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TikTok is inundated with cleaning hacksbut not all of them are tried and true. For example, a viral hack involves boiling your wooden spoons to keep them clean … but you really shouldn’t be bothered about it. This is why you shouldn’t boil your wooden spoons.

Why do people even cook their wooden spoons?

TikToker Bonnie McNamara posted a video showing that wooden spoons are dirty. On the page with the title Miss.Clean.With.Me, McNamara pours boiling water into a tall glass. Then she puts a wooden spoon in the jar and lets it sit, and immediately you can see the bubbles start forming. The glass is soon filled with cloudy water and leftover food.

We asked our Senior Health Editor, Beth Skwareckiwhen boiling wooden spoons are necessary. “From a food safety point of view, it is sufficient to wash with soap and water and let it dry,” she said. “And the same is true]for cutting boards.”

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All recipes seems to agree and states that wood “is naturally endowed with more antibacterial properties than any synthetic object, as trees have the innate ability to fight off infection, bacteria and mold, and wood retains these properties even after death.”

So what happens when you cook your wooden utensils?

We decided to test the theory with Lifehacker’s Senior Food Editor. Claire Lower. Claire used a spoon she’s had for years as her special pasta spoon (meaning it could trap a lot of tomato sauce and pasta particles in it). When the spoon was soaked, Lower noticed the same bubbles that were seen in the TikTok video. But that response is to a process called. traced back Nucleationwhere microscopic points of contact cause bubbles. In this case, the spoon with the hot water was the trigger. After leaving the spoon in for about 20 minutes, Lower noticed that the color of the water was turning brown, but there was no leftover food or debris floating around.

Photo: Claire Lower

Lower mentions that she smells a strong garlic aroma from the cup and less from the spoon, which leads her to believe that the process removed some of the long-lasting garlic odor from the spoon, but notes that this is not a proven method of cleaning up Wooden utensils is:

I wouldn’t recommend doing this often unless you have a very smelly spoon. Soaking wood in water is a big no. You will dry it out and it might crack. Much like a cast iron pan, you’ll want to build up a little fat there to protect the wood. It’s good! Simply wash with soapy water after each use and you will not get sick.

How to properly clean and treat a wooden spoon

The best way to wash your spoon with soap and water after each use, as Lower explained. Make sure you let the spoon air dry to avoid cracking. Also, never put wooden utensils in the dishwasher as this can wear out and crack your wooden utensils.

Next, you’ll want to treat the spoon with oil. All recipes recommend mineral oil or “walnut, tung or linseed oil”. If stubborn food debris builds up on your spoon, you can give it overnight Soak equal parts white vinegar and water to disinfect the spoon and effectively remove adhering residues.

Photo: Maridav (Shutterstock)

Lifting straps are a must have in the gym bag when performing serious deadlift or pull exercises. (And no, Belts don’t cheat if you know when to use them) but there are different types and it is important to match your straps for the type of lifting you are doing.

All three guys do the same job: They wrap around your wrists and around the barbell so you can lift things without tiring your grip. (Important: They’re called straps, not wrist wraps. Wrist wraps are a whole different thing. Try to avoid calling them “wrist straps” even though they technically go around your wrists; they’ll only add to the confusion.)

Lasso straps are the basic straps that work for most people

Lasso style straps are the cheapest, easiest, and the most likely to find when you go to a sports store and ask about straps. Here is a typical model, and you can see why they are called lasso style. You have a loop and you put the other end of the strap through the loop.

You put your wrist through the lasso piece and then wrap the rest around the bar. The important thing is that the loose part of the strap goes under the bar and wraps itself towards your fingers. That way, they’re not just duplicating what your fingers are already doing.

These straps will help you hold the bar in almost any normal fitness exercise: deadlifting, rowing, even curls, if your grip gets tired after a million repetitions. Their only downside is that they may not be good enough for extremely heavy lifting operations. At this point, you should grab a pair of eights.

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Figure 8 are for when the shit gets really heavy

When you compete in strongman, you’ll want a number of eights. These straps are exactly what the name suggests: a piece of fabric in the shape of an eight. You run your wrist through one half, run the strap under the bar, and then run your wrist (same wrist) through the other half. Once the thumb is in position, the fingers can virtually go on vacation. (Cerberus, who is doing mine, has a video on it their product page where powerlifters and strongman Benedikt Magnússon shows you exactly how to use them.)

You will know you need eights when you lift with lasso straps and they start to unroll on you. This happened to me a long time ago when my best deadlift was around 250 pounds and I was doing high rack pulls with 315. My lasso straps just couldn’t keep up. I bought eight and ended up pulling a whopping 395 pounds competing with them. (It was an 18 “strongman deadlift; powerlifting doesn’t allow straps-in, but strongman does sometimes.)

