What makes a good effective teacher? Or, more specifically, what are the qualities of a good teacher? What are those subtle, and sometimes identifiable, characteristics that make up a great teacher? As a teacher, I know that teaching is a satisfying and incredibly rewarding career path for those people that do it well.

Although I’m not the overall best teacher, my passion and art of teaching are the secret weapons that make the vast majority of my students love me. The results: Well, you guessed it. My students are always the best and good things usually happen in my class.

Now, decades ago when I was a student myself, my understanding of what a good teacher really was, was definitely someone who provides a lot of classroom entertainment and gave little to no homework. However, after years of higher education and graduation as a professional teacher, not forgetting to evaluate hundreds of teachers, my perspective has changed.

With all the skills and experience that I’ve gathered over the years, I have learned that teaching is a concoction of hard work, desire, and passion. It’s when a teacher works tirelessly to create a challenging and nurturing environment for their students to make a better version of them. So, with that said, whether you’re a teacher in an elementary school or a university professor, here are 20 observable characteristics every effective teacher should possess.

Related Post: Quality of Students

20 Qualities of a Good Teacher: Every Effective Teacher Should Possess

1. Communication Skills

Effective and remarkable communication is one of the most critical tools any enthusiast professional should have in most intimate environments. It’s what cements a memorable relationship between you and the people around you.

When it comes to teaching, this skill becomes an integral part of professional teaching as it is what builds a strong teacher-student rapport. Not only to students (of all ages), but good communication skills enable a teacher to build a solid relationship between them and their colleagues, parents, and administrators.

Now, knowledge is one skill every teacher possesses. However, passing that knowledge to your students in the simplest form possible is what makes a quality teacher. You see, teachers with excellent communication skills can constructively express complex knowledge verbally, visually, by writing and through body movement to ensure that they convert the complex ideas into a simplified language that all students will understand.

Such teachers can notice a complex concept and be able to paraphrase it in a simpler language as well as identify those students who are still in the dark.

With such a skill, a teacher can also cover a particular curriculum in an organized manner. They’re also able to express their expectations quite easily when giving out homework in a way that every student will be able to meet the required expectations.

2. Good Listening Skills

When we were young, our grandma would tell us of a Turkish proverb that says“If Speaking is Silver, then Listening is Gold”. Now, an ordinary teacher teaches while the students listen. However, an extraordinary teacher spares some time to listen to how the students answer the various questions or even ask questions after a lesson.

By doing this, a teacher can evaluate his or her students by categorizing their various IQ levels. This way, you’re able to understand every student perfectly well, from those who are fast learners, intermediates to those that are slow learners.

Teachers who have mastered this patient quality understand pretty well how to paraphrase their ideas. They know what will work and what will not work for their students. They know what to employ during classwork and they know how to improve their communication to ensure that each student understands that particular concept the easiest way possible.

Through listening, teachers can create a conducive environment for their students as well as an extra room for improvement. After all, Aristotle was not wrong when he mentioned: “Those Who Know, Do, And Those Who Understand, Teach”.

3. Approachability

Approachability is definite to a friendly attitude both of which are important qualities of a good teacher. Now, it’s a teacher’s responsibility to be strict and to ensure that students follow the given rules to the latter. On the other hand, a teacher should not be too strict to the students to a point of creating a barrier between them and the students.

You see, students, especially those at the elementary level, are very sensitive and can develop a sense of fear if they’re scolded. This will make them view the teacher as an enemy thus make it extremely hard for them to approach their teachers in case of assistance.

So, to avoid this, a teacher should express a friendly approachable attitude to their students to boost their confidence and ease the tense environment around them. By doing this, a strong teacher-student bond will be created which will allow students to ask some of their most disturbing questions without fear of being scolded.

In some cases, this openness gets to the point of students sharing some of their painful and extremely stressful experiences that are the cause of their poor performances. So, by being friendly and approachable, a teacher can even end up being a psychological counselor and handle even more delicate matters outside education such as emotional and spiritual guidance.

4. Patience

In the world of teaching, patience is more of virtue and it’s among those factors that show a quality teacher. As a teacher, especially in the primary and secondary settings, understanding your students is very critical.

There are those students who will be focused and ever ready to learn and there are those students who will be indolent, immature, and low in the discipline. In the same class, there are those students who will be fast learners and those who will take time to comprehend what they’re taught.

Therefore, by putting this into consideration, a patient teacher will be able to adapt well to the various dynamics of teaching. By combining this factor with effective communication skills, you will manage to interact, communicate, and teach students in different learning environments.

Just to add to this, a teacher is a role model. Therefore, if you fail to be patient with your students, you’ll end up exposing your teaching shortcomings which can be frustrating at the end.

5. Well Organized

No matter how charming a teacher might be, lack of proper preparation and organization skills means that you’re next to being a failure. According to James Stronge’s book “Qualities of Effective Teachers”, spending extra hours outside of class organizing and preparing the necessary materials to use in your next subject matter is one quality of effective teaching.

But, what exactly is preparation and how can it impact your confidence when teaching a particular concept?

• Knowledge: The first factor is knowledge. Here, a teacher is required to be an expert in the specific field he/she is teaching. He/she must be able to understand the concept, the debates and the various processes of inquiry of that specific subject matter.
• Disposition: After having the right knowledge, a teacher must be able to understand the complex dynamics that revolve around the specific subject matter. He/she must, therefore, keep track and stay updated on any new ideas and concepts about the topics.
• Performance: Finally, a teacher should be creative enough to identify and use simple representations to explain the complex concepts in a simple language that will be easier for every student to comprehend and understand.

In addition to that, a well-prepared and organized teacher will organize lessons, plan for lectures, give assignments, and at the same time, manage to mark students’ work on time.

6. Doesn’t Show Favoritism

This is another critical factor that has managed to make its way in our list of good qualities of a teacher. Favoritism is one factor that can really lower the studying morale of a student while still ruining students’ confidence towards their teachers.

So, to prevent any of these issues, it’s paramount that teachers give students equal opportunities to particulate in various classwork activities.

This pointer should also apply to how teachers offer grades to their students. They should always be transparent when grading their students and even involve parents in school activities by giving them a chance to offer their honest and constructive criticism.

Just to add to this, a lack of favoritism builds a strong relationship based on trust between a teacher and the students. Although it isn’t emphasized in any teaching policies, gaining trust from your students allows them to open up even more to a point of sharing some of their most disturbing issues.

7. Respectful

Respect and maturity go hand in hand. It’s also two-way traffic that cements the relationship between teachers and their students. Respect doesn’t just apply to teach alone. It’s also a key quality in other professional fields of work that can greatly impact how you interact with your peers and workmates.

Back to class, respect is key when it comes to handling your students. When combined with patience and maturity, respect allows you to understand the various emotional vicissitudes of your students and offers a way on how to handle them.

For instance, a teacher is not supposed to threaten or mock his/her students. They’re also not supposed to bully or disrespect students in any way simply because they asked a question or failed to solve a complex mathematical concept.

By doing this, you’ll be damaging your students psychologically as well as ruining your reputation as a teacher which can damage your career.

Therefore, a teacher should be respectful towards his/her students to guarantee effective learning. Since you’re a role model, your students too will learn how to respect each other thus creating a conducive learning environment.

Finally, about respect, teachers should also learn how to respect the parents and their administrators. They should also praise the various institutions that have employed them to build a lasting relationship in their respective workplaces.

8. Knows Their Students Pretty Well

Having proper knowledge of your students is a rather wide topic that every enthusiastic teacher should adapt to. First, throughout the number of months you’ll spend with your students, a teacher should master student names and make an effort of knowing their students pretty well including their character traits.

On the other hand, a teacher should understand the various developmental stages of their students ranging from cognitive, social to emotional developments. By doing so, you’ll be able to handle your students differently depending on where they lie in the chart board.

You’ll also be able to track each student’s progression trajectory as well as differentiate fast learning students from those that are slow learners. For those regions that rely on the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), having the right knowledge of your learners will allow you to identify the individual abilities of your students which is very important during their developmental stages.

9. Enthusiasm

Another feature that makes up a quality teacher is enthusiasm or rather a great love for teaching. As a teacher myself, one of the factors that make me stand out as a quality teacher is my passion and desire to teach.

With a quest to renew myself, I often find myself learning new strategies that make me quite dynamic in handling students in various teaching environments. This strategy also helps teachers to inspire their students in various ways as well as know-how to prepare various course materials when teaching complex subjects.

For those teachers who incorporate various technologies in their lessons (for simplicity purposes), having the passion to teach allows you to learn new teaching strategies that make you more confident and resourceful to your students.

10. Sets High Expectations

According to the book “High Expectation Teaching”, the author Jon Saphier, mentions, “Praising low quality work only leads to low expectations”. In other words, a teacher’s expectations can really impact the overall achievement of a student.

The best educators always expect the best out of their students even after knowing that those expectations are quite challenging depending on the situation at hand. By setting realistic goals and ensuring that each student performs to their level best, a quality teacher knows that he/she will eventually achieve those expectations.

Fortunately, there are a few ways by which teachers can achieve their targets without putting too much pressure on both themselves and their students.

• Provide Feedback: One of those is providing skillful feedback to each of your students. With such feedback, you won’t necessarily specify whether the performance was great or not, but you’ll generally create a sense of self-correction and self-adjustment to your students.
• Reacting to Change in Performance: In case, you detect a U-turn in any of your students’ performance, notifying them about your future expectations in a calm way is among those ways you can show the qualities of a good teacher. You can use calm words such as “I know you’re capable of achieving higher” to boost the morale of your students without them feeling pressured.
• Don’tPraise Low Grades: You see, if you happen to praise low quality work, what you’ll get are low grades and expectations. Instead, hit the nail on the head by being honest with your students. This way, you’ll manage to push underperforming students (by encouraging them) to meet the required standards.

11. Role Model

According to the qualities of a good teacher essay, an effective teacher is one who leads by example. Apart from just teaching, a teacher should present him/herself in the right way so that the students can follow suit.

Such a teacher should influence students positively to ensure that they meet the required expectations. If it’s about punctuality, the teacher should attend classes early to motivate students to do the same. If it’s about discipline, a teacher should not tolerate any violation of set rules whatsoever.

Creating positive discipline in class such as wearing full uniform, observing cleanliness and completing assignments on time are all part of discipline skills each teacher should introduce to their students. So, by first following each of these set rules, then you become a role model to your students which will then help you to manage your class effectively.

12. Strong Work Ethics

This is another key quality of an effective teacher. As you all know, teaching is a tricky endeavor that involves dealing with students of all calibers. So, no matter how hard it might sound, teachers with strong working ethics will never quite but will rather work harder and harder to bring out the best from their students.

