Problem: Article: Using hot water can cause the rubber in the balls to warp or melt. Use the same settings you would use for washing a normal load of clothing. Don't let the washing machine go through the spin cycle. Using the spin cycle on tennis balls can cause them to warp, and it can also cause damage to your washing machine. You can use your regular laundry detergent for washing tennis balls. You should use about the same amount you would if you were washing a small load of clothes. Once your tennis balls are clean, you can put them in the dryer on the lowest heat setting possible for about ten minutes. You can also allow them to air dry.
Summary: Set your washer's water temperature to cold. Don't use the spin cycle. Add laundry detergent. Dry them on a low heat setting.

Problem: Article: There are a few things to consider when selecting raw wood for your bow: Find a piece of dry and dead (but not gray or cracking) hardwood (such as oak, lemon tree, hickory, yew, black locust, teak, ash, juniper, or madrono) about 1.8 meters (about 6 feet) [or as tall as you may be] in length. The wood should be free of knots, twists or limbs, and it would be helpful if the branch is thick at its center. This piece of wood should be somewhat flexible, such as juniper or mulberry. You can even use a shaft of bamboo or cane but take care that it is not too thick. For that, you can use young bamboo which is strong as well as flexible. Green wood (living wood that you cut from a tree or sapling) can be used if absolutely necessary but should be avoided because it does not provide the same power as dry wood. Every piece of wood will have a natural curve, no matter how slight. As you construct the bow, this curve will determine where you place its main features. To find the curve, place your wood on the ground, with one hand holding it in place at the top. With your other hand, press lightly against its middle. It will swivel so that its natural belly faces you, and its back faces out. These parts are essential to the shaping process. To find the handhold, make marks three inches above and below the center point of the bow. Anything within these marks is the handhold, above them is the upper limb, and below is the lower limb. Place the bottom end of the bow on your foot, and one hand atop the bow. With your other hand, press outward, the belly facing you. Use this exercise to catalog where the bow is flexible and where it is not. Using a knife or similar tool, shave wood off the unyielding spots on the belly only, until both the upper and lower limbs curve similarly to each other. Check your progress frequently. When both limbs are more flexible and are mirror images of each other in curve and diameter, you are ready for the next step. You want the bow to be strongest (thickest) at the handhold. Be careful to only carve from the belly. An inordinate amount of pressure is exerted on the back of the bow, and even the slightest damage to its structure can promote breakage. Use your knife to cut notches that begin at the sides and curve around toward the belly of the bow and in toward the handhold as they go. There should be one on each side about 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) from each end of the bow. Remember not to cut into its back, and do not make the notches deep enough to compromise the strength of the tips. Make them just deep enough to hold the string in place. The string should not be stretchy, as the power comes from the wood, not the string. If you are stranded in the wilderness, it may be difficult to find a suitable string, and you may need to try a variety of materials before you find one that has the necessary strength. Some bowstring material possibilities are: rawhide thin nylon rope hemp cord fishing line strands of cotton or silk from caterpillars ordinary twine . You will need to tie a loose loop with a very secure knot at both ends of your bowstring before slipping it over the lower, and then upper, limb of your bow. Make your string slightly shorter than the length of your unflexed bow, so that both bow and string are taut. Hang it upside down by the handhold from a tree branch or something similar so that you can pull downward on the string. Pull downward slowly, checking to make sure that the limbs bend evenly and carving away wood as required, until you can pull it as far down as the distance between your hand and your jaw (arm fully extended out from shoulder).
Summary: Choose a long piece of wood for the bow. Determine the natural curve of the stick. Determine the handhold and limbs. Shape the bow. Cut notches to hold the bow string. Select a bow string. String the bow Tiller the bow.

Problem: Article: The vast majority of Styrofoam is produced because of packing purposes, padding and securing things for shipping. While it can be difficult to avoid receiving Styrofoam when you make a purchase, you can always cut down on your own use of Styrofoam when sending packages by avoiding the use of loose-fill packing "peanuts" and using other kinds of biodegradable packing materials. Use newspaper, or other recyclable plastic materials to pad your packages. If it's not super-breakable, there's probably no need for Styrofoam. Using corn and soy-based packing materials is becoming more and more common. If you work for a business that regularly sells things that require packing protection, consider making the alternative to biodegradable alternatives to Styrofoam. A company called Ecovative has recently developed a mushroom-based product that can be grown to fit any space, much like Styrofoam, but with completely biodegradable materials. It's just as lightweight and customizable as Styrofoam, but with none of the environmental impact. When you're making consumer purchases, try your best to only purchase things packaged in and made from post-consumer recycled materials. It can be difficult to know if something you buy will contain styrofoam included in the packing materials, but if you're buying with an eye for companies that make recycling and reusing a priority, you can be fairly certain that the packaging won't include any. Take-out boxes are tough to get rid of and almost impossible to recycle. If you're a foodie, get in the habit of avoiding those Styrofoam take-out boxes and instead asking for the kitchen to wrap up your leftovers in aluminum foil so you can take it home. You can also simply eat there if you have the time. The restaurant will likely use formal(kind of) plates, bowls, and other eating tools and containers, but if you don't have the time, use aluminum foil. If you make regular coffee-stops throughout your week, try to invest in a reusable coffee mug that you can travel with, instead of collecting "to-go" cups at home and not being able to easily recycle them. Egg cartons are the other big offender when it comes to non-recyclable Styrofoam materials. How best to approach these Styrofoam traps? Avoid them entirely. Only buy eggs from recycled paper cartons, or other recyclable materials. If you end up with lots of Styrofoam containers, you can reuse the cartons if you buy eggs in bulk, or donate egg cartons at the farmers' market, or to farmers with lots of chickens who'll need to hold their eggs.
Summary:
Use biodegradable packing materials. Purchase post-consumer recycled materials. Ask for aluminum foil at a restaurant, instead of a take-out box. Use a reusable coffee mug. Buy eggs in recycled paper cartons.