The minimalist option for weight lifting straps

There is another common type: Olympic weight lifting straps. These are shorter than lasso straps and are simply a piece of webbing sewn together at one end. You put your wrist in the loop and wrap the rest around the bar like a lasso.

The advantage here is that you can share them quickly. Olympic lifters, who enjoy dropping barbells and often suddenly have to drop barbells, use them for deadlifting and pulling, and the occasional snatch. (It is not considered safe to use for cleaningas you may get in a position where you cannot share them.)

If you are into Olympic weightlifting, this is what you should be doing. If your doing strongman or just want the safest hold, you should be eight. And if all of that confuses you, just grab a pair of lasso straps and you’ll be fine.

Photo: Shutterstock (Shutterstock)

Aside from golden beaches, friendly people and adorable kangaroos, Australia has vibrant cities, ancient rainforests and sacred indigenous landmarks.

Visit the bustling metropolis of Sydney with its Taronga Zoo, the Royal Botanic Gardens, gourmet cuisine and the legendary Opera House. Travel along the Great Ocean Road for views of the mountains and coastline, including the impressive limestone formations that inhabit the sea known as the Twelve Apostles. Take a hike through the world’s oldest rainforest, the Daintree, which has survived uninterruptedly for 180 million years. (That’s 10 million years longer than the Amazon.) Watch the colors change at Uluru or Ayer’s Rock, a massive sandstone rock formation in the Northern Territory that is sacred to the indigenous people.

Water lovers can’t miss snorkeling and diving along one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Great Barrier Reef. And for partiers, head to the Gold Coast for surfing, theme parks, and Vegas-style good times after dark.

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As part of what is called Great Resignation, 95% of employees are considering quitting their jobswith a third citing burnout as the main factor, according to a recent survey. If this describes you, then you should come up with a financial plan before you leave the ship, especially if you are not leaving for another job. Here’s a look at a few must-dos if you want to quit without another gig waiting for you.

Look for alternatives to actually quitting your job

For financial security reasons, ask yourself if you need to stop at all. In most states You are unlikely to be eligible for unemployment benefits if you voluntarily quit, unless it is for a “good cause” such as unsafe working conditions or to accept a permanent job offer that later fails. Also, quitting gives you less flexibility in finding a more desirable job as you race against the clock to mitigate dwindling savings.

If you feel that you are not holding up in your current work conditions, talk to your boss about what you can do to shift or reduce your workload – the worst he can do is say no and if he does you really as an employee, they may be ready to do anything to keep you. And if you stay employed, your job search can take as long as you need, so you can jump in when the right job comes up.

Make sure that your debts are manageable

Consider quitting your job until you have paid off any high-interest debt from credit card balances or other loans, especially if there is a chance that you will miss a payment once regular paychecks run out. Otherwise, you should take stock of your expenses and see how you can maintain your debt payments while you are unemployed. With your student debts, you now have more leeway, as the payment and interest moratorium has been extended until January 31, 2022.

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Have six months’ worth of living expenses in the bank (if you can)

While it’s a big job, financial planners generally recommend taking at least six months of accounting for expenses (rent, car, insurance – everything) before quitting a job, if not more. Of course the job market is thirsting for employees, but you should also plan for uncertainty. Many people leave their job with a plan to get a new job right away, but that doesn’t always happen even if you have relevant, in-demand experience.

Reduce your fixed costs

Just because you’ve saved money doesn’t mean you want to spend it, too. Try to stretch every dollar by rethinking your expenses and reducing monthly expenses. For example, could you save rent if you live with your parents? Do you really need more than one streaming TV service? Since you have no income, keep spending to a minimum.

Don’t let your insurance expire if you can avoid it

Life, health and disability insurance are often part of an employer’s benefit package, and if you give up your coverage when you quit you should already have a plan for how you are going to do it close the gap between insurance periods while you are looking for a new job. Also, avoid the temptation to trim or delete others Must-have insurancesuch as B. a rental deposit or car insurance (unless you no longer need a car). For health insurance, consider at least enrolling in a cheaper Bronze Obamacare plan to protect yourself from inflated healthcare costs that can ruin your finances in the event of a disaster.

Plan to transfer your 401K (if you have one)

It can be tempting to cash out your 401 (k) when you quit a job, but doing so comes with immediate penalties and severely limits your ability to save for retirement. Consider keeping your existing 401 (k) with your current employer (if it contains more than $ 5,000) until you get a new job. You can then submit an application Direct transfer your new employer’s 401 (k) plan. If the new employer doesn’t offer a 401 (k) or you’re starting a new business, this should be considered Transfer your existing 401 (k) to an individual retirement account (IRA).