Such teachers are able to monitor their students’ behaviors in the classroom setting as well as avoid simple mistakes such as picking phone calls during class time, using disrespectful language towards the students and being unfair when it comes to grading students’ performance.

Since a teacher is also a leader and a role model, avoiding some of these mistakes will allow your students to follow suit and become more professional, responsible and prepared.

13. Practices Self-Reflection

Self-reflection and evaluation is another quality a good teacher should possess. According to a 2010 study regarding critical reflection, it declared that teachers should continually evaluate their practices, effectiveness, attitude, and accomplishments. By doing this, they can easily understand their strength and weakness as well as understand how their style of teaching impacts their students.

It also allows you to strategize yourself as well as incorporate new teaching styles which students will understand quicker. Self-reflection also enables you to accept past mistakes and blunders such as making poor decisions and judgments. So, how can you self-evaluate yourself?

• Peer Observation: This is a smart strategy that allows teachers and instructors to view and access each other’s teaching strategies. It provides a platform where teachers can discuss their observations by giving honest feedback and providing options for the different methodologies they can try out.
• Using a Journal: Another strategy that can really work is by using a journal as a tool. Here, you can record your daily learning experiences including the good and the bad things that happened. From there, you can revise the journal to identify what strengths and weaknesses came up and what needs to be adjusted.
• Recordings: This is by far one of the best ways by which you can capture the dynamics of your classroom activities. It allows you to capture all the daily classroom activities including those you didn’t notice to those you forgot.

14. Encourages Teamwork

In most workplaces, teamwork is an integral feature that defines their overall success. In class, a quality teacher can adopt a similar strategy to build a supportive and collaborative environment. As we mentioned earlier, an effective teacher should open up to their students to form a solid teacher-student relationship.

Applying the same principle here, a teacher can create a sense of community in a class by first connecting with the students to build a mutually respectful relationship. From there, the students will follow suit by respecting each other.

Finally, after building a community environment, a teacher can then introduce some rules to be followed and assign each student a role to play in class to make them feel involved and valued.

15. Instills Confidence

This is another key point that clearly demonstrates the professional qualities of a teacher. But first, before a teacher can instill confidence in their students, he/she must be confident enough when teaching. After all, how can you stand in front of a class to teach and answer their questions if you’re not confident?

So, once you’re confident, you can now go ahead to instill confidence in your students. Now, according to the book “50 Ways to Improve Students Behavior”, Todd Whitaker, an elementary level teacher highlights that lack of confidence is one of the greatest obstacles of any student’s performance.

He continues to mention that some of the reasons that lower most students’ level of confidence is when they realize that both their teachers and their parents don’t actually believe in them. This attitude is the main reason why most students suffer from severe academic problems.

With this in mind, a quality teacher will gather creative skills that they will use to instill confidence in their students. They can decide to set realistic goals together with the students, reassure them of how much they believe in them and finally, involve them in various classwork activities such as practical.

16. Sense of Humor

Now, this is not a quality really, but it’s more of an advantage to those teachers that have it. You see, a sense of humor comes out naturally and its either you have it or you don’t. however, to those teachers who are lucky enough to be humorous, teaching gets really fun as you’re able to catch the minds of your students by making the discussions more interesting.

Also, it allows you to pass a more complex concept in a simplified and funny way for every student to understand. It also makes students remember things much faster as they tend to remember something funny you mentioned during classwork.

Something else about humorous teachers is that they tend to drive away the tense mood in a class allowing students to breathe and feel free. It also creates friendliness, approachability, and allows teachers to develop a stronger relationship between them and their students.

17. Manages Classroom Effectively

Now, a teacher can have all the required qualities such as preparedness, patience, approachability and great communication skills. However, he/she can easily fail to deliver if they’re not able to manage their students effectively. A quality teacher should hence be able to multitask.

Apart from following the curriculum to the latter, an effective teacher should have an extra pair of eyes on the back to monitor those students that are misbehaving in class. Alongside being organized, such teachers should be able to organize their students as well as arrange learning materials in a way that no single student is left behind.

18. Appreciates in Public and Corrects in Private

This quality is quite similar to some of those teacher qualities we’ve already mentioned here. First, a teacher that appreciates their students in public tends to boost the learning morale of such students. It gives students high self-esteem and a sense of superiority towards others.

Secondly, by correcting misbehaving students in private, you tend to create a friendly environment. To some extent, your students might even open up and discuss some potential reasons as to why they misbehave. Otherwise, correcting your students in public will make them feel ashamed in front of their classmates which can make things even worse.

19. Incorporates Values in Lessons

Did you know that interpersonal skills can turn an average teacher into a professional educator? Well, an average teacher might have all the above qualities. However, an extraordinary teacher will incorporate some values in basic classroom activities by relating their lessons to real-life events.

This not only cements the teacher-student relationship, but it also makes your students more attentive and more enthusiastic. In the end, you end up with a class of morally upright students who become responsible people in the future.

20. Leaves a Positive Impact

Last but not least, a quality teacher will leave a positive impact on your future life. Although your teacher might force you to follow strict guidelines and sometimes punish you for failing to meet certain deadlines, later on in life, you’ll come to realize that it all happened for your own good. An effective teacher will hence mold his/her students to become responsible people who can bring change in their respective societies.

Tips to Keep Teachers Motivated

Now that we’ve discussed 20 essential qualities of good teachers, we thought it would be best if we could spare some time to discuss just five ways in which students, parents and school administrators can effectively motivate their teachers to boost their teaching morale.

• Give Them a Voice:

Teachers are leaders and leaving them out when making critical decisions regarding them is one way of demotivating them. So, to give them that voice of superiority, school administrators should invite teachers, at least one from every grade, to represent the rest by giving their opinions and proposed strategies about how to cover the curriculum.

• Respect Them:

Another important tip for school administrators, parents and students alike is respecting their teachers. You see, teachers are professionals in the field of teaching and by respecting them, you actually show them how much you understand the heavy burden they shoulder. Therefore, avoid using disrespectful words when addressing them or else you’ll end up ruining their relationship with the students.

• Give Them the Right Tools to Success:

Now, every teacher has his/her own specific teaching strategy. Due to this reason, every teacher will require specific tools to spice up the various teaching techniques. So, to give them the right morale, school administrators should provide teachers with the right tools to accomplish their teaching goals.

• Pay Them Well:

If you happen to do some research, you’ll be amazed to discover that teachers earn less as compared to similar professionals working in other fields. This is quite a shame considering the great impact teachers have for the future generation. Although there’s a lot to be debated about when it comes to increasing teachers’ salaries, I think they should get what they deserve.

• Reward Them:

Finally, rewarding teachers for a job well done is another effective way you can up their teaching morale. Now, there are many ways you can do this. One, administrators can create a teaching trophy that can be awarded to the teacher heading the most improved class or subject. The trophy can be awarded once every week or every month.

Secondly, enthusiastic parents can opt to join in to offer performing teachers small tokens of appreciation such as coffee shop gift cards, shopping vouchers or other smaller gifts such as cakes and treats. No matter how small they might seem to be, the fact that they represent appreciation is enough to arouse the teaching spirit of a teacher.

Conclusion

As you can see, the qualities of effective teachers are endless. They’re actually thousands if not hundreds of them. The reason for that is because teaching is a diverse and dynamic field that is composed of so many dimensions.

To those who are born leaders, these qualities shine naturally. However, to those pursuing teaching as a career, you have to work really hard to master those qualities of an effective teacher.

Thankfully, the best thing about it is that the payoff is really enormous both to you as a teacher and to your students as they’re the future leaders.

Students are the leaders of the next generation of any nation. Hence, they have to be groomed and trained to be people with excellent qualities. However, in order to respond as required to the lessons thought by coaches, parents, and teachers, students must possess the following 23 great qualities to become good students.

Related Post: Quality of Teachers

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Qualities of A Good Student

01. Discipline

The first quality of a good student is discipline. This means a student who aspires to be excellent must adhere to his/her study timetable strictly and obey the instructions of coaches, teachers, and parents every day.

02. Building Relationships

A student who aspires to be the best always maintains a cordial relationship not just with staff and teachers but with fellow students as well. This enables him/her to focus intensely on extra-curricular sessions and studies effectively. Also, building quality relationships helps a student to be able to partake in things like study groups with other students to broaden his/her mind on topics that are difficult for the student.

03. Asking Relevant Questions

Asking questions might make a student look like a “fool” initially but in the long run, it separates a good student from an average or bad student. A student that asks questions a lot either to clarify what the teacher has said or to solve a doubt on a particular subject matter easily becomes excellent in such areas. Because the student has had any misunderstanding completely erased, allowing for a brilliant performance. A good student would even not shy away from asking classmates or seniors to clarify hard questions.

04. Sense of Respect

Good students would certainly always possess a great level of respect for the laws of the nation, society, and school as well as societal norms. Students who excel effortlessly always place the country’s goals over their personal ones. They are even willing to push aside academic interests when the duty of their nation demands it. In cases like floods, earthquake and other natural disasters they eagerly provide their services. Aside from obeying the laws of the land, good students have in general great respect for their teachers and fellow students which allows them to put their full focus on their education and not on grievances initiated from disrespect.

05. Taking Responsibility

Responsibility is one of the marks of top performers and this goes for good students too. They never put the blame on their mistakes or faults on excuses but take full responsibility for their actions and own up to the results of such actions. Good students also take the responsibility to develop their character while in school to be able to have effective skills after graduation.

06. Participating in Extra-Curricular Activities

Students should not relent in participating in an extracurricular activity, whether it’s sports, arts or any other kind, as these are targeted at building the overall capacity of a student. Hence, a good student is actively involved in extra-curricular in order to obtain development on all sides of his/her personality. However, when engaging in these activities good students do not put aside their studies and are able to maintain a balance.

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07. Searching Knowledge

The pursuit of relevant knowledge is a necessary quality of good students. The more knowledge a student acquires, the hungrier for knowledge the student develops. The acquisition of knowledge sharpens the mind and aids the student to seamlessly flow in their studies.

08. Working Hard

Good students possess the ability to put their all in their studies, by not relying only on the coursework outline given to them by their teachers but research widely online and through various recommended texts to gain a broader understanding of various concepts and understand a topic from a different perspective. All these can only be done with hard work, as it takes hours to study effectively. It’s non-negotiable that smart hard work is the secret of success and it remains true for students.

