Article: A traditional strop is made of leather, but an old pair of jeans will work almost as well. You should use old jeans as opposed to new jeans or jeans you wear regularly. You'll be using the cloth to rejuvenate the blades on your safety razor, but doing this could cause the fabric of your jeans to fray or deteriorate over time. Use old jeans so you don't do damage to a good pair of jeans! A table or the counter top of your bathroom sink should be suitable as a sharpening surface. Clear the area first; an uneven surface could negatively impact your sharpening, and clutter might obstruct your sharpening motion. You should also make sure the area is dry when using this sharpening technique. For the best results, you'll want to sharpen your blade when it's dry. This can be done in a cup of warm, soapy water. Dish soap should work well for busting up any razor gunk that's accumulated on your blades. For best results, you may want to allow your razor to soak for 15 to 30 minutes, swirling your razor in the water occasionally. You might also use a specifically formulated razor blade cleaning solution. These are designed to work especially well on skin and hair buildup. Explore the shaving section of your local pharmacy or online vendors to find a razor blade cleaning solution. You can remove much of the excess moisture from your razor by holding it firmly and shaking it into the basin of your sink. Then, to ensure the blade is completely dry, you should use a cloth to wipe away remaining moisture. Do this by running your razor along the cloth with a motion that follows the direction of the blades. To prevent fuzz or lint from building up, you might consider using a lint-free or microfiber cloth to dry your razor. You'll want to do this with the direction of the blades and not against the blades. Do this about approximately 20 times in one direction with short, quick strokes. This process, called stropping, will remove burrs and irregularities from your blades, honing your razor's edge.  To evenly and completely strop your blades, you'll want perform the same motion in the opposite direction (on the same section of denim) as well. Switch directions and run the blade along the jean fabric around 20 times in the same fashion you did previously.  Use light pressure when stropping. Pressing too hard can actually cause damage to the edge of your blade. Be careful while doing this; you don't want to cut yourself while sharpening! Use moderate pressure and run the blades of your razor along the straight part of the top of your forearm with the direction of the blades and not against. Use quick, short strokes, and perform this motion about 10 - 15 times.  Your arm is very similar to an old fashioned leather strop, which is a piece of leather used for sharpening blades. In the same way a strop sharpens a blade, so should your arm.  Since you are running your razor with the blades and not against, your safety razor shouldn't cut the hair on your forearm. Be careful not to slip and run the blade side-to-side, as this could result in you cutting yourself. Especially dull blades might require more strokes for best results. With the same motion you used for your first stropping, run your blades along the jeans with and not against the direction of the blades. Use light pressure and short, quick strokes for roughly 20 strokes, running your razor back and forth along the jeans, always in the same direction of the blades.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Gather a pair of old jeans for sharpening. Place your jeans on a flat, clear, sturdy surface. Clean your razor blade. Dry your razor completely. Run your razor along your jeans. Run your razor along your forearm for jeans-less stropping. Strop your razor again for very dull blades.
Article: Place the tile along the wall. Follow the lines that you made before you put the mortar on the wall.  Rock the tile up and down slightly to help it move into place along the mortar. You may need to use a grout float to flatten the tile. You can purchase this simple tool in many home centers. You are going to have to cut extra tile pieces if there is space left between the top tile row and kitchen cabinets. You don’t want the tiles to sit directly on the countertop. Leave a small gap that you will caulk later. Use plastic tile spacers to create even grout lines by placing them in the corners of the tiles.. If you are left with a gap that is less than an inch, you might want to use moulding to hide it rather than trying to cut tile to fit. You will want to make sure the mortar or mastic and the tile are completely dry before doing anything further to the wall.  It can take as long as 24 hours for backsplash tile to dry, depending on the type of mortar or mastic you use and the temperature inside your home. You could use pre-sealer on natural stone. This will help the stone avoid staining. Once dry, wipe the tiles clean with water. Use a soft cloth to do so. You want to clean the tiles in this manner before you move onto applying the grout. It’s time to complete the backsplash by applying grout to the tiles.  Many people use poly-blend sanded grout for kitchen backsplashes.  You can use caulk or silicone sealant to fill any expansion gaps between the tiles and counter or cabinets. Use a grout float to fill the joints. Push the grout at a 45-degree angle with the grout float. Scrape away extra grout when the joints are filled. Hold the gloat a a nearly 90-degree angle to scrape it off. Shape and firm up the grout by dragging in instrument across every joint. Use the edge of the grout float, a toothbrush handle end, or even a finger. Use a damp sponge to wipe away excess grout. Fill a bucket with the amount of water recommended on the grout packaging. Add the grout powder and mix together. Use unsanded grout if the gaps are less than 1/8 of an inch. Let the mixture stand for 5-10 minutes and then mix again.  Apply the grout with a grout float tool at a 45-degree angle, working diagonally and wiping off any excess grout.  Work in sections.  The grout goes in between the tile. This is the final step in creating a tile backsplash. You will want to seal the tile so that it doesn’t easily stain.  Wait until the grout dries completely. This can take over a day and sometimes as much as three days. Apply grout sealant. After the grout has dried, put sealant on the lines and joints. Some sealant comes in a spray-on bottle, and other sealant is applied with a sponge or brush. Start at an end tile, and spread a uniform coating of sealant over all of the grout, including in the corners. Wipe away any excess sealant with a rag. Let the sealant dry for about an hour, and apply a second coat. Let that dry. Put your appliances and cookware back on the counter. Turn the power in the kitchen back on.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Apply the tile. Dry and clean the tile. Apply grout and caulk around the tiles. Seal the tile.