Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Clean your house frequently. Keep any loose food in airtight containers. Seal any entryways into your home so mice can't get in. Spray entrances and problem areas with peppermint oil to deter the mice. Bring a cat in your home to scare the mice away.

Answer: After you eat or prepare a meal, be sure to do your dishes immediately and clean up after yourself. Don't leave any food scraps out overnight since mice may try to find food on your countertops. Go through your house daily to sweep or vacuum any dirty areas to help deter mice from coming in. Cleaning your house won't stop mice entirely, but it eliminates any food sources they may have had. Declutter your home since mice are usually attracted to dark, unused spaces. Make sure all grains, nuts, and other dry goods are stored in tightly sealed containers. If the container isn't sealable, use plastic wrap to cover it instead. This will help block the scent so mice can't smell it as well and protects your food. Transfer open food from boxes or bags into a different container so mice can't smell them. Don't leave bread or fruit sitting out on the counter for more than a day or two. Either put them in a container or in your refrigerator. Clean your pantry and cabinets often. Make sure crumbs, dried juice, and other stray bits of food don't sit on your kitchen floor. Remain vigilant and observe any signs of pantry raiding by the pesky critter, then provision to eliminate the opportunity for the mouse family to dine. Look for holes inside and outside your home where mice may enter from. Cover any cracks or holes you find in your walls with 14in (0.64cm) mesh so mice can't get through it. Make sure entrances from your chimney or pipes leading outside are also covered with the mesh. You can also stuff any holes you find with steel wool since mice can't chew through it. Make sure the gap under your door isn't providing a convenient entrance for mice. Mix 2tsp (9.9ml) of peppermint oil and 1c (240ml) of water in a spray bottle. Spray along the pathways and areas where you've noticed mice actively going. The strong scent of the peppermint will deter the mice away from the area. Reapply the spray every few days so it stays fresh. You can also leave cotton balls soaked with peppermint oil along common mouse pathways for 1 week at a time. Cats are natural predators of mice, and just having one in your home can scare mice away. Let your house cat spend time in the room where mice are present so it can spread its scent. Mice will be able to sense a predator and avoid the area from now on. You can borrow a friend's cat for a few days to help scare the mice away. Mice may still hide in areas where the cat can't reach, such as an attic.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Vacuum out debris with a pond vacuum. Prepare holding tanks for pond creatures. Begin pumping water into a large container. Remove plants as the water level drops. Catch and remove fish when the water level drops. Scoop out plant matter. Scrub the pond liner with water. Return everything to the pond.

Answer: Pond vacuums may be found online or at home improvement stores. They have long handles and reach the bottom of the pond to remove decaying plant matter without removing water. If your pond is small or doesn't have much debris, all you will need to do is vacuum. Routine pond cleaning to remove plant matter should be done once a year in spring or fall. If you need to drain the water to reach sediment collecting on the bottom, you'll have to remove the fish and plants to avoid harming them. Set up enough tanks to hold all of them. Keep the tanks in a shady location. Fill them with pond water or, if the pond water is cloudy, tap water. Marginal plants, which live near the water's edge, can survive out of water but must be kept shaded, as with a tarp, and damp, as with a spray bottle or hose. Keep the water temperature consistent when transporting any fish so they don't go into shock. Utility pumps can be found at home improvement stores. Follow the owner's manual to install them near the water. Connect them by hose to a large container that will hold the pond water, such as a tub or tank. Make the tank as large as possible to hold fish and plants too, if you plan on using this as a holding tank. As water is removed from the pond, plants will be exposed. Save your plants by moving them to the holding tanks. Place aside decaying plant matter. Small pond creatures may leave the plant matter and return to the pond. This is a good opportunity to repot plants and divide others that have begun to take up too much space in the pond. Fish will also appear as you pump. Use a net to catch the ones you can reach and drop them into holding tanks. Once the water reaches a low level, the fish will have nowhere to go and can easily be scooped up in a net. Placing them in a shaded holding tank containing pond water prevents stress that harms the fish. Place leaf netting over the holding tanks to contain jumping fish such as koi. For ponds that can be managed by hand, the sludge at the bottom of the pond can be removed by sweeping with a broom and dust pan or shovel. Dispose of the waste in the trash. Larger ponds with dropping water levels due to sediment buildup may benefit from excavation and bulldozing by a professional. Dredging is an option for removing sediment without draining the water, but this requires heavy machinery and the sediment can break apart when moved. Use a scrub brush dipped in water to loosen any leftover sludge for removal. You may see carpet-like string algae covering the liner. This algae, as long as it is on the liner, protects against discolored water. The only time you should consider removing the algae on the liner is if you don't like the way it makes your pond look. Otherwise, remove strands on the walls or water's surface. Don't use chemicals to attack algae, since this harms fish. Blast algae off rocks using a hose and pick up the string variety by hand or with a pole. Gradually pump water back into the pond, placing plants as you go. When you are finished, let the fish back into the water. For cloudy pond water you wish to replace, use rainwater if possible or dechlorinated tap water. Rainwater can be collected by placing barrels under roof downspouts and wherever else you can find runoff. Tap water used in the pond will be too cold for the fish, so before you release the fish, remove some water from the holding tank and replace it with some of the new water. Do this several times.

Problem: Write an article based on this summary: Fill a tub halfway with tepid water. Add a mild detergent to the water. Run your hands through the water. Submerge the blanket completely in the water. Pour fresh water into the tub. Remove the excess water. Dry the blanket.

Answer:
This can be a clean bathtub or large laundry basin. Make sure it is big enough for your blanket and required volume of water. Don't fill up the tub too much. You will want room to be able to move the blanket in the tub without spilling water over the tub. Have the tub at an appropriate height if you have trouble bending over. Avoid leaning over a tub if the blanket will be too heavy for you to lift when wet. Avoid harsh chemicals which can damage the fibers of the fabric and cotton filling. This includes bleach or other whitening agents. Gentle detergents and thoroughly rinsing your blankets and covers keeps the fabric soft and comfortable on your skin. Use an amount of detergent suitable for the size of your blanket. Between half to a full single cupful (the cup of your detergent container) should be adequate. Use a sloshing motion to activate the detergent in the water, making it frothy. This evenly spreads the detergent throughout the tub, giving your blanket even soap coverage when washing it. Push the blanket into the water to completely cover it in the soapy water. Use your hands to gently knead the blanket in sections so you know where you have cleaned. Leave the blanket in the tub and drain the water from the tub. Once the original soapy water has drained, add clean water and rinse the blanket. Do this repeatedly until there is no soap residue left on the blanket. Swishing the blanket through the clean water will help dispel the soap from your blanket. You will know if the soap has been removed when the rinsing water runs clear. Squeeze out the excess water from the blanket by rolling it tightly. You don't need to wring it out. Do this repeatedly until most of the water has been dispelled. You can roll or fold the blanket and press on it to squeeze out the water. You will not be able to get all the water from the blanket, which is normal. Wringing out your blanket could misshape or redistribute its weight, so squeezing is the best option. Lay it out in the sun or over a banister. Shake it out every 30 minutes to shake out excess water and redistribute the weight. These blankets are designed to provide additional levels of comfort via evenly distributed weight and gentle pressure, so keep them as even as possible.