09. Punctuality

Research has shown that people who excel in any field have great honor and respect for time. Students who produce excellent results keep to the time allotted for projects and assignments. This helps them avoid mark deductions from late submissions, allowing for the receiving of full marks.

10. Attentive to Lesson

Being attentive to what is being taught in a classroom is one of the great qualities of a good student. During lectures, they focus intensely on what the teacher is trying to pass across and this aids immensely because they don’t have to try to understand a concept on their own after classes because they didn’t pay attention when it was being explained. This makes it very easy for topics to be understood.

11. Self Confidence

Self-confidence is a major backbone to success and this goes for students too. A student who is confident in his/her ability to perform excellently in his/her studies most often does well. Due to the fact that confidence ensures the student puts his best in the work assigned.

12. Positive Attitude

Good students have to show they see willing to put in hard work and not just coming to school for social activities. A positive attitude helps a student to maintain top-notch results despite mistakes or faults previously and also is the reason behind the drive to work hard.

13. Setting-up Aim

Without a well-defined goal, no student can achieve quality results. A good student always sets up his aim at the beginning of every school term or session. This initiates the tenacity to get those results as the student constantly is reminded of what he/she is aiming for. A student must always look beyond the hardships of education and place his/her goals as the focus.

14. A Good Listener

The most important qualities of a good student are that he should be a good listener. He will be an attentive listener in the classroom. He should listen to what his parents and teachers say and do accordingly. This quality is also essential for a student to be a good listener so that he can understand what he is learning in the class. For this reason, he has to build and develop his listening skills first.

15. Having Smartness

A good student always has the ability to think quickly and act on his feet. Being smart certainly makes teachers fall in love with a student, this is because smartness comes with the skill of problem-solving. This quality is a rare one but good students possess it.

A smart student not only makes it easier for his teachers but also assists in helping other students easily understand concepts being taught. Most times this quality of a good student is developed through study and paying maximum attention when a topic is being taught in the classroom. This makes topics appear easier for them than other students who don’t invest as much hard work.

16. Good Manners

Teachers will let you know that a class full of students who are well mannered, following procedures and rules always have a higher chance of showcasing their full learning potential. Students who behave properly are much more likely to learn better than their classmates who statistics on disciplinary actions.

So many students who are very smart but have bad manners end up being major frustrations for their teachers due to not maximizing their full learning potential except their manners are changed. It’s much easier for coaches or teachers to deal with well-behaved students even when they have academic struggles. No one wants to work with bad-mannered students, constantly orchestrating problems however teachers would do anything for students who exhibit respect, politeness and are obedient to rules.

17. Having Seriousness

Students who excel have a serious-minded approach to education. They resist procrastination and laziness when it comes to studying, assignment completion and submission, etc. Good students always push themselves to ensure they don’t fail because of lazy behavior.

Asides from ensuring they carry out their projects properly, seriousness towards their academic pursuits endear a good student to his/her teacher. This allows the teacher to give his all to ensure such a student succeeds.

18. Excellent Organizer

Being a great organizer is a quality that distinguishes a student that excels and an average student. Students who schedule their time and day always yield better results than those that do not.

Organizing their study time, assessment time, etc is things that aid a good student greatly. This organization’s quality even goes beyond activities to be done in school. It helps students begin preparing for the next stage after schooling, giving them a head start to their classmates.

19. Simplicity of Mind

Most times students fail to understand concepts being taught to them because of how complex their minds are. However, this is not so for good students. An excellent student keeps his/her mind simple, allowing for difficult concepts to be broken down and easily solved. This is very important because it is the norm for students to have complex mindsets regarding academic pursuits but good students always perform above the norm.

20. Keeping Updating

Staying updated in any field is the reason for success. Good students do not rely on past information but are constantly in search of new knowledge. They refuse to remain outdated in terms of academic pursuits. What this means is that a student who must excel must be an avid researcher, constantly seeing out new ideas and findings on each subject topic being taught.

21. Having Commitment

Being committed to every aspect of schooling can aid a student manifest a high confidence level, which in turn improves educational success. Commitment to the process of academic pursuit can involve, participation in extra curriculum activities. This means the student is completely committed to the processes laid out by the school for the perfect student.

22. Ambitious

Students who exhibit ambition never stay down in failure. The drive they possess keeps them going until they achieve the level of excellence they have envisioned. Ambition assists a student to work hard and put in everything he/she has into achieving great results.

23. Academic Competency

The purpose of a student in a place of learning is an enhancement in the academic arena. Hence, a good student is one who is competent in academic obligations. Assignments are submitted on time and project work is well researched following the complete guidelines of his/her teacher. This is one of the most vital qualities of a good student as it is the major reason for enrolling in an academic setting.

Final Verdict

In summary, good students remain teachable always and lay down their own desires for educational pursuits. They aim at building a personality which is balanced all around and enhancement of character. Students with these excellent qualities always ensure their teachers, parents, and coaches remain a product of their efforts and results. Alongside making their guardians proud, these qualities are what make students succeed in all endeavors.

No matter where life takes you, one of the things that remain constant is the need to communicate. Language plays an important role when it comes to communicating effectively, and it can be the barrier that stands between you and attaining what you want.

There are approximately 6,500 spoken languages across the globe and while it’s practically impossible to learn all these languages, there are some dominant languages that you will almost always find somewhere, and one such language is English.

While this mere recognition of English as one of the major languages is not enough to necessitate learning it, there are several plausible reasons why you should.

Related Post: Learning with English

Importance of Learning English

The Language of Many Disciplines

English is the language of communication when it comes to several disciplines like education, science, and technology, diplomatic relations, art, business, music, and sport. If you have ever been to conferences and conventions that are conducted on a global platform, you will have heard English spoken most, if not all the time, because the general consensus is that most people participating at meetings of an international level have a grasp of the language.

Most diplomats have an understanding of the English language, even if they lack the fluency. Art and music festivals that include international artists are mainly in English, and global sporting competitions like the Olympics use English as the main language of communication regardless of where they take place.

The language also has a big role in the digital age that we are in. Most devices, software, and guides come in English. The growth of the internet is also showing the importance of learning English. The internet is predominantly in English by default, and this includes social media networks. Over 50% of all the web pages available on the internet are in English, and if you are going to be a part of the digital revolution, knowledge of English is a must.

English does not only touch on technology, but it is also the universally accepted language for the sciences and business. The use of English in communicating things like international trade agreements, research findings, and other developments is phenomenal and it is being used to break geographical barriers through efficient and effective communication.

Higher Education Prospects

Most highly sought and diverse institutions of learning have English as the learning medium language. Even in schools that teach a large number of languages, English continues to be the main language that unifies students from all walks of life.

Learning English is important because it is always one of the criteria that is assessed when seeking to gain admission into the top education institutions that are recognized globally. Even most professional bodies need some form of English assessment to determine eligibility into their programs.

Knowledge and an understanding of English greatly increase the prospects of gaining admission to top schools relative to someone who has no knowledge of the language. Even if by some chance, a person manages to get into a top school without English, they will probably struggle to do well because the universal language of communication and learning will be English.

A Must for an International Career

Unless a person is not concerned with growing their career on an international platform, there is a need to learn English. It is extremely difficult to be successful on the global scene of corporates without even the slightest understanding of English. As most international companies have stakes in many nations, English becomes the only language that can almost always be used to communicate effectively with customers and other stakeholders.

Anyone looking to enter the global workforce and score some multinational networks and deals needs to be equipped with some knowledge of English. Knowing the language is normally a prerequisite for anyone trying to land a position that involves handling international clients and jobs.

The official in 81 States

54 sovereign nations have declared English as their official language, and a further 27 non-sovereign states have done the same. If we consider that there are 195 countries in the world, having English made the official language in 81 of these places is definitely a big deal because it means that no matter which part of the world you land on, you are bound to come across people who speak English.

The world has a population of about 7.5billion people and about 1.5billion people speak English. This means that about 20% of the world population speaks one language, and this leaves 6400 more spoken languages with 80% of the population. One language takes up a fifth of the population while 6400 have to share the remaining proportion – need we say more about the dominance of the language?

Are You Looking to Travel?

If you are looking to travel around the world then it is necessary to be armored with some English. Most public places you will encounter on your travels will almost always have English involved in one way or the other.

Learning English will make it easier to travel across the globe because chances are even if you will not have to speak the language, you will encounter situations that require comprehending it. You are likely to either go to a place where all the information and signs are in English, or to a place where English is not necessarily the official language but the information is still given in English to accommodate everyone on a universal level.

Most tourist destinations, even if they do not have English as their official language strive to make their country or region as accessible as possible to the most number of visitors, and as such, they adopt English as one the communication languages, therefore, it is vital to learn it. Except in very few circumstances, English usually features at one point or the other during travels.

Easy to Learn

Simply put, English is fairly easy to learn when compared to many other languages. The English alphabet only has 26 letters and this makes for easy understanding.

The language is also fun to learn because it is very flexible and dynamic. New words are continuously being created, and they are easy to pick up. English is very versatile and it can even be aggregated with other languages to form hybrid languages that are partly English and partly other languages. This makes it easy to pick up the English language, and learning it is not so daunting.

Not Convinced Yet?

If all the reasons given above are not enough to convince you that learning English is important, then you may be persuaded by the simple fact that most movies are in English and if you already know the language you will never have to rely on subtitles to understand your favorite show. The benefits of learning English surround us, and they are available in our everyday lives. English is a universal language and learning it gives a distinct advantage over ignoring it.

English is the by default global language. Most people have basic comprehension when it comes to English. However, without proper fluency, you will not be able to use it to your advantage. We would today share with you four simple skills which you need to master to learn the English language. These are:

• Listening
• Speaking
• Reading
• Writing

When you break up the English learning process into these 4 skills, the task of learning the language becomes much easier.

Related Post: Importance of English

Why Are These 4 Skills Important?

Before we go into the details of these 4 skills, we will just like to highlight why they are important. With the help of these 4 skills, you will not just be able to master the language but also use it for day to day information exchange. You will be able to use the English language for regular communication.

How to Learn English?

Now that you are aware of the skills which you have to master, we will go into the details of each of these skills to help you better understand how to develop them.

Learning English Fast: 17 Tips

• Listening:

Listening is one of the most difficult skills to learn when you’re trying to master the English language. When you’re new to the language, you will often be under pressure as you will try to understand each and every word which is spoken. You have not just to get oriented with the vocabulary of the speaker but also the tone in which they are speaking within seconds.

Over the course of time, it will become easier for you not to just understand the tone but the vocabulary of the listener once you master the listening skills. With the help of the right kind of listening skills, you can not only learn new words but also pronunciation. Your comprehension of the English language will only improve when you are having good listening skills. There are more ways than one in which you can improve your listening skills.

