Trick is finding the right solution
MY SON-IN-LAW, who lives in Cape Town, told me that bicarbonate of soda removed the smell from his car after the dog had vomited, but he would like to know how to remove a horrible stain on the car seat. I did inform him about Sannitree Odour Digestor, mentioned in your column. – HB, Port Elizabeth.
Sannitree is great for removing smells, but a more concentrated effort will be needed on the stain, which I assume is on a fabric seat.
My old books recommend sponging with a strong borax and water solution. Your son-in-law should find borax in a big supermarket. It loosens stains and retards the growth of bacteria. Sponge off with clean water and then towel dry.
If this doesn’t work, it might be worth trying Amway bleach. An East London reader used the following method to remove notorious banana sap stains: “I use a full teaspoon of the bleach powder in half-a-cup of near boiling water. Stir well and then apply with a teaspoon to each stain.
“Dampen again every 15 minutes or so, and then leave on for about an hour. The results are quite miraculous, and it doesn’t affect colours.”
Nevertheless, test in an inconspicuous place first!
Amway is obtainable through agents. I’m sending you the number of a PE agent, who should be able to help with a contact number in Cape Town. THANKS for your suggestions on keeping rats out of our aviary. I looked on Google and found a list of plants that deter pests. What do you think? There is also information about poisonous plants, but we would need expert advice on whether they are too dangerous to try. – GB, Uitenhage
Some pest-repelling plants are pretty effective, and I have previously recommended basil on kitchen windowsills to deter flies and citronella oil to deter cats. I don’t think you should dabble in poisonous plants. Oleander has been known to kill cattle and I recently heard about a young Labrador that chewed up an amaryllis lily, and died. As this plant is also known as the belladonna (deadly nightshade) lily, it’s not surprising it was fatal.
I still think the best plan is to rat-proof the aviary. I strongly suspect that rats would simply bypass plants meant to harm them! I HAVE some pretty old china in my kitchen but some of the pieces have fine cracks in them. How can I lighten these cracks? – GY, Grahamstown.
Dust and grime tend to accentuate these cracks, so removing any dirt should help. Cover the cracks with a pad made of cottonwool or paper towel soaked in bleach and leave for a while, even a few days, keeping the pads wet. You could also scrub gently with an old toothbrush dipped in bleach. Rinse well in clean water. MY DAUGHTER’S white denim skirt had a mark on it which didn’t come out with stain remover and then laundering. I then put some neat Thick Jik on the mark, which has left a yellow ring. How can I remove this ring? I’m not sure if I must soak it in glycerine first and then apply lemon juice and put it in the sun? I just hope I haven’t ruined Sarah’s favourite skirt! – DR, Port Elizabeth.
I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but I’m afraid you have damaged the skirt. It’s a misconception that white is the natural colour of fibre, which is normally grey or yellowish. White is an added colour, just like the others.
What has happened is that the use of undiluted bleach has stripped the white coating from the fibre. The solution appears to be a new skirt! HOME MARKET I am running low on yarn for a multicoloured mohair blanket. Does anyone have leftover scraps they no longer need? – Sandra, Cannon Rocks, contact: 083-321-9848.
I am looking for a First Love doll. I am knitting dolls’ clothes. I have other dolls for measurements but not a First Love doll. – YM, contact: 071-591-0851.