Rinse it under cold water, scrubbing with your fingers until any loose dirt hiding in the crevices comes free. Washing the fruit will ensure that any chemicals or germs that may have been on it are removed and it is safe to consume. Using a cutting board is better than cutting the fruit on your counter, since it will prevent you from scratching up your countertop. Either a plastic or wooden cutting board will work well. Be sure that you are careful while using the knife so as to avoid accidentally cutting yourself. Clean the knife prior to use with hot water and soap.

Summary: Wash the fruit. Use a cutting board. Obtain a sharp knife.

Holding the glass by the bulb will heat up the wine and distort the flavor. The reason for the stem is to prevent adding excess heat, so hold the glass lightly by the thin stem. Wine needs to "breathe," or rest in exposed air, after being opened to get the best flavor, so take your time examining the wine before starting to drink. This is a good time to catch a preliminary sniff of the wine so you can compare its fragrance after swirling. This will also allow you to check for any off odors that might indicate spoiled (corked) wine or some other biological or chemical imperfection, which will smell stale or rotten. Smells to note include: A musty, wet, attic-like smell means the wine was improperly bottled and cannot be salvaged. The smell of burnt matches is a product of bottling, but it should fade after exposure to air. Nail polish or vinegar-esque smells are indicative of a wine that is too acidic. Brettanomyces, or "Brett," causes a yeasty smell that is natural in red wines. Too much of this yeast smell can, however, ruin the other flavors of the wine and point to a mistake in the wine-making process. Tilting the glass can make it easier to see the way the color changes from the center to the edges. Hold the glass in front of a white background, such as a napkin, tablecloth, or sheet of paper, to make out the wine's true color. For the wine professional, this is the first clue to how old the wine may be and how well it is holding up. Look for the color and clarity of the wine. Intensity, depth, and saturation of color are not necessarily consistent with quality. The wine should not be murky or cloudy in color. White wines get naturally darker with age, but should not be brown. Red wines tend to lose their color with time, turning brownish, and have a small amount of harmless, dark red sediment in the bottom of the bottle or glass. Sediment formation, which looks like dirt at the bottom of the glass, is a naturally occurring process in which polymerization causes the precipitation of colloids of pigmentation, among other things, to fall out of solution and form small grainy sediment. Long story short: this is not a fault in the wine, it is a natural part of winemaking. This is to increase the surface area of the wine by spreading it over the inside of the glass, allowing the aromas to escape from solution and reach your nose. It also allows some oxygen into the wine, which will help its aromas open up. Lightly twirl the stem of the glass, keeping the bottom of the glass on the table if you are worried about spilling. Viscosity is how quickly the wine slides back down the glass. More viscous wines are said to have "legs," and are likely to be more alcoholic or contain more glycerol (for sweeter, dessert wines). Outside of looking pretty, this has no relation to a wine's quality, but more "legs" may indicate a full-bodied wine. Initially, you should hold the glass a few inches from your nose. Then let your nose dive 1/2 inch or so into the glass. What do you smell? Keep gently swirling your wine if you can't smell much -- swirling allows the evaporating alcohol to carry the aromatic molecules toward your olfactory sensors. If you don't think a wine smells good, it likely won't taste good. Great wine is enticing on the nose and gives you a hint of what is to come. Common scents include: Fruits: berries, cherries, and richer fruits for reds and citrus for whites. Floral or herb scents in whites and lighter reds, like Rhone region reds. Earthy scents, like soils, minerals, or rocks, are possible in nicer whites. Spices and unique smells like vanilla, toast, pepper, chocolate, and coffee come from the wooden barrels used to age the wine, usually oak. Older wines often have nuanced, subtle smells that are hard to place, so don't worry if you can't pick out a smell.

Summary: Fill a quarter of the glass with wine and hold the glass by the stem. Take a small sniff of the wine right after opening. Look at the edges of the wine and note the colors. Know that red wines have natural sediment at the bottom. Swirl the wine in your glass. Sniff the wine.

Fill the sitz bath with warm water and place it over the toilet. This will allow you to sit and soak just your genital area. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of epsom salts in the water and stir the mixture till the salts dissolve. Sit on the bath for 10 to 20 minutes, twice a day. You should do sitz baths three or four days or till the cyst improves. You can buy a sitz bath at a pharmacy or medical supply store. If you don't have a sitz bath, you could also just run a few inches of water in your bathtub. More research is needed, but ACV can be used to try to reduce the size and swelling of vaginal cysts. Either run a sitz bath and add 1 cup of ACV or you can soak a cotton ball or swab with ACV. Apply the soaked cotton ball or swab directly to the cyst and hold it there for 30 minutes twice a day until you notice swelling reduce. While ACV is a popular home remedy, scientists caution against relying on vinegar as a medicinal treatment. Fill a hot water bottle with hot water and wrap it in a clean towel. Place this against the cyst to provide some pain relief. You might also try applying a heat pack, so long as you keep another cloth between the pack and your skin. Take care not to burn the delicate tissue in the vaginal area. You can also dip a flannel or cotton cloth in hot water, wring the water out, and apply it directly against the cyst. Mix 1 to 2 tablespoons of aloe vera gel with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder. Stir until the mixture forms a paste. Use a cotton ball, tampon, or swab to apply the mixture to the cyst. Leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes once a day. Don't rinse or clean off the paste. Just let it run out naturally. You may want to wear a sanitary napkin so that the bright turmeric doesn't stain your clothing. Studies have shown that turmeric (curcumin) is an anti-inflammatory. This can reduce the irritation caused by vaginal cysts. Since it may take a few days for the cyst to clear up, you may want to take OTC pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen. If you feel severe pain that doesn't go away after taking OTC medications, contact your doctor. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding dosage and how often to take the medication. Never rub the cyst, even when cleaning or washing the area. Gentle soaks in the sitz bath or tub are enough to keep the area clean. You should never douche. Douching is unnecessary, can irritate the cyst, and is considered to be harmful to women's health in general. Since you'll want to avoid irritating the cyst, consider using a sanitary napkin instead of a tampon, if you're menstruating.
Summary: Soak in a sitz bath. Use an apple cider vinegar (ACV) soak. Use a warm compress. Apply an aloe vera mixture. Take over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers. Avoid irritating the cyst.