[jonathanlydall]

I only realized in my 30s that I had been tying my shoelaces wrong my whole life and a super minor change in my method has changed them from coming undone multiple times per day (unless double knotted), to instead staying tied the whole day with just a standard shoelace knot [0] (also on Ian's site).

This article's web page actually has the essential note:

> NOTE: If your finished knot comes out crooked (eg. loops pointing heel-to-toe), it's probably because you tie your Starting Knot the opposite way to mine. This will result in an un-balanced knot, which sits crooked and comes undone more easily. See my Granny Knot page for more information.

Back when I still used to browse Imgur, there was a post illustrating how to identify and fix this easy to make mistake. It turns out that I was starting with the lace left-over-right as opposed to right-over-left (or vice-versa, not sure off-hand).

This quite literally changed my life, just a small muscle memory tweak and now my laces easily stay tied the whole day with a regular knot which is also super easy to release as well.

[0]: https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/standardknot.htm

Edit:

I see he has a page dedicated to this mistake here: https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/grannyknot.htm

[kenmacd]

Learning this has also changed my life, but maybe not for the better. Now every time I see someone I know and their shoes are tied in a granny knot I have to waste a bunch of calories deciding if they'd appreciate me telling them.

[sholladay]

I encounter this all the time, I just want to help people and pass along things I’ve learned but it’s not always received well. For sure, many adults would not want to be told how to tie their shoelaces.

My only advice is to start by approaching the problem. “Hey, do your shoelaces come untied often?”

[nunez]

OMG same!

It's like when you learn how to roll up headphone wires or properly clean glasses.

The temptation to do it for others (and get rejected) is way too high.

[itintheory]

Gonna need a description of the correct way to do these things. I have a feeling I'll be one of today's lucky 10,000.

[SturgeonsLaw]

Rolling up headphone wires (or any wires) works best when you create a looped bundle and alternate between overhand and underhand. It stops it from getting twisted and tangled. When done right, you can hold one end, throw the under end, and it all unfurls neatly.

Learned this from a theatre stagehand and have been using it ever since.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=CYdu7aW_pm8

[whitepoplar]

Wait, how do you properly clean glasses?

[MarkusWandel]

Maybe this isn't proper, but, what I do is wet them, rub them with a tiny amount of dish soap, then rinse them under the hot water tap.

Then blow the droplets off both sides and let the rest air dry. We have soft water here, so no water spots. No rubbing dry with any kind of cloth.

[tharkun__]

Tap water if chlorinated is not great for the coatings on modern glasses I've been told. YMMV if you're not in such a place.

I mix my own spray bottles from dish soap, non chlorinated water and a bit of rubbing alcohol actually. Water is softened.

[keane]

The Spectacle Factory recommends, in order, (1) warm water and a microfiber cloth, (2) Zeiss lens wipes, or (3) an ultrasonic bath: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4lJ_5Tg9Ms

They recommend (v=5FUUgO95sb4) against both detergent for the sake of the lens coatings and against sprays which may cause grease to accumulate around the lens rim.

[OneLeggedCat]

If you're the kind of person who has bought a dozen pairs of cheap Zenni's... the lens coating gets visibly damaged every time I've used hand soap on them. I now just blast them with hot water and wipe dry with a lens cloth. I don't know whether hand soap is a problem for more expensive brands, but it definitely is for Zenni's.

[tcoff91]

I don't have soft water so i blot the lenses dry with lens paper. Works amazingly and my lenses last so long since i switched to the dish soap method.

[LVB]

40+ year glasses wearer here who learned this perhaps only 10 years ago, I think this is the correct way. The one annoying part is the difference that the glass coating makes. The water just falls off some of my glasses with barely as much as a light tap. Others length tend to hang onto the water in beads, so I have to actually wait for it to dry (or walk around with water spots, which I also do when impatient...)

[alfiedotwtf]

I’ve been wearing glasses for just under 30 years, and only last month I decided to actually try and clean my glasses with the tiny microfibres cloth they give you when you buy a pair of glasses rather than throwing it out because it gets annoying in your case because you just use your t-shirt… I’m not a 100% microfibre guy

[tcoff91]

Use lens paper to blot the water off.

[bookofjoe]

Zeiss Lens Wipes. Apple’s Vision Pro care instructions specifies them.

[nunez]

Good in a pinch; better to use microfiber, as stated by Zeiss themselves: https://www.zeiss.com/vision-care/us/eye-health-and-care/hea...

[seb1204]

Nicely done Zeiss

[nunez]

Use a clean microfiber cloth. ANYTHING ELSE will scratch your lenses up. (This is probably the most common no-no I see. People will clean their glasses with anything on them and smudge/scratch them instead.)

Two cloths are ideal: one for cleaning and another for polishing.