We will list some of the ways you can use in order to improve your listening skills below.

1. Practice Listening in Shorter Sessions:

Instead of listing an entire speech or the entire news bulletin in one go, you have to practice listening in shorter sessions. A session of 5 minutes each initially is a good place to begin. If you’re looking for resources which you can listen to improve your language skills, you can use:

o News bulletins

o Previously recorded speeches

o Text to audio recordings

With the help of these, you will be able to improve your listening skills 5 minutes at a time.

2. Focusing on The Audio:

When you’re trying to improve your listening skills, it is always important to focus on the audio. When you are able to do that, which is only when you will be able to pick up the language and the words.

3. Note Down The Words Which You Don’t Recognize:

Instead of skipping the words which you don’t recognize, you have to write it down on your smartphone or on your notepad. You have to look them up in the dictionary. This will help you in improving your vocabulary. The next time around, you hear that word you will be able to recognize it instantly.

4. Listening to The Same Audio to Improve Listening Skills:

Most of the people are always in the search for new audio tracks in order to improve their listening skills. However, you have to listen to the same audio repeatedly in order to improve your comprehension level. Until the time, when you are able to recognize all the words, you have to listen to the same audio. This will help you in improving your listening skills significantly.

5. Opting for an Audio Course:

There are plenty of audio courses which can help you in improving your listening skills. You can easily opt for one of them to decipher the words easily while listening.

Improving your listening skills is not that difficult task. You have to just be consistent and follow the above 5 ways which we have highlighted. With the help of these, you will be able to easily improve your English listening skills.

• Speaking:

The English language is well recognized all over the world. As a result, it can be easily used for speaking with people from different parts of the world. It can be used to express your ideas. Unless and until you’re not able to speak fluent English, you will not be able to express yourself. That is why speaking skills are as important as any other. Fortunately, the ways in which you can improve speaking skills are plenty. Some of them will be highlighted below.

1. Speak with a Few Native Speakers:

Even though this might be a scary thought for many people who are learning the English language but it is one of the best ways to improve your speaking skills. You have to get in touch with the native English speakers and speaking with them or video conferencing or through Google hangouts. This will help you get some speaking practice.

Most of them will be pretty understanding and will support you. There is nothing to be ashamed of when you fumble or are not able to gather your thoughts. With repeated sessions, it will become easier for you to gain control over your speaking skills.

2. Find an Online Teacher:

With the help of the online teacher, it will become easier for you to get someone whom you can speak English with. The teacher will also be able to monitor and supervise your speaking skills. As a result, you will be able to get corrective feedback more easily.

3. Join Meet-Ups in Your City:

You need to keep in mind that you are not the only one trying to master your English-speaking skills. In most of the bigger cities all over the world, there are meet-ups for specific purposes. You will be able to certainly find the meet up to learn English speaking skills in your city. You have to join the meet up in order to get a place to practice your English skills.

You can visit Meetup.com in order to locate like-minded people in your city.

Your speaking skills can play a very important role in mastering the English language. With the help of these 3 methods, you will be able to easily improve your speaking skills which will help you use the English language more frequently and without any hindrance.

• Reading:

Reading is a skill that helps you in more ways than one. With the help of proper English reading skills, you will be able to improve your vocabulary. In addition to that, there are quite a few other benefits like:

o Learning new words

o Learning how to form sentences

o Learning about grammar

o Learning about spellings

o Learning how to structure your thoughts better

With the help of English reading skills, you will not only be able to increase your comprehension power but also expand your knowledge about the language. There are quite a few ways in which you will be able to improve your English writing skills.

1. Start with The Comic Book:

Comic books or picture books are one of the perfect options for you when you’re trying to improve your English writing skills. Moreover, they are quite descriptive which ensures that you are able to easily understand the meaning of the words used. Also, comic books often use the easiest language possible which makes it easier for you to improve your English reading skills.

You need not have an excellent vocabulary in order to decipher the comic books. Thus, even beginners will be able to improve their English reading skills with the help of comic books.

2. Pocket Dictionary/Smartphone Dictionary:

In order to improve your English reading skills, it is important to read newer and newer words each and every day. You can do so in 2 different ways. You can either keep a pocket dictionary with you at all times or you can install a dictionary on your smartphone. This way, you will be able to learn and read newer words daily.

You can easily get a dictionary that translates the English language into your native language. This ensures that you are able to instantly understand the meaning of various words with the help of the dictionary. Most of the dictionaries these days are available in the app form which ensures that you do not have to worry about carrying a physical pocket dictionary with you wherever you go.

3. Dual Language Box:

Dual language books are having two languages one of which can be your native language and the other can be English. This means that you do not have to struggle with English reading. In case, you’re stuck somewhere, you can refer to the text written in your native language. This will help you in deciphering the English words. This will also significantly improve your language skills.

4. Off-line/Online Newspapers:

One of the best ways to improve your reading skills is to read English newspapers online or off-line. Most of the off-line newspapers also have an online edition. Thus, learning new words and improving your skills will be pretty easy.

5. Blogs:

There are millions of blogs on the Internet. They span across a variety of different niches. Most of the blogs on the Internet are in English. You can read the blog post in these blogs in order to improve your reading skills. When you’re referring to blogs in any industry, there are virtually millions of them. Thus, you will never run out of reading material on the topics which you enjoy. You can find these blogs online from various resources like:

o Google

o Online forums

o Facebook

o Twitter

o Instagram

Most of the blogs are updated on a regular basis. This ensures that you always have something new to read. You can easily browse through these blog posts on your smartphone which ensures that you are able to improve your reading skills on the go.

Thus, if you’re attempting to improve your reading skills, with the help of these 5 simple methods, you will be able to do so on a regular basis.

• Writing:

With the help of writing skills, you will be able to use the English language for formal as well as informal communication. You will be able to easily understand how to form sentence structures. In addition to that, it will be easier for you to have a firm grasp of the vocabulary as well. With the help of flawless writing skills, you will be able to put your thoughts on paper as well as indulge in creative writing as well. The task of mastering your English writing skills is not that difficult. We will highlight some of the ways to do so below.

1. Writing Letters to a Pen-Pal:

You can request any of your friends to become your pen-pal. You can communicate with them with the help of letters or emails on a regular basis. It can be a friend living near to you or in a distant country. With the help of regular writing, it will become easier for you to improve your writing skills over a period of time.

2. Using a Website Like Duolingo:

Duolingo.com helps you in improving your English writing skills by explaining each and every word in your native language. This will help you in improving your writing skills. Whenever you are writing anything, the meaning of those words will be clearly displayed in your native language. As a result, you will be able to select the right words easily for written communication. There are plenty of such websites which are bilingual and will help you in improving your English writing skills.

3. Starting the English Language Blog:

If none of the upper 2 options are suitable for you, you can always start a blog in the English language. Blogs can be started on any subject. You can easily start a blog on subjects like:

o Learning English

o Fashion

o Beauty

o Business

o Cooking

o Travel

o And much more

When you start a blog, you have to just make sure that you’re populating it with a regular blog post. Over a period of time, you will be able to easily get a firm grasp on your writing skills. Moreover, with the help of regular writing, it will become easier for you to know the mistakes which you commit on a regular basis. As a result, you will be able to work on correcting those mistakes more easily.

4. Write Your Thoughts on Paper:

One of the best ways to improve your English writing skills is to express your thoughts in the written form. You can use a notepad and paper in order to put your thoughts into words. You can, later on, discard those papers and start again. If you’re not comfortable with the pen and paper method, you can even write down your thoughts in the English language on word processing software like Microsoft Word or notepad. This will help you in choosing the right words for expressing your thoughts which will help you in improving your English writing skills.

With the help of these 4 methods, you will be able to improve your writing skills quite easily. You have to just practice these methods on a regular basis.

Conclusion:

If the question of how to learn English?, has been puzzling you as well, this comprehensive guide will help you in mastering the English language easily. You have just to make sure that you are mastering all the 4 skills namely, Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Once you master all of these 4 skills with the help of numerous methods which we have listed above, you will be able to use the English language on a regular basis. With the help of these 4 skills, the English language can be converted from your weakness into your strength.

Water is a basic necessity you can’t survive without. If you’re out in the wilderness whether it’s fishing, backpacking, kayaking, hunting or just camping, one necessity you can’t forget to pack is pure drinking water. But, what if you didn’t carry any water during your outdoor excursion? Well, you’ll probably have to find a source of fresh water to drink. In such a situation, having a solid understanding of how to filter water will really help out as some water sources may not have clean water to drink.

There are many methods you can use to purify water from boiling, decanting, distilling, filtering, to using ultraviolet methods. However, the first thing you need to do before you employ any of these methods is to filter out the visible sediments.

So, having mentioned that, this short guide will now discuss seven common methods that can be used to purify water to guarantee your survival in the wilderness.

But First, What’s the Importance of Filtering Water?

Well, there are many reasons why you’ll need to filter and purify water. For instance, in a situation where all the basic necessities such as water and food are not available, then the knowledge of self-sufficiency will be critical. One of these is purifying your water.

If you’re in the wild, drinking water from running steam before treating it first can be very dangerous. That’s because the water might be contaminated with viruses, chemicals, bacteria, and other pollutants. Such pollutants can cause illnesses such as Cholera, Typhoid Fever, Giardia, or Dysentery that can cause serious illness or even death.

Now that you have a basic understanding of why you need to filter water, let’s now go to our main topic which is filtering water to purify it.

How to Filter and Purify Water

1. Boiling Water to Decontaminate it

This is one of the oldest and well-known methods of purifying water. It’s also the safest method that works in any situation whether it’s camping, backpacking expedition or maybe if you fear your local municipal water supply is contaminated. For the case of a camping expedition, boiling water is a cheaper alternative as compared to buying bottled water.

But, How Should You Boil Your Water?

Well, the first thing you need to do is to ensure the water doesn’t have any sediments or leaves on it. If the water is too cloudy, you can simply allow it to settle then pour it in another container without disturbing the sediments at the bottom.

Alternatively, you can filter the water using a clean cloth, a bandana or a t-shirt to remove any debris particles. When the water is clean, then you can proceed to boil it.

Now, boiling water isn’t a difficult endeavor. According to the Wilderness Medical Society, heating water to a temperature of 160°F for 30 minutes or 185°F for 5 minutes is one efficient way of having clean safe water to drink.

If you’re a prepper in the wild, a solar cooker is a smart option you can consider to heat your water. If you’re in a high altitude region (above 6,500 ft), then you have to let the water boil for a bit longer to make it safe for drinking.

