Monthly Archives: November 2021

Useful tips for patching a bike tire

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  • Most patching kits will come with a sandpaper or a file. The purpose of this is to make the texture rough near the puncture (but don’t wear it totally away, this is to create a surface that will grip better).
  • Make sure the solven you apply is over an area larger than your patch.
  • After applying the solven be patient and allow the solven to work. 10 minutes is a good amount of time for this (the solvent melts the surrounding rubber, when done not that the solven should not look wet).
  • When applying the patch to the tire try to not touch the underside making contact to the tire (if you do, don’t panic, but try not to in order to give the patch the best chance to take).
  • Use an object (not your hand) to press down on all sections of the patch to ensure the patch is adhesion is evenly taking place over the entirety of the patch. A paint roller or baking roller is a nice tool for this (although note not to get solvent on a baking roller you intend to use for cooking).
  • When done, inflate the tube to around 5 PSI which will allow you to peel the plastic backing off (again be patient).

It would be wise to let the tire sit for a few hours to ensure it holds air before taking it on any lengthy excursions if you have that opportunity.

How do I clean shoelaces?

cleaning

The easiest way is to put them in the clothes washer.  To prevent damage to the laces you can put them in a mesh bag which will somewhat protect them from machinery (as you can do with anything including delicate items like children’s stuffed animals).

For disinfecting you can soak them in bleach for 5-10 minutes or vinegar for 60 minutes before washing.  However note, if you choose to soak them in bleach you should wash them seperately from colored items (or include them in your whites cycle in case any of the bleach bleeds onto the other clothing items).

My child is covered in magic marker, how do I get it off?

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Question: My child has covered themselves in permanent marker, how do I safely remove it from their skin?

Answer: Generally rubbing alcohol on a clean cloth or paper towel will work. The biggest downside to this is that it may dry the skin out if over used. Also, if there are any cracks on the skin it will cause stinging but no cuts there should be no pain. Further, a 2nd cleaning with soap and water can add to the effectiveness. If drying or irritation occurs afterwards use a hypoallergenic lotion to help remoisturize the skin.

Poor sound quality on JBL E40BT headphones in Windows 11

windows, windows 11

Symptom:

On Windows 11 the sound quality on my bluetooth headphones has degraded quality.

Fix

Bluetooth headphones that come with both a mic and headphones sometimes load a profile that have both the mic and the headphones turned on. In some scenarios this can degrade sound quality. If you are just using your headphones for listening you can turn off the mic. On Windows 10 you would see two bluetooth profiles for the headphones, one with a mic and one without. On Windows 11 you need to go to Sound Settings -> Manage Sound Devices and change the Input to a different microsphone

. Upon doing the quality of the sound from the headphones output will return to a higher quality output. You can also reach this menu by click the sound icon in the notification area, then clicking the right arrow, then clicking More volume settings.