Problem: Article: If you have access to a washing machine, you can use it to easily shrink a cap made from polyester or another synthetic. Load the cap into the washer by itself or with other clothes. Use a small amount of laundry detergent to clean the cap as you shrink it.  If you’re washing the cap by itself, make sure to set the washer to the smallest load setting so that the wash and rinse cycles don’t use too much water. Putting the cap in the washer with other clothes will cause pressure and friction to work on the cap, breaking it in better. Set the washer to a normal wash cycle using regular water heat. Synthetic materials like polyester shrink easily when exposed to heat, meaning a standard washing is often all that it takes to bring a garment down a half-size or so. Allow the hat to go through the complete wash cycle. If you only need to shrink a polyester cap a little bit, you can remove the cap from the washing machine after the initial wash cycle. For caps needing only minor sizing adjustments, a standard wash should do the trick. Put on the cap and let it air dry on your own crown for a customized fit. If the polyester shrunk a little too much due to the heat from the wash, wearing it as it dries can stretch it out to an optimal fit. Assuming the cap is considerably looser than you’d like it, you might follow up the wash with a run through a machine dryer. This will expose the cap to more intense heat to ensure shrinkage while also drying it much faster and more thoroughly. Put the cap through a timed drying cycle on medium heat. The constant heat of machine dryers is notoriously harsh on synthetic fabrics, so if you need to shrink a cap quite a bit, this may be the best way to go.  Washing and drying a synthetic cap regularly will most likely cause it to shrink quite a bit more than a gentle soak or hand wash. If the hat shrinks too much, try putting it on while it’s still somewhat damp. The fibers should stretch out as the cap becomes worn in. Keep an eye on the hat as it dries. Synthetic materials have been known to scorch if exposed to heat for too long.
Summary: Place the cap in the washer. Wash on regular heat. Let the hat dry on your head. Throw the cap in the dryer.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: When planning your book, you will want to think about how many characters you want to include. Do you want only the smallest number possible, to create a minimalistic, lonely feeling? Or do you want to include a vast wealth of characters which serve to create an elaborate world within your book? This is important, as you will need to plan your characters around each other to create balance. No one is good, great at everything, and without faults (the word for this in writing is a Mary-Sue and, trust us, no one will like her but you). Giving your character real struggles and faults will make them more realistic and help your readers to identify with the character. Remember: your readers have faults, so your characters should too. Your character’s faults will give you the space necessary to improve them over the course of the story. This is what makes a story good: your character undergoing challenges to make them better human beings in the end. This is what your audience wants to read about, as it helps them believe that they too can be better people at the end of their struggles. Once you’ve got a balanced character, get to know them. Think about how they would react in different situations (even if those situations would never be in your book). Think about what it takes to get them to reach different emotional points, what their hopes and dreams are, what makes them cry, who is most important to them and why. Knowing these things about your characters will let you better understand how they would act in the situations that you do put them in, leading to a more consistent, more realistic character. Once you are fairly far along into the character development process, you may want to stand back and evaluate your characters. Make sure that they are truly important to the plot. If they are not, you may want to consider cutting them. Having too many characters, especially characters which never distinguish themselves, can confuse readers and hurt your book.

SUMMARY: Choose the number of characters. Balance your characters. Get to know your characters. Evaluate your characters.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Baking soda is a mild abrasive that can scrub plaque and surface stains off of your teeth. You can apply it to your teeth as a whitener in a number of ways:  Dip a dampened toothbrush directly into powdered baking soda. Brush your teeth as you normally would, spit out the baking soda, and rinse your mouth with water. Make a paste of baking soda and water. Put some baking soda in a small container that you can close (to store the paste). Slowly stir water a few drops at a time into the baking soda until a smooth paste forms. Apply to your toothbrush, then brush and rinse your teeth as normal. Baking soda might irritate the tissues of your mouth. If you notice any inflammation or soreness, use this treatment less frequently. Baking soda combined with hydrogen peroxide makes a very effective teeth whitener. This treatment, however, should not be used frequently. Hydrogen peroxide can irritate the tissues of your mouth, and prolonged use may cause serious problems. To make this whitener:  Pour a teaspoon of baking soda into a bowl or small dish. Stir five to seven drops of hydrogen peroxide into the baking soda until a smooth paste forms. You can also add a drop of peppermint extract to improve the flavor of the mixture.  Apply to your toothbrush, then brush and rinse your teeth as normal. Be sure to spit out all of the peroxide—do not swallow it. Rinse your mouth well afterwards. Since the citric acid found in lemon juice is a natural bleaching agent, it can make a great whitening agent. You can make a paste by combining the two ingredients, and use it infrequently as a whitener.  Pour a teaspoon of baking soda into a bowl or small dish. Stir lemon juice a few drops at a time into the baking soda until a smooth paste is formed. Apply the paste to your teeth (using a finger is fine) and let it sit for two to three minutes. Rinse your teeth with water afterwards. Use this treatment no more than once a week, as citric acid can also damage the enamel of your teeth, and irritate the tissues of your mouth. Vinegar is acidic, like lemon, and so it can help to whiten your teeth, especially when combined with baking soda. A mixture of the two can be used as a paste to brush your teeth clean.  Pour a teaspoon of baking soda into a bowl or small dish. Stir vinegar a few drops at a time into the baking soda until a smooth paste is formed. Dip a dampened toothbrush in the paste and brush as normal. Rinse your mouth with water afterwards.
Summary:
Use baking soda directly on your teeth. Make a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide. Mix baking soda and lemon juice. Make a paste of baking soda and vinegar.