When the water has cooled naturally, you can store it in a clean container then cover it to prevent any contamination. In case you’re not impressed with the flat taste of the water, then you can try to improve the taste by adding a pinch of salt in each liter of water or try pouring the water from one container to another several time.

Now, although boiling water does kill bacteria, it doesn’t entirely eliminate other contaminants such as heavy metals. In such a situation, the next water purification method might help.

2. Disinfecting Water Using a Bleach

In case the situation doesn’t allow you to boil water, then you can try disinfecting it using bleach. First, this method is quite easy to accomplish when you’re in the wild and second, it’s an effective method that eliminates water contaminants as compared to boiling.

So, to disinfect water using bleach, the first thing you need is to ensure that the active ingredient in your bleach is Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl) with a concentration of 5.25% to 8.25%. You may find some bleaches that use Sodium Hydroxide instead which is also safe.

Just make sure the bleach doesn’t contain any scented additives. You can do this by sniffing your water just to be sure. Remember, most municipal water systems use chlorine to purify their drinking water. That makes this method an effective way of filtrating and purifying your drinking water.

So, Here’s the Process

When disinfecting water using bleach, there are lots of ratios and percentages you’ll need to adhere to as well as confusing terms such as per liter, gallon, cups, quartz, drops, and ml. Thankfully, when you’re in the wild, all you need is this simple procedure.

• First, grab a small piece of toilet paper and place it inside a bottle cap. Fill the cap with the bleach then allow the ‘toilet paper wick’ to hang slightly.
• Tilt the cap slightly at an angle to allow the bleach to flow in steady consistent drops that are easy to count.
• Alternatively, you can pack a clean dropper in your medical kit to use during this process. A dropper is easy to use as you only have to press the top to drip the bleach in steady drops.
• Mix the water thoroughly then allow it to settle for 30 minutes. At this time, the water should have a slight chlorine odor when you sniff on it. In case it doesn’t, then you can repeat the procedure and this time, add about 4 drops of bleach per liter of water.
• Also, you need to ensure the water temperature is slightly higher above 60° Otherwise, if the water is cold, then your bleach might fail to work. Actually, this was confirmed by a report that detected traces of Giardia particle in cold treated water. This simply means that cold water is less effective in chemical treatments such as bleach, iodine, and calcium hypochlorite.

3. Purifying Water Using Iodine

When you’re in the wild, water sources can carry bacteria such as giardia, which can be harmful to your health. If you’re already aware of this, carrying too much stuff to purify your water can be strenuous.  In this case, the easiest, smartest, and most affordable method of purifying water is by using iodine. Iodine is available in tablets, drops and crystalline forms.

So, to purify water using iodine, you’ll need two water bottles, iodine (in the form of tablets or drops) and an eye dropper.

• Step One: The first step is to locate a clean source of water most preferably from a flowing stream/river rather than stagnant water in a pond or pool. You should also check the area to ensure there are no pesticides or weed killers flowing to the river. At least this way, you’ll be able to reduce the number of harmful chemicals and microorganisms in the water.
• Step Two: Cover the mouth of the bottle with a piece of cloth, t-shirt or bandana to prevent floating particles from entering inside the water.
• Step Three: If you’re using liquid iodine, carefully use a dropper to squeeze about 5—10 drops of iodine per 1 liter of water or 32 fluid ounces. If you’re using tablets, then adding one tablet to a liter of water will suffice.

Now, the amount of iodine you’ll need to add to your water will vary greatly depending on the water clarity. If the water is clear, adding 5—7 drops will do. If it’s cloudy, then 10 drops will be fine.

• Step Four: Once you’ve added the iodine, allow the water to sit for about 30 minutes. Remember, iodine is effective when it’s used in warm water rather than cold water. So, once you’ve applied the iodine, you can take a quick hike to admire nature before the treatment takes effect.

Now, before you can enjoy your water, you need to understand that iodine treatment isn’t meant for everyone. Pregnant women, people with thyroid problems, women above 50 years and those allergic to iodine should not drink such water.

Also, some people may not be tolerant to the taste of iodine in their water. So, in this case, masking the iodine will be necessary. You can do this by;

• Aerating the Water: Simply by shaking the water bottle vigorously or simply by pouring the water from one clean container to another.
• Adding an Energy Drink: Another method is adding a powdered energy drink to your water then shaking the bottle vigorously. By the way, this is one of the most common strategies used by most campers and backpackers.
• Neutralizing Tables: In most cases, iodine tables come with neutralizing tablets all in one package. After treating your water, and leaving it for 30 minutes, you can add one neutralizing tablet to mask the iodine taste.

4. Using Water Filters

Filtration is a highly common method of purifying water in the wild. It’s usually applicable when the only source of water is muddy, cloudy or very dirty. Even when you’re using another purifying method, filtering your water is the first step. So, how do you filter your water?

• Step One: The first step is to lay down your requirements. Here, you’ll need two containers, a piece of cloth, charcoal, gravel, and sand.
• Step Two: Try to make an improvised filter system by cutting the bottom of a bottle to create an opening. You can achieve this by placing the bottle upside down then creating small holes at the bottle’s cap. This will allow water to drip into the next collecting bottle.
• Step Three: Now that you’ve improvised a filtration system, the next step is to make the filtration unit. Start with the piece of cloth (preferably made from cotton fabric) and place it on the mouth of the bottle.

Next, place a layer of charcoal on top of the cloth. You can obtain this from the fire you had made earlier. Charcoal is a powerful natural absorbent that can get rid of toxins and odors via a chemical reaction.

Add sand on top of the charcoal. Sand will help to eliminate both large and microscopic particles from the water.

Finally, add stones and gravel on top of the sand. Stones won’t filter any particles but rather, their work is to dissipate the flow of water to allow it to spread out over the entire treatment bed. Additionally, stones and gravel will trap larger particles that will not manage to penetrate through the spaces.

If it’s possible, it’s a good practice to add another layer of sand on top of the gravel then another layer of small stones on top of the sand. This way, you’ll have a double layer of sand and stones/gravel to guarantee efficiency.

• Step Four: Now that you’ve filtered your water using your improvised filtration system, the next step is to eliminate pathogenic organisms and heavy metals.

Remember, filtering alone doesn’t remove all of the bacteria and harmful organisms. You need to combine this method with another effective purification process to guarantee efficiency. But, there’s a way you can purify water by filtering and make it safe for drinking.

• Using a Portable Water Filter: Portable water filters have been a long-standing solution for preppers and backpackers due to their efficiency and their small sizes. They contain carbon and other filter elements to remove bacteria and other chemical contaminants from the water.

Modern portable filters come with reusable filters that eliminate the hassle of having to replace them with new ones and can filter particles as small as 0.2 microns in size.

• Filtration Pump: Another method you can consider once you’ve filtered your water, is using a filtration pump to remove chemicals from your water.

A filtration pump is simply a hi-tech bottle that lets you squeeze contaminated water through a ceramic or charcoal filter to treat it.

5. Exposure to Sunlight

Also known as ultraviolet light or solar water disinfection, (SODIS), this method of purifying water is commonly used in the wild especially in sunny regions that record very high temperatures. How does it work anyway?

It’s pretty simple. This method uses the ultraviolet rays from the sun to kill the DNA of bacteria in your water to make it safe for drinking. The method has, in fact, been confirmed by the World Health Organization as a safe process for purifying water.

• Step One: If you’re in the wild, the first thing you’ll need is a clean source of water. If you’re at home, tap water will do especially if you’re doubting it has been contaminated. In case the water is cloudy, you need to filter it thoroughly using our previous method above to remove any visible debris.

Note: The water you’re using must not be chemically contaminated whatsoever. That’s because this process only removes bacteria but not chemicals in your water.

• Step Two: Find a clear water bottle (s) no longer than 2 liters. The bottles should be crystal clear with no scratches, colors or labels on them. Opaque bottles (including glass bottles) can block UV rays from penetrating making this method quite unsuccessful.
• Step Three: Fill the bottles with water about halfway full then shake it vigorously. This way, you’ll saturate the water with oxygen making it easier to kill the germs. Fill the water to the brim then expose the bottle to the sun.

For more efficient and fast results, lay the bottles on a reflective surface to allow UV rays to penetrate deeper.

• Step Four: If the day is sunny, you can allow the bottles to sit for about 6 hours before you can drink the water. In case of a cloudy day, this can take up to 2 days.

6. Purifying Water by Distilling

Whether it’s at home or in the wild, distilling water is another method that can really help to eliminate contaminants such as bacteria, heavy metals and other impurities from the water. The best thing about distillation is that it allows you to decontaminate any type of water including salty ocean water.

Note: When heating water during the distillation process, you should avoid boiling water to extremely high temperatures. By doing so, you might accidentally achieve the boiling temperature of certain undesirable elements causing them to vaporize and re-contaminate your already distilled water. So, with that said, here’s a simple process you can use to distill your water.

• Step One: You will need a deep pot, a glass bowl that floats, a metallic lid, and a source of the fire.
• Step Two: Place the pot on the fire and add the contaminated water inside about ¾ full. Place the floating glass bowl inside the pot then cover the pot with your metallic lid. Ideally, the lid should have a concave shape to hold ice cubes on top.
• Step Three: Cover the pot with the lid (with ice cubes on top) then heat the water. As the water boils, it will create condensation on the lid which will then flow as small droplets inside the glass bowl inside. If you’re in the wild and there are no ice cubes, you don’t need to worry as you can just cover the pot with an empty lid. After all, the ice cubes are just for speeding the condensation process.
• Step Four: Once you’re certain the glass bowl is full and might sink, remove it gently and drain the condensed water in a clean bottle for storage. Distillation removes oxygen from the water. For this reason, most people complain that distilled water is tasteless.

7. Sedimentation

If there’s a water purification method that’s often overlooked, then it’s the sedimentation process. You see, it’s not always that the water you need for drinking will be crystal clear. There are other times when water appears to be extremely muddy. During such scenarios, sedimentation becomes the only realistic method to consider. So, how do you accomplish this?

• Step One: The first step is to prepare two containers where you’ll have the water.
• Step Two: Next, fill one of the containers with dirty water and allow it to rest for about a day or two.
• Step Three: After all the sediments have settled at the bottom of the container, pour it in another container slowly to avoid disturbing the dirty particles at the bottom.
• Step Four: Once the water clears, you can now consider other purification methods such as filtration, boiling, distillation, or use of chemical processes to remove bacteria.

