Q: look in basements, in the trunk of their cars, under beds, on top of shelves. Parents are usually busy and may not have time to hide presents well. They may have bought you tickets to a show you really wanted to go to, or bought you a voucher for a shop you really love. Think about what you want. If you want a car, it will be big, but if you want to go to have your ears pierced, they may just give you a card saying that's what you are going to do. Thinking about the size, shape, and even texture of your present can help you if your parents color-code their gift tags.    {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/4\/45\/94430-3.jpg\/v4-460px-94430-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/4\/45\/94430-3.jpg\/aid94430-v4-728px-94430-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} A classic maneuver. Arrange an exchange of information if you must-this is often the case with older siblings. If you are an only child, question cousins or other relatives. For this route, preparing an exchange of information or a bribe will probably be necessary, as they are probably less likely to want to help you snoop.    {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/6f\/Figure-Out-What-Your-Parents-Got-You-for-Christmas-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Figure-Out-What-Your-Parents-Got-You-for-Christmas-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/6f\/Figure-Out-What-Your-Parents-Got-You-for-Christmas-Step-5-Version-2.jpg\/aid94430-v4-728px-Figure-Out-What-Your-Parents-Got-You-for-Christmas-Step-5-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":"728","bigHeight":"546","licensing":"<div class=\"mw-parser-output\"><p>License: <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-sa\/3.0\/\">Creative Commons<\/a><br>\n<\/p><p><br \/>\n<\/p><\/div>"} They may have information about recent purchases. Did they most likely order your gifts online or did they store-buy? If online, check the order history on their online accounts. Amazon.com keeps lists of all of one's orders-a real jackpot. Most smart parents know what you're trying to do so be VERY sneaky! This is a huge clue, but is also easily hidden by parents.  That includes dogs, bikes, etc. While hard to get clues, try to find where your parents are stashing these gifts, like if your Mom stops at a neighbor's house after shopping. Usually they keep them there for awhile--for the opportunity to sneak it home or to a neighbor's house. You may be able to sneak a peek at the trunk when you go to the garage for some bogus reason. This requires some skill and is not for the untrained. If you do unwrap your gift, be sure the return it to its original state.   If it rattles, bingo, you've got a disc. It could be a DVD or a video game, especially if that's what you wanted. This is a good, non-invasive method. When you get home, feel the boxes wrapped up under the tree, feel the edges and for soft spots, if you know where all the creases of the box, you should know what present it is. Sometimes you could find conformation emails or even have your parents talking about it(ex. Have you bought (your name)'s Xbox yet?) For example, if they are thinking about getting you a DVD, they may ask you if your DVD player still works. If they are going to get you a TV, then they may ask you "Can you plug your [DVD player/Chromecast/whatever] into new TVs?". Similar clues are very easy to spot for more technical gifts that your parents don't understand as well as you do (but may be obvious for other gifts also), and while a clue like this is by no means a guarantee of the gift, it's usually a pretty good indicator of it.
A: Start with the obvious: Don't look just at the biggest present. Question siblings. Check bags for store receipts. If still stumped, think about your parents' shopping habits. If you have a friend owning something you requested (especially something your parents are unfamiliar with), they may call your friend's parents to ask them about it. Sometimes parents are just last minute shoppers-maybe they haven't gotten you anything yet (there's always Christmas Eve)! The hardest gifts are the ones your parents keep at your neighbor's house. Parents often leave presents in the car trunk. Though trickier, you can also peek at wrapped gifts. When they are out, check your parents' Internet history to see if they bought or looked at what you asked for. If you have sheds at your house, or you live on a farm, it is possible that gifts will be hidden there. Take a DVD box and compare to gifts of similar size. Feel the boxes of the presents you want, make sure you feel all the soft spots and where exactly they were. If you know how to enter your parent's email/texts do so. Listen out for subtle slip ups your parents might make that could give away the secret.

Q: Get a rag or soft cloth damp with warm water. Use the damp rag or cloth to wipe down the cork. Try to loosen any dirt while you wet the cork. Wash your cork directly under the faucet tap. Do this for cork that you are prepared to get fully wet, like a fishing rod grip. Don't leave standing water on cork floors. Also don't submerge shoes with cork uppers or heels under water. This could ruin any leather or suede on the shoes. Use a damp sponge, gently scrub a soapy cleaning solution into your cork. Rub in circles and clean the entire surface. Rinse the cleaning solution off of the cork. Finally, dry it with a clean, soft rag or allow the cork to air dry overnight before using. Clean smaller cork items with mild detergent and water, the vinegar, soap, and water cleaning solution above, or store-bought cleaners. Make a paste with Borax to remove tough, ground-in dirt. Combine water with Borax in a shallow bowl. Start with about ¼ cup (60 mL) Borax and add just enough drops of water to make a thick paste.
A:
Wipe away dirt with water. Put your cork under running water. Wash other kinds of cork with a cleaning solution. Make a paste with Borax.