froth the milk cold or warm it up beforehand on the stove or in the microwave. If it’s steaming but not yet boiling, it’s at a good temperature.

Froth milk by shaking

You can get by without electricity if you fill the milk in a screw-top glass and shake it vigorously for 30 to 60 seconds. Again, you should not fill the glass more than half full. Accordingly, this method is more suitable if you only want to froth a small amount of milk. If you want to heat the milk in the glass before or after frothing it in the microwave, the glass must be microwaveable.

Froth milk with a whisk or hand milk frother

Frothing milk with a whisk takes some strength and practice. You’ll get better and easier frothed milk if you use a hand-held milk frother instead. There are both electrically operated and mechanical variants. You can buy them for just a few euros, but they sometimes differ greatly in the quality of the milk froth. You can froth both small and large amounts of milk.

Mechanical milk frother for the stove

From around 15 euros you can get milk frothers made of glass or stainless steel. They usually come with strainers that you slide up and down to create foam. With a little practice you will get very good milk froth in this way.

Depending on the capacity of the vessel, you can froth different amounts of milk. A disadvantage is that most stovetops have a larger diameter than the milk frother and therefore some of the energy is lost during heating. You can also froth the milk cold or heat it up in a saucepan and then decant it. When buying such a milk frother, you should make sure that the sieve insert can be cleaned easily

Warm up and froth milk with an electric milk frother

Electric milk frothers are the most convenient option: they not only froth the milk, but also heat it to the right temperature. This works either by induction or by a concealed heating coil at the bottom of the vessel.

Stiftung Warentest tested milk frothers in 2017 and found that most electric milk frothers produce much better froth than you can with a hand blender or hand-held milk frother. However, the test also showed that really good devices are comparatively expensive at at least 50 euros.

From an environmental point of view, it is difficult to say whether electric milk frothers have a higher consumption than heating milk on the stove or in the microwave. There are milk frothers that consume more or less. However, electric milk frothers are more resource-intensive to produce than, for example, a screw-top glass. So before you buy it, you should think twice about whether you will really use the milk frother on a regular basis.

Which milk is the best to froth?

When shopping in the supermarket you will find a large variety of animal milks and plant-based milk alternatives. Since the latter usually have a lower protein content than cow’s milk, they do not froth as well. Of the plant-based milk alternatives, soy milk is the best for frothing.

In the meantime, however, you can also find oat milk in stores that has been enriched with proteins so that it foams better. However, it is cheaper if you make your own plant-based milk with a suitable protein content.

In principle, the fat content of the milk is irrelevant for frothing. However, the fat makes the foam creamier and also serves as a flavor carrier. The same applies to the degree of freshness of the milk: You can froth both long-life milk and fresh milk, but you will get the better taste result with the latter.

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