8. Using Plants

Yes! You heard me well. Although it’s surprising how certain plants have the capacity to decontaminate your water making it safe for drinking. In the wild, there are many types of plants available. However, you need to be really careful as some plants are extremely toxic and cause serious health problems.

So, to prevent any problems, here are some plants that you can consider.

• Banana peals
• Fruit peels
• Oregon Grape
• Plant Xylem
• Jackfruit seeds
• MolingaOleifera
• Reeds and bulrushes
• Cilantro

Now, there are two ways you can enjoy purified water using plants. The first one is to collect fresh leaves from these plants then wrap them inside a plastic bag. The water from the leaves will condense creating enough water to drink.

The next method is to use some of these plants’ leave to purify your water. Oregon Grape has some of the best leaves that contain natural berberine which is an antimicrobial alkaloid.

Since Oregon Grape is quite difficult to find in tropical regions, coconuts and citrus fruits are perfect alternatives that can work out. Here, you only need to add these plants in your water and wait for it to be purified.

Final Note

In conclusion, purifying your water in the wild is one of the most important survival skills you should be aware of in case you’ve found in a water crisis. You see, you can spend several weeks without food, but without water, you can only survive for days.

That makes water a critical component for human survival especially if you’re out in the wild. Therefore, having some of these water-purifying methods is critical for your survival as you only need to use one or combine two or three methods at once if you’re not certain one method will work.

So, with that said, the next time you suspect the water you’re drinking is contaminated with pathogens, microorganisms, or harmful chemicals, then you know what exactly you’re supposed to do.

The kitchen and mistakes are not often used in the same sentence. But when they are, it’s usually a cause for concern. This is because the kitchen is the one place that unites people. Whether it’s for meals or some chatter, it’s a place fit for many purposes. For this reason, you’d want beautiful finishes, features, and fixtures to make it unique. This also goes for the function it’s basically made for – cooking and eating. However, not setting up your kitchen will leave you open to some kitchen design mistakes.

Whether you’re doing some first-time designs, working on the layout, or doing some renovations, mistakes can happen. This article will help you take note of 10 of such mistakes so you can avoid them. Great design and layout for your kitchen do more than save you time and resources. But it also means that you’ve gotten it right.

10 Common Kitchen Design Mistakes: Kitchen Owner Should Know

• 1. Poor Lighting Systems

A kitchen is a delicate place. So, you don’t want to have a situation where you can’t see what you’re doing. When designing your kitchen, get the right lights installed over the countertops. This way, cooking, and cleaning get done in full view rather than in shadows. You can go with dimmer lights in eating areas suitable for family and friends. Such areas don’t require too much focus in terms of lighting.

It’s good to have beautiful pendants, glass, and other light accessories. But your primary concern is how they function without issues. What you can do to make the light shine properly is to fix them right in front of you. This way, you can control the lighting levels and atmosphere. You’re going to cook and chop things, so get bulbs with adequate lighting.

Cooler-toned bulbs are particularly useful for cooking areas. While downlights and pendant lights are good examples of lights, you can use for other vital areas. Have them on separate circuits to help you have more control over the atmosphere. What’s more, adequate lighting will show off your beautiful kitchen designs.

• 2. Wasting Your Storage Space

The process of designing a kitchen is a great one. However, don’t get lost in the moment by forgetting to make use of the available spaces. Storage spaces can get mismanaged or arranged in a way that gives up many empty areas. You’ll find that after the whole process, there’s less beauty to see. Also, trying to fit in too many shelves will give your kitchen the feel of a library. In all, getting the balance right is essential.

More space means getting your dimensions correct. Ideally, about four feet of space can do between kitchen countertops. This will come in handy when you’ve got a lot of movement through your kitchen. If you have a smaller kitchen, plan accordingly so that your countertops have a bit of distance in between.

Furthermore, you can get a grip on this by making every bit of space functional without overdoing things. For example, spaces under units and above the fridge will come in useful when your kitchen is all set.

• 3. Inadequate Ventilation

With a beautiful kitchen design to stare at, people often forget one thing – ventilation. It is as important as the spaces you’re trying to manage. The fact is, your whole kitchen isn’t one big oven. Even if it’s winter, you don’t want an atmosphere that makes you feel boxed-in. Further, it might not look like much, but with the kitchen being a cooking area, you don’t want the aroma of some dishes to stick. What’s more, having only food smells to breathe in as oxygen the whole time presents a problem. Ventilation shouldn’t come last when drawing up a kitchen design plan.

A proper ventilation system when designing is essential. Firstly, you’d want air to circulate freely. Also, a well-ventilated kitchen means fewer impurities flying about, coupled with fresh air. Get the airflow right with the right products and equipment to keep your kitchen ventilated. A ducted extractor could offer more in terms of cleaner air. Consider the flower and ceiling space before installing one. So, use an exhaust fan.

• 4. Failing to Measure Appliances

Okay, this sounds a little bit odd. But it will save you a lot of stress. Many people fail to measure their appliances. They leave out this aspect and simply try to fit everything into spaces after designing. What you can expect is appliances battling with your design and kitchen furniture for space.

For instance, big-sized refrigerators can reduce the space you have, as well as brush against other appliances. Not to mention it pining your cabinets to open fully. Other appliances like your cooking stove will follow suit by making it inconvenient to get stuff done without stains on other items. Your microwave might also seem small at the time of designing but you’re in for a shock. This is because such appliances need a little space without being cluttered.

In your design plans, make out time to measure your appliances. Your microwaves, dishwashers, refrigerators, etc. should fit in properly after measurements. It’s not difficult, simply use a measuring tape. Also, you can have experts do it for you. All you have to do is make it a part of your plan to cover the basics. This way, they know how to go about fitting things in. It’s a bad idea to wait until you’ve mapped out and started the designs.

• 5. Totally Forgetting Your Workflow

Everyone who has to use the kitchen knows the kind of activities they do there. So, it’s reasonable to keep the workflow in mind when designing your kitchen. Without workflow put into consideration, you’ll have an inefficient space. More so, you won’t feel comfortable. Working in the kitchen is an activity on its own. Adding the stress of figuring out how to beat the traffic in your own space will leave you feeling drained.

You can deal with this mistake in the early stages of planning. Give thought to how you make use of your kitchen. Do you cook often? Use the dishwasher frequently? Or open the refrigerator more times than you can recall? Think of the busiest areas in your kitchen, and let your answers on your workflow inform your design choices. Also, the spots where you’re most likely to stand more is essential. For instance, if you do a lot of work on your feet by the sink, the space around it should be free.

• 6. Not Getting Enough on the Vertical Wall Space

Whether you have a small kitchen or not, every space counts. This includes your vertical wall. But you’d be making a mistake leaving that thought out or not getting enough on the ‘free’ space. This is because things will look all cramped-up when you force them to fit without looking to your walls for help.

For instance, cupboards can take up about any space on your wall, but some people make the mistake of setting them among other equipment. Then there’s the equipment you’ve got all through the kitchen. Utensils, accessories, and the likes, all need spaces. Getting them a home on your wall is a skill on its own. Thankfully, experts can help you with that, especially if you don’t feel confident about DIYs. Even if you know a thing or two, you want the perfect job.

What you can do is take them high up to the ceiling. This will create more storage space without choking up your kitchen. Also, throw in some open shelves to create a mix of shelves and cupboards. You’ll instantly see the appeal it creates with all your stuff having enough room.

• 7. Wasting Space with Kitchen Islands

Kitchen islands make your kitchen more unique and beautiful. They help you get things prepared and even serve as a form of a table should the need arise. However, it’ll be a mistake to make one if you don’t have adequate space to fit it in. You’d make an island that you certainly can’t use or get around without hurting yourself or hitting other things on your way. Also, placing the island in the wrong spot is a big mistake. It can affect your workflow, and if you have many people going through your kitchen, expect them to bump into equipment and each other.

If you don’t want to scrap what you’ve done after making such a big mistake, get it right the first time. First, if you must include an island in your kitchen, make sure you have the space that can take it. On the flip side, you can make a rather narrow one that won’t impede your workflow. This way, traffic is not an issue. You won’t have to squeeze through your own kitchen. Most experts recommend having space measuring between 42-48 inches around islands.

Furthermore, your plans on getting a kitchen island depending on what it will contain. Get the calculation right along with the things you want to install, and you’re alright.

• 8. Not Sticking to the Budget

How much do you want to spend? It’s a question most homeowners can answer. But the trick lies in actually sticking to it. Spending way more than your budget is a bad mistake, especially if you have other things to take care of. Also, being left with designs halfway through, and without funds to finish it up doesn’t bode well. There’s a system that works. It involves not going over 20 percent of the value of your home for a kitchen design. This means you won’t lose when you sell at a future date. Also, a fancy kitchen will go a long way to convince buyers.

When budgeting, give some room for more funds should your calculations prove to be less precise. The fact is, you’re more likely to go over your budget than spend less of what you planned to spend. So, you should have extra money for unexpected expenses that can creep up. Also, paying in advance for services is a bad idea. Sometimes, most people pay upfront for services which leaves them at a disadvantage. They’ll have less flexibility to negotiate for some changes later in the design process. If you must, hold some back, and pay for what you see.

• 9. No Plans for the Counter Space

Kitchen designs without countertops is a mistake you’ll definitely regret. Of course, beauty goes a long way with excellent decorations and hardware. But you’d want to have a functional countertop as well. So, if you’re going to design your kitchen, give enough space to create ideal ones. This is you can do by considering your workflow, your budget, and the potential for more workspaces. What’s more, you need to consider traffic in your kitchen so that your countertop doesn’t get in the way of functionality.

Draw up a list of the activities you’d like to handle at specific countertop areas. This way, you’ll learn how they can make things convenient, especially if you have more people working in the kitchen. Get suitable materials too. Whether you choose stone, metals, laminates or wood, consider what it takes to get them. The level of maintenance needed to handle them is also essential. Furthermore, you don’t want appliances all over the place. Get some permanently put on the countertops so that you have better control of your kitchen space. Appliances and equipment like food processors, coffee makers, and toasters are appliances you’ll want to give a permanent home on countertops.

• 10. Not Being Effective with Trash

There’s more about trash than most people are willing to admit. Whether it’s your house or not, trash is a sticking point when it comes to kitchen designs. Perhaps you’re comfortable using a bin underneath your sink or by your door for anything you think doesn’t deserve a spot in your kitchen. Well, things are different now with different methods of recycling trash.

Of course, you still need standard trash disposal or compactor in an area that makes it easy to pick up and dispose of. But you should give more thought to recyclables. This includes glass, aluminum, and plastics which usually take more space. These items can be recycled even if you don’t want them back. You’d better manage your trash when you make provisions for them in your kitchen design.

