Problem: Article: Mulch is meant to act as a barrier for weeds and grass. You should pull any weeds or grass that grow out of the mulch bed throughout the year to prevent future growth. You can also use an herbicide, which is a chemical weed killer, around your tree to prevent grass and weeds from growing in your mulch. If you use an herbicide, make sure that it's safe to use around trees. Compacted mulch prevents oxygen from passing through and can starve your tree's roots. If you notice that the mulch has been compacted down due to rainfall or people walking over it, make sure to occasionally loosen it up by raking it. Make it a point to replenish the mulch around the tree once a year. This will prevent weeds, provide essential nutrients, and help with the tree's drainage.
Summary: Pull or kill weeds that grow out of the mulch. Rake the mulch occasionally to prevent it from getting packed down. Replenish the mulch once a year.

Problem: Article: It is best to use un-scented soap; this way, you can add your own fragrance to it. If you want to use fragranced soap, make sure that all scraps have the same smell, otherwise you might end up with an unfortunate-smelling combination. If you really want to combine different scents, make sure that they go well together, such as lemon and lavender. Avoid using soap with added moisturizer. This tends to make it harder to set up. How you do this is up to you. If you don't mind putting in a little bit of elbow grease, you can use a cheese grater. You can also use a blender or food processor; break the soap up into smaller pieces first, however. During this time, the soap water will thicken. If possible, give the soap water a stir every so often. Don't be alarmed if the soap starts to cloud up after a couple of hours. This is normal.
Summary: Gather 8 to 10 ounces (226.8 to 283.5 grams) of soap. Grate the soap into small flakes. Let the soap water sit off-heat for 12 to 24 hours.

Problem: Article: Policy briefs typically aren't read by experts in the field. Rather, your audience is likely people with a higher-than-average understanding of the topic who want to understand the effects a particular policy might have. For example, if you're writing for a nonprofit organization, your audience may be supporters of your organization. On the other hand, your audience may be government officials who are potentially antagonistic to your message. If you're writing your policy brief for a class assignment, ask your instructor to identify the audience for the policy brief, if this information isn't included in the information about the assignment. As with any research paper, your thesis statement will organize your writing. As short as a policy brief is, every paragraph should relate in some way to your thesis statement. Because of their nature, policy briefs typically don't include a lot of background information. Your thesis statement should be related to a present issue or situation. For advocacy briefs, your thesis statement will present a way to resolve the issue the brief discusses. The thesis statement for an objective brief will present the issue itself and describe the motivation for differing approaches to addressing the issue. Policy briefs are well-researched and well planned out. Every fact you mention in your brief should be supported by a reliable reference. Use reliable sources, preferably objective academic studies or government data and statistics. These will make your policy brief more reliable. Make sure the data and information you find is directly related to your thesis. With only a few hundred words, you don't have a lot of space to go into detail about studies in the field. A draft of your policy brief gives you something to work with in later stages of the writing process. At this point, don't worry too much about structure. You'll fit your draft into a neat frame later. Don't worry about length at this stage either. Write what you think you need to include. It's easier to remove pieces than it is to add. Once you have your working draft, go through it and make a note of the main point of each paragraph. Use your notes to create an outline, adjusting focus where necessary. With an outline, it will be easier to identify paragraphs that don't fit with the rest of your brief. Take a look at your reverse outline and move paragraphs around as necessary. Your narrative should flow logically from one paragraph to the next. Use transitions where necessary to make your brief a cohesive unit, rather than simply a collection of paragraphs or sections.
Summary: Identify your audience. Create a working thesis statement. Find the information you need to support your thesis. Write a working draft based on your thesis statement. Use a reverse outline to focus your draft.

Problem: Article: You can use just a brass lacquer polishing cloth. If desired, add a small amount of spray furniture wax. Avoid wash clothes, paper towels and any cleaning product not specifically made for brass instrument care. You can safely tighten loose rod screws, but be careful not to over-torque them. Specialty swabs, pad savers and bell brushes can be washed lightly by hand with a small amount of soap. Each should last years if cleaned regularly. It should look, feel, and play beautifully! When in doubt, consult a professional.
Summary:
Polish the body. Tighten loose screws. Clean your cleaners. Reassemble your saxophone.