If you're using soap and water, apply a tiny amount of soap onto both sides of the lens --- less than a grain of rice --- then apply water and rub with your fingers until clean. Skip to polish step.

If using cleaner, spray cleaner onto the cloth, NOT onto the lens. Spray onto one side of the cloth so that you have a wet side and a dry side.

(You can use water instead of cleaner in a pinch.)

Three passes.

First pass: with wet side, wipe lens in lines from top of frame to bottom. NOT in circles. (You'll spread the dirt around this way, making the cleaning process take way longer and potentially introducing scratches.)

Second pass: Repeat first pass with dry side of cloth.

Repeat first and second passes until lenses look mostly clear.

Third pass, if you have a polishing cloth: Wipe polishing clothes in circles until lenses are clear.

Your lenses will last forever if cleaned this way.

The cleaner steps above also work on any glass surface, like laptop screens or car windows.

[coldtea]

>Use a clean microfiber cloth. ANYTHING ELSE will scratch your lenses up.

No, it wont. I'm cleaning mine for decades with anything at hand (cotton shirts, napkins, etc) and not a scratch.

And of course there's the little fact that microfiber cloth is a recent synthetic thing. People used cotton and linen squares, or chamois leather ones if they felt fancy, to clean their glasses.

[nunez]

yes they do. it's not so much the cotton fabric that will scratch your lenses; it's the dirt on them. cotton weaves leave bigger holes for dirt to get caught in; much much bigger than microfiber, which is why it's best for the job.

[codesnik]

but glasses were made of glass, and nowadays most are plastic.

[eudamoniac]

I don't know why people say this. When I wore glasses I cleaned them with my cotton shirts for over a decade and they didn't get scratched up, at all. I don't see how cotton would scratch glass to begin with.

[varjag]

Usually it's not the fabric but trapped dust that scratches the coating when you wipe.

[dpark]

They live in an imaginary world where no one ever cleaned glasses until microfiber cloths were widely available.

To clean glasses safely you basically need a soft, clean cloth. Cotton is totally fine. You could get away with a soft clean sponge, too. Or even a soft-ish piece of paper (which is what most disposable lens words are.)

[coldtea]

Most believe whatever marketing material or sponsored "expert" advice is presented to them for "proper care", without actually checking. At least glasses clenaning is a harmless area - people do the same for supplements, diets, and all kinds of health advice too.

[seb1204]

Yea, this reads very meticulous to me. I clean my glasses under running hot water and the micro fibre cloth. I wash the micro fibre cloth with dish soap from time to time. In a bind I clean the glass with any clean fabric that feels soft.

[calmbonsai]

The thing about many of the "proper" headphone roll-ups is they are dependent on a particular level of minimum bending radius, tension tolerance, and elastic deformation in the cords.

To put it more simply, many of them will simply ruin your headphones if they're done with reasonable frequency.

For thin earbud type cords, just coil them loosely in a small plastic bag or use a loose bundle secured with a broad velcro strap.

[sublinear]

I bought a giant pack of velcro straps on amazon several years ago and added at least one to every single wire or cable I use.

It made a massive difference in my quality of life and I still have so many velcro straps that I find myself giving them away.

[susiecambria]

They make fantastic stocking stuffers if you celebrate Christmas.

[calmbonsai]

Velcro Santa! ;)

[garettmd]

Please explain. I want to know if I'm doing those 2 things correctly...

[sanderjd]

On the bright side, burning calories!

[dieselgate]

I've been using Ian's for the past few months since it was last posted here. It's quite good to the point I prefer it but wouldn't say it's changed my life.

[jonathanlydall]

I have this problem too!

It could make their lives so much better, but kind of awkward to broach. Perhaps sholladay‘s advice will work well.

[gcanyon]

> deciding if they'd appreciate me telling them

This is me daily.

[kgwxd]

Don't tell them. Just use the information to silently judge everything they say or do, and have ever said or done. It's gotten me where I am today.

[twodave]

I tried writing a similar comment. Yours is much clearer. This 100%. As a runner I used to have to re-tie multiple times per run. I corrected my mistake with this same fix probably a decade ago and haven’t had a loose shoelace since.

[zimpenfish]

Back when I was running, I used the "lace lock" method[0] because a loose heel would drive me to distraction (and because I wore clown shoes with wide toe boxes, there's no pressure from the front to keep the foot stable.)

[0] e.g. https://www.coachweb.com/gear/running-gear/heel-lock-lacing-...

[twodave]

For sure. I've taken to using a similar method over the last couple of years as I've increased miles and needed to take steps (ha) to take better care of my feet over longer distances. I wouldn't recommend this setup for more active sports with lots of change of direction, but for steady plodding it provides a very consistent and dependable stride for a lot of miles.

[dzhiurgis]

I learning this on sailing trip, reefing knot is simply shoelace knot, but you need to make sure each loop is opposing. Game change. And then you learn about bowline.