Furthermore, it’s not all about making bins and boxes easily accessible. You should do your bit to avoid too much clutter in your kitchen. This is where you need excellent organizing skills for your plates, food containers, pots, and other useful items. Take advantage of all the spaces available, including on your doors. Racks and extenders mean you won’t have too much to sort out every day.

Conclusion

With these mistakes pointed out, you now have a fair knowledge of what to expect. Kitchen designs are not easy, but the experience is worthwhile. You get to shape up one of the most critical areas of your home. All these mistakes are avoidable. But don’t be surprised if you still make one or two when you don’t plan accordingly.

You should do stuff the right way to reduce the risks these mistakes create. Also, your home and kitchen become more valuable and efficient. All thanks to a well-thought-out quality from the designs you implement. Additionally, your kitchen is your personal space. Don’t get lost trying to copy trends you’re not comfortable with.

The modern kitchen has come with lots of improvements both to improve efficiency and to maintain the décor. In the past, stoves, microwaves, ovens, and blenders were some of the kitchen appliances that were prioritized more than anything else. Today, the range hood has taken the center stage as a focal point in most kitchens due to its design and purpose. But, even though that’s the case, how much do you really know about how to clean range hood filters?

You see, range hoods come in all sorts of styles and designs ranging from metal, stainless, copper to bronze range hoods. In fact, most manufacturers have gone ahead to customize their range hoods with Venetian plaster and rustic barn wood just to allow them to fit on different kitchen decors.

However, the decorative side of the range hood isn’t the main issue here but rather what is hidden underneath. Here, there’s the oscillating fan, the ductwork, and the filters.

Although the exterior may be beautiful and captivating to the eye, the performance of your range hood is what is important and it all begins with a clean filter.

So, to cut the long story short, this short guide will discuss the various methods you can use to clean your range hood filters to turn them from their former grease to glory.

But First, How Does a Range Hood Work?

Before we get to our main topic, I think it’s important that you first understand how range hood filters work in terms of sucking out smokes, odors, and fumes. At least this will help you better understand why it’s so vital to clean them often.

First and foremost, there are two types of range hoods—the ducted and the ductless hoods. While ducted hoods duct kitchen smokes and odors to the outside (with the help of ductwork), their ductless counterparts work by sucking the odors, smells and greases then passing them through charcoal filters to filter the air then recirculate it back to the kitchen as fresh clean air.

Due to their ductless characteristics, these range hoods are easier to install hence the best for rental apartments where messing with the walls is totally restricted. Secondly, the filters are highly functional as they suck out all odors and greases to prevent your walls and the space around your kitchen from yellowing.

How Often Should you Clean your Range Hood Filters?

Since your range hood is a ductless model, the greases, smokes, and odors remain trapped inside the stainless steel filters causing grease buildup over time. If this buildup exceeds the recommended level, several things are likely to happen.

• First, the motor inside can easily be clogged causing the range hood to lose its efficiency.
• Secondly, the air vents are likely to clog making it difficult for kitchen odors and smokes to pass through.
• Finally, since grease rises in form of steam and vapor, in case it gets clogged in excess, there can be a possible risk of fire keeping in mind the range hood rests just above the stove.

So, at a minimum, a kitchen range hood requires thorough cleaning at least once every year. However, how often you need to clean it up will greatly depend on how enthusiastic you are when it comes to cooking.

If you’re a regular cooker, then cleaning the filter more than once annually will be recommended. If you’re an occasional cooker on the other hand, then cleaning the filters just once will suffice. If you’re unable to tell how regular you should clean the filters, then it’s best if you purchase a range hood that has an automatic alert to signal you when to clean the filters.

Reasons to Clean your Range Hood Filters

As an integral part of your kitchen, the range hood requires thorough cleanup both inside and on the outside. Here are four reasons that explain why top cleanliness is required.

• To Maintain Hygiene: Remember, your range hood is located just above your stove next to your food. If it’s not cleaned regularly, the sludge inside will attract bacteria, bugs, and cockroaches which might breed then spread throughout the house.
• Safety: As we mentioned earlier, the accumulation of grease can cause a fire hazard. Therefore, by cleaning your filters regularly, you can easily prevent and reduce these hazards.
• Improves Efficiency: By cleaning your filters, you’re able to unblock clutter on the motor and air vents thus allowing smokes and odors to be sucked more efficiently.
• Longevity: Finally, regular cleaning of your filters enhances the longevity of the entire range hood, as sludge and pests won’t compromise with the electronic parts.

Now that we’ve covered everything you need to know about range hood filters, let’s now discuss the various methods you can employ to clean the filters.

Best Ways to Clean Range Hood Filters

Method 1: Using Degreasing Dish Soap and Baking Soda

Things you’ll Need

• Hot boiling water
• Degreasing dish soap
• ¼ cup of baking soda
• A dish-cloth
• Non-abrasive scrub brush

• Step 1. Remove the Filters: Start by removing the filters from their respective position. Most filters are covered with either plastic or aluminum covers which you’re supposed to remove first using a screwdriver. The filters themselves can be detached using different methods depending on the model of your range hood. Some are attached using screws while others will only need you to press to free them.
• Step 2. Add Boiling Water in a Sink or Bucket: Once you’ve removed the filters from the range, put them aside and pour boiling water inside a bucket or the sink. If you have a large bowl, then it’s fine. The main point here is to have a working area that’s wide enough to fit your filters. Make sure the water is as hot as possible to make the cleaning process fast and efficient.
• Step 3. Add Degrading Dish Soap and Baking Soda: Once the water is ready, add a ¼ cup of the baking soda and one tablespoonful of degrading dish soap to the water then mix until the hot water is entirely soapy.
• Step 4: Insert your Greasy Filters: Once the water is disturbed, insert the greasy filters in the boiling water and push them until they’re entirely soaked. Leave them for about 10 minutes to allow the soap and the baking soda to act on the tough stains.
• Step 5. Scrub the Filter: In case the stains are tough, use a non-abrasive scrub brush to scrub the surface of the filters until they’re spotlessly clean.
• Step 6. Rinse and Dry the Filters: Once the filters are clean, rinse them using hot clean water then use a clean dry dish-cloth to dry them.
• Step 7. Replace the Filters: The filters will need to be entirely dry before you can replace them. So, if you’re certain they’re dry, then you can proceed to replace them to the range hood.

Method 2: Using Dishwasher Detergent

Requirements

• Dishwasher detergent
• Warm water
• Toothbrush
• Baking sheet

• Step 1. Remove the Filters from the Hood: As usual, remove the filters from the hood then wet them with warm water to remove loose debris and greases.
• Step 2. Place the Filters Inside a Baking Sheet: Once the filters are completely drenched in water, put them inside the baking sheet with the most affected side facing up. Using an old toothbrush spread a generous amount of dishwasher detergent on the surface of the filters (one at a time). Make sure every part of the filters, including the tiny holes, are entirely covered with the dishwasher detergent.
• Step 3. Allow it to Rest for 20 Minutes: Once you’ve spread the detergent across all sections of the filter, allow it to rest for about 15—20 minutes to allow the detergent to penetrate and remove the greases. In case the stains are severe, you can allow the filters to rest for up to an hour.
• Step 4. Rinse the Filters over the Sink: Once you’ve soaked the filters, and you’re certain they’re clean, you can remove them and rinse them with warm flowing water. Make sure you rinse both sides thoroughly and if possible, use a hose attachment to increase the pressure of the water. The water pressure will help to remove small particles that might have stuck between the spaces.
• Step 5: Double-Check the Filters: Sometimes the filters might be significantly soiled. In such a case, you can consider repeating the process and this time, add more detergent and scrub the tough stains using an old toothbrush.

Method 3: Using Ammonia

You Will Need

• Hot soapy water
• Ammonia
• Releasable plastic bag
• Step 1. Remove the Filters: Just as the rest of the methods, start by first removing the filters from the range hood.
• Step 2. Place the Filters Inside the Releasable Plastic Bag and Pour the Ammonia: Here, you’ll need to pour in enough ammonia to ensure the dirty filters are entirely covered. Make sure the plastic bag is on a flat surface. By sealing the plastic bag, at least you’ll manage to contain the pungent smell of the ammonia.
• Step 3. Leave the Filters to Stay Overnight: After the filters have stayed overnight in the ammonia solution, remove them gently and place them inside the sink. Here, you don’t have to scrub the surface of the filters as the ammonia will do everything for you. However, in case the debris and the greases don’t come out entirely, then you can consider using a brush to scrub the surface.
• Step 4. Rinse the Filters with hot Water: Block the kitchen sink then add warm soapy water. This will help you to rinse the filters before taking another round of clean warm water. If you have a hose attachment, you might use it here to help remove small particles.

Final Note

So, if you’ve read up to this point, then you’ve got every bit of information on how you can clean your range hood filters. Whichever method you might wish to pick, always ensure that you perform a thorough cleanup of the filters to remove all debris, greases, and small particles.

Once you’re done, take your time to clean certain parts of the range hood such as areas around the filters, including the fan, to degrease them and ensure that your filters work under a clean environment. If you have some extra time to spare, you can also consider cleaning the outside section of the range hood to make it sparkling clean.

One way you can stop the spread of germs, bacteria, and viruses are by cleaning your hands using soap. But, what if there’s no soap around? Well, in such a case, one sure-fire way of maintaining hygiene is by using a hand sanitizer. But, what if the situation is dire and there are no more sanitizers left out in pharmacies and supermarket stores? Well, the only alternative in such a scenario is to learn how to make hand sanitizer to protect yourself from the spread of viruses.

But, How do Sanitizers Work?

First, the main active ingredient in most sanitizing agents is alcohol. Getting to science just a bit, alcohol is an organic molecule that’s made up of Carbon, Oxygen, and Hydrogen. When working with alcohol, you need to understand that besides ethanol, there are other chemicals involved such as Propanol and Isopropanol.

Before you commence, it’s important to know that the alcohol concentration in your sanitizer must be about 60% for it to take effect. For the case of rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) and grain alcohol (ethanol), the concentration should be about 90%-95% for it to be effective.

During your procedure, always avoid using certain alcohol chemicals such as methanol and butanol as they’re highly toxic.

Finally, alcohol kills a variety of bacteria and viruses by breaking up the cell’s metabolism. When mixed in the right ratios, the resulting hand sanitizer can be effective enough to destroy pathogens and other disease-causing agents.

So, with all that in mind, let’s head straight to our main topic of the day which is making a hand sanitizer. Note that, making a hand sanitizer is a pretty simple process that doesn’t require any knowledge in rocket science. So, if you’re ready, let’s get rolling.

