Problem: Article: Pour the beans onto a large, flat baking sheet and spread them out until they're distributed across the entire surface. Sift through the beans by hand and pick out any foreign object you find. No amount of soaking will soften a rock! Since beans grow in the ground, it's not uncommon for them to contain small stones or other debris. Rocks will usually be easy to spot, as they're colorless and tend to be smaller than most kinds of beans. Transfer the beans to a colander and run them under a stream of cool water, tossing or stirring them by hand occasionally. A quick trip under the faucet will help wash away any traces of dirt that happen to be clinging to the bean. Continue rinsing the beans until the water runs clear. Some cooks may choose to skip this step since soaking the beans also serves to wash them, but a preliminary rinse will result in a cleaner bean. Fill the pot until the beans are completely submergedthere should be about 12 inches (35cm) of water above the uppermost layer. Use cool or lukewarm water only, not cold. Unless you're preparing them in bulk, it will be easiest to soak all of your beans at once. Breaking them up into multiple batches can be quite time-consuming. Beans expand as they absorb moisture, so make sure you choose a container that's large enough to account for any changes in size. Cover the beans and let them sit for at least 8 hours. For extra soft beans, you can soak them for as long as 24 hours. The longer the soak, the more indigestible sugars will leach out of the beans. Softer types of beans like lentils and chickpeas may only need to spend a few hours in water, whereas hard-shelled varieties like black beans will benefit from a longer soak. If you're running out of countertop space, make room for the bowl or pot in the refrigerator. Once you're satisfied with the amount of soaking the beans have done, uncover them and pour out the water (you'll likely notice that it's turned a dingy color). Give the beans another quick rinse, then refill the pot with fresh water to begin cooking them. A traditional soak is useful for when you have plenty of time on your hands, or if you'd rather take care of your prep work in advance and save time putting together the finished meal. Never use the same water to cook as you did to soak. This will just reintroduce the same dirt and starchy byproducts back into the beans.
Summary: Check the beans for rocks. Rinse the beans. Place the beans in a large pot or bowl and add water. Soak the beans overnight. Drain and rinse the beans.

Problem: Article: Run water over the perfume stain on the silk or triacetate. Though silk and triacetate are not very absorbent materials, try to saturate the stained area with water. Water stops fresh stains from setting, and helps old stains separate from the fabric so that they can get removed. After flushing with water, drop on a few drops of glycerin and use your finger to gently dap the glycerin to cover the stained area. Glycerin helps to soften even old stains so that they can be removed. After you add the glycerin to the stain, run the fabric under water and rinse well, gently wiping over the stain with your finger. After rinsing, you should see that some or all of the perfume stain has been removed. If the glycerin didn't fully remove the stain, make a solution of white vinegar by using a one to one ratio of water and white vinegar. Then add a small amount of the solution to a cloth or sponge and blot at the stain, starting at the center of the stain and working out. If the glycerin and vinegar didn't work to remove the stain, add a couple of drops of denatured alcohol to a cheesecloth pad or to a sponge. Then use a patting motion to dab at the stain with the denatured alcohol. Denatured alcohol is poisonous when ingested, so be extremely careful when using it and store it out of reach of children. After you have removed the stain from your silk, flush the garment with water to remove any remnants of the cleaning agents you used. Then hang your silk garment out to dry.
Summary: Flush the stain with water. Add a couple drops of glycerin to the stain. Rinse the stain. Dab the stain with a vinegar solution. Dab the stain with denatured alcohol. Flush with water and dry the silk.

Problem: Article: For most people, it will probably be easiest to have the needle threader in your dominant hand. If you're right-handed, for instance, you'll hold the tool in your right hand, while left-handed sewers will use their left. You'll have much more coordination that way, which will allow you to focus on manipulating the small items you'll be working with. Make sure you're gripping the needle so that the eye is pointing upwards. Those with unsteady hands may find it helpful to stabilize the needle using a pincushion or piece of cork. The larger object will hold the needle in place while you're threading so that you won't have to. It may take a few attempts to get the two pieces lined up correctly. Push the threader until the needle rests in the shallow groove next to the base. This will keep it from accidentally slipping out. If you're having trouble getting the threader loop through, turn the needle slightly so you can see the opening a little better. You may need to push the threader gently to force it through the eye of a smaller-sized needle. The wire threader loop will give you a much larger target to aim at. Once you've got the thread inside, pull the loose end to continue feeding it through. Needle threaders take the imprecision out of threading by working in reverse. Instead of guiding the thread straight through, the threader allows you to anchor it in place, then pull the needle around it. Pull the loose end back on itself so that it runs alongside the length of the thread. Gather up both ends between the thumb and forefinger of your free hand. Be sure to create enough length to keep a secure grip on the folded thread. You'll load the threader the same way whether you want to work with single or double thread.
Summary:
Hold the threader in one hand and the needle in the other. Insert the wire threader loop through the eye of the needle. Guide the end of the thread through the threader loop. Double the thread over on itself.