[alt227]

> coming undone multiple times per day (unless double knotted)

You have bad laces. I thought this too before I tried different laces. Turns out different tensions and elasticities give different strengths of knots.

For example I have some military boots which came with slightly stretchy laces. They NEVER come undone, ever. They were the first pair that switched me on to this, and since then I have always bought laces with slight stretch to them, and the knots always stay done up.

In contrast when you buy a pair of fashion trainers, the laces in them are usually terrible and come undone several times per day as you have noted.

[jonathanlydall]

No, it had absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the laces.

It was because I was essentially tying a granny knot instead of a reef knot and anyone who knows anything about knots would realize that of course they would keep coming undone.

And for the record, since learning how to tie the correct knot (over 10 years ago now), I’ve had no problem with laces that have come with any of the following brands of shoes:

- Nike

- New Balance

- Asics

- Converse

- Vans

[alt227]

Lol, the fact you are name checking trainer brands in a conversation about lace quality tells all.

A single granny knot suffices fine with decent quality laces.

The ones that come with trainers are trash.

[jonathanlydall]

But a standard shoelace knot is just so much better, not only can it hold for an entire day (even on, according to you, "bad" shoelaces), but its slip release makes it instant to untie at the end of the day.

Before when I used a granny knot, shoelaces were a regular nuisance for me, but since switching to a reef knot over a decade ago they have not been at all, and I have never had to buy other shoelaces either.

It confuses me that you seem to be defending the granny knot which is objectively worse in every way and you come across as wilfully stubborn to your own detriment.

[alt227]

> Before when I used a granny knot, shoelaces were a regular nuisance for me

I know, you must have said this 2 or 3 times, and you are calling me stubborn?!

I'm defending the granny knot because its great. Its what we teach children, and it works perfectly fine.

As you are repeating yourself I will too.

I used to struggle before I started buying proper good quality laces. Now that I do, granny knots stay strong all the time and there is no need for anything else.

I am very happy with this by the way, you do not need to convince me otherwise. I am not trying to convince you to use them, only telling you that the opinion you are spouting on granny knots is incorrect.

[jonathanlydall]

It appears we’ll have to agree to disagree.

[Reason077]

I’m a big fan of the no-tie Quicklace system that Salomon use for my running and hiking shoes. Hard to go back to slow, fiddly traditional shoelaces once you’ve used quicklaces.

On the other hand, I’d probably be better at tying knots…

[rdudek]

Do you have a brand of those laces? The original ones on my Brooks runnign shoes are usually pretty good, but overtime they start getting more loose.

[e12e]

Sounds like:

https://www.ironlace.com/

[Arch-TK]

I mean, yes, the lace quality is important too. But strictly speaking, not tying a granny knot will improve your results regardless of choice of lace.

[calmbonsai]

"On" brand running shoes have great laces for knot-holding, but they're so thin it's awkward to manipulate them to actually tie the knot in the first place.

[codesnik]

Instead of relearning how to knot bunny ears, I make the first crossing the opposite way to granny knot, it's somehow easier for me.

[windward]

>Right-over-left, left-over-right,

>Makes a knot both tidy and tight.

I think I'd find this harder to remember than the principle.

[jonathanlydall]

Before your muscle memory is updated, all you need to remember is how to “quality check” the knot when you’re done. If the loops are perpendicular, it’s wrong, they should be aligned with the laces.

If it landed up perpendicular, start over (i.e. the part before you make the loops) with doing the opposite of what you did before e.g. right-over-left rather than left-over-right.

For me it was very easy to fix the pre-loop stage, trying to change the loop stage seemed way harder to me as I was already so practiced at it.

[xp84]

I do a similar quality check when tying a square knot (right over left, left over right but without the bows - probably the default knot for something you don't intend to ever untie and don't have a Scout's encyclopedic knowledge of more specialized knots) - since it doesn't have the bows, the quality check is that it should have a line of symmetry whereas if you repeat the same direction twice the finished knot is more of a spiral, having no line of symmetry.

[thom]

Not sure what my knot is called but it’s never come undone or gone wonky for me. At step five of the standard knot above, just pull the yellow loop into the empty space on the left and the blue loop to the right. Surely that saves you having to change hands?

[Version467]

Oh no, is this why my laces hold tight all day on some days and untie themselves regularly on other days?

Guess I have some experimenting to do.

[belthesar]

Same here, haha. A very cool coworker a decade ago was the person finally able to convey to me how to change that up, and it was lifechanging.

[RandomMarius]

I learnt this distinction only in my 40s. The problem is muscle memory now. But all I do is after I do my first loop, I undo it and undo it again, looping it in the opposite direction. If I untie my shoes I'm less likely to undo that loop. So I can just retie with muscle memory.

I used to hate shoe laces becoming undone multiple times a day... now I tie them and they literally last YEARS.