How to Make DIY Hand Sanitizer

List of Ingredients

• Measuring cup
• Measuring spoon
• A funnel
• 8-10 drops of essential oil
• Empty spray bottles
• 2/3 cup of rubbing alcohol: isopropyl alcohol to be precise
• 1/3 cup aloe vera

• Step One: Begin by mixing isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) into a bowl then add aloe vera. Note that, for your sanitizer to be effective, the alcohol concentration should be at least 60%. Therefore, ensure that you maintain a ratio of 2:1 of isopropyl alcohol to aloe vera which can be achieved by mixing 2oz of the rubbing alcohol to 2oz of aloe vera.

Use a spoon to mix the two ingredients thoroughly until the concoction is entirely smooth. In case the solution is thin and you need to make it thicker, then you can add a spoonful of aloe Vera. If it’s too thick, then you can thin it by adding a spoonful of alcohol.

• Step Two: Here, everything depends on your own personal needs. You can opt to add some drops of essential oil. For those that love the fragrance of essential oil (which by the way is used in most hand sanitizers today), then you can add about 8 drops of the oil to the mixture then stir.

Essential oils such as lavender, cinnamon, peppermint, and clove oils not only add the fragrance to your sanitizer, but they also have additional antiseptic properties that can be beneficial.

Now, during the initial process, some people may opt to use glycerin instead of aloe vera. If that’s the route you had chosen, then the glycerin and the hydrogen peroxide should be added in this stage (instead of the aloe vera). Since glycerin is thicker than alcohol, the concoction should be stirred thoroughly.

• Step Three: Once it’s ready, you can go ahead to add it to the respective spray bottle. To do this, you’ll need to place a funnel on the mouth of your container then pour it over. Cap the top tightly and get ready to use your hand sanitizer.

In case there’s a leftover sanitizer, simply spray some rubbing alcohol inside the bottles then allow it to evaporate naturally. Place the funnel on top and pour the remaining hand sanitizer.

• Step Four: When the bottles are ready, take your time to label each one of them to enhance convenience.

What About a Gel Sanitizer?

In case you needed to make a gel sanitizer, here’s a simple procedure you can follow.

Ingredients

• A cup of 91% isopropyl alcohol
• ½ cup of aloe vera gel
• Essential oil

Step One: To commence, pour the isopropyl alcohol inside a clean bowl then mix it with aloe vera gel. Since the high concentration of alcohol can be hard on your skin, using the aloe vera gel is a great way of counteracting the effect to keep your hands smooth.

Step Two: Add the drops of essential oil to your mixture then stir again using a spoon. Here, you have the freedom to use any essential oil of your choice provided you’re comfortable with the fragrance.

Step Three: Since the solution is quite thick, mixing it alone may not work. Therefore, you need to whisk it thoroughly until it becomes a homogeneous gel.

Step Four: Once you’re done mixing, pour a small portion of the remaining alcohol into your bottles then allow it to evaporate. After the alcohol has evaporated, pour the concoction inside the bottles and label them.

Final Note

Finally, yet importantly, there’s one important thing you need to know. Isopropyl alcohol is highly flammable and can burn your arms if you get to contact during preparation. So, to avoid this, you should use nitrile gloves before you get started.

In this day and age, it is almost impossible to live without a blender. So many recipes require you to blend one thing or the other. Most of us love to prepare fruit smoothies, especially during the hot season. Vegetable soups, fruit yogurts, milkshakes, juices, all require the use of a blender.

The most annoying thing about blenders, however, is their noise level. If you have a young baby or a senior in your home, who hates loud noises, you have to do something. The worst part about the noise is that the stronger your blender’s engine, the louder it is. It is a delicate balance between wanting a powerful blender and waking your baby up while you prepare dinner. You have to choose, and of course, you will decide to buy a powerful blender and look for ways to keep the noise down.

10 Steps How to Reduce Blender Noise

If you hate noise, you can use the following steps on how to reduce blender noise:

1. Reposition the Blender

The position of your blender is significant. Most of us tend to place blenders in a corner or close to the kitchen wall. This is a huge mistake. The blender noise is amplified by bouncing off the kitchen walls, making it sound louder than it is.

Simply move the blender further from the walls. You can move it to the kitchen center on the kitchen island if you have on, or place it on a table or stool. If you cannot move it permanently, consider shifting it while blending, then putting it back in its corner after use.

2. Use a Fluffy Towel Under The Blender

Placing a towel or a silicone mat under your blender reduces blender noise. Our kitchen countertops are mostly made from granite or wood, and the blender tends to vibrate on the hard surface, amplifying the noise. Placing a towel under the blender absorbs most of this noise, reducing it by a significant margin. This solution will not cost you a dime, and you will not have to worry about waking the baby, grandma, or annoy the neighbors!

You can also use two fluffy towels to muffle the noise by:

• Wrapping the motor unit without covering controls
• Wrap the other fluffy towel around the blending jar and blend.

The towels muffle any noise, and you will not have to break the bank while at it! Just ensure your towels are fluffy enough for the job.

3. Buy a Silicone or Rubber Mat

Another solution is a silicone or rubber mat, which requires minimal investment. This method solves two problems in one go. It silences the blender by absorbing the vibrations and helps to protect your kitchen countertop against spills and to prevent the blender from sliding if your countertop is smooth.

4. Build a Noise Enclosure Box

Buying a sound enclosure box will set you back between $100 and $200. Why spend money when you can quickly build your box? All you need is some cardboard, wood or plastic to make a box. Line the inside with some thick material that can absorb the noise.

Ensure the box is slightly larger than your blender. One side should be open for operating the blender. A wooden enclosure box is the easiest to make as wood is easy to work with and line the inside with some soundproofing foam.

If you do not have the time to make a box or simply do not want to risk it, you can always buy one. Before buying one, look at the box’s qualities, especially its size and your blender’s size and brand. Some blender brands usually have soundproof boxes made for the specific brand, so be careful about that. The box encloses the blender and does not let the sound out, or at least reduces it to a manageable level.

5. Soundproof

Do you have little space in your kitchen? Do you have nowhere else to place your blender other than the kitchen corner or against the wall? The solution you are left with might be soundproofing your surroundings.

Get soundproof foam and place it to the wall nearest your blender. The foam will reduce any echo the blender motor produces. The soundproof foam is easy to install, using a double-sided tape, which is readily available.

You can also soundproof the entire kitchen if you so wish, or just choose the wall, floor, or ceiling that separates you from your neighbors. If you own the house, you may consider permanently soundproofing the kitchen. It might cost you a little more, but it saves you the trouble of soundproofing parts of the kitchen.

6. Combine a Towel and a Soundproof Enclosure

Use the towel method and a soundproof enclosure to reduce blender noise in your kitchen. The enclosure box does not entirely drown out the blender noise, so combining both these two options make the noise reduce significantly by bouncing the noise inside the enclosure walls and the towel.

Fold a fluffy towel and line it inside the box enclosure, then place the blender on top of the towel. This works like a charm, and you will not need to spend a dime if you already own an enclosure box.

7. Blend the Night Before

If you are an early riser, and you take your smoothie either to work or after an early workout, you do not want to wake your family or the whole neighborhood. Blend your smoothie the previous night and refrigerate it in an airtight container. Shake it in the morning before drinking ad you are good to go. It may not be the ideal method if you like freshly made smoothies, but if you have no other option, it will have to do.

Ensure you prepare your ingredients earlier before blending them. Cut your fruits into small chunks and mix in a bowl, ready for blending. If you have frozen ingredients, defrost them before blending. Do not throw large chunks into the blender jar, as it makes more noise while blending them, and runs for longer.

8. Buy a Silent Blender

Over the years, blenders have evolved, with their speed and power increasing. It is tough to get a quiet blender that will not make enough noise to wake your family or the neighbors in the morning. A silent blender is quite an expensive solution.

A silent blender does not necessarily mean noiseless. The silent blender buzzes, but the buzzes are manageable and cannot disturb anyone. When buying a silent blender, remember that quiet is relative. The noise from a blender originates from the motor, the blades, and the blending ingredients. This means blending frozen yogurt or fruit makes more noise than blending some soup.

No blender manufacturer will share the blender’s decibel levels, so you need to look at speed, performance, and noise. As much as you look at the noise levels, the speed should matter more. The faster the blender, the less time it runs. Some silent blenders come with jars that have special features such as double walls, which muffle the sound. Others come with enclosures that block out the noise but are more expensive and bulkier.

You need to know the maximum amount of power the blender motor can produce to prevent heat damage. You can find this info in horsepower and wattage. Horsepower is the power the blender generates, while wattage is how much power the motor consumes. One horsepower or HP is equal to 746 watts. Motors with higher rates are more efficient and powerful.

The number of speeds is also another factor when buying a silent blender. Speed determines the consistency of your mixture. More speed means the blender is adjustable and works faster, even when blending tough combinations.

9. Buy Noise Reducing Earmuffs

Buying noise-reducing earmuffs may only be a solution if you live alone, and in an area with no neighbors. If you have neighbors and have already soundproofed your kitchen, but still do not want to hear the blender’s noise, buy yourself some noise-reducing earmuffs.

If you have children or family members who are disturbed by the blender’s noise levels, you may also consider this solution, although it only works for exclusive neighborhoods..

10. Do not go for Very Low-Cost Blenders

When buying appliances, we tend to look for those that cost the lowest price. Most times, cheap is expensive, and when purchasing a blender, stay away from those with a very low cost. These very low-cost blenders are the noisiest.

Even if you are operating on a budget, remember a blender is an investment, and you get what you pay for. Go for a decently priced blender as the cheap ones may cost you more in the long run. Save a little longer if you have to, and buy a blender that will be quieter, and serve you longer.

Some manufacturers may claim their blender is the best, yet the price says otherwise. Beware of such cons. Buy from reputable manufacturers who have been in the market a while, with tested and tried products.

Go online and check the product review of the blender by customers before you make a purchase. Numerous sites dedicate their time to reviewing products and giving honest opinions. Check those out as well.

Final Thought

The noise from a blender is very annoying, especially late at night or early in the morning when you are trying to catch some sleep. Being considerate of others means you should strive to look for ways how to reduce blender noise.

Even the quietest blender will produce some noise, just not as loud as the traditional blenders. The above tips will help to significantly reduce the noise your blender makes, and will not cost you anything. Silent blenders are pricey, but you can get quieter and quite decent blenders for a fair price. Stay away from cheap blenders; they will mess you up eventually.