GEAR Q & A

Q Is there anything I can do to get an oil stain out of my creamcoloured adventure suit?

A That’s a tough one. We asked kit-cleaning guru Damien Holt of Scrubbers Leathers. Here’s his advice: “There is no guarantee that oil can be removed completely but there are four stages: breakdown; remove; clean; re-waterproof.

“To break the oil down and thin it, soak for at least five hours in a stain digester with a high sodium lauryl sulphate content (SLS is very common in soaps). There are lots of these from Ariel, Persil and so on – but avoid any that have an ‘oxi action’ as this will make the fibres open too widely, making re-waterproofing virtually impossible. Rinse after this.

“To remove, soak and clean with a bog standard, cheap, household soap with warmish water (40°C), including rinsing, agitating the soap with a softish brush like a nail brush. Rinse again and repeat if necessary. If there is still some visible staining, try a bleach called ‘Ace’ (from the laundry isle, not household! It’s in a green bottle). This is an oxygenbased bleach so is quite mild. Finally, apply a waterproofer like Nikwax.”

Our advice would be send the kit to Damien: he produces his own special soaps and uses a three-stage re-waterproofing system. See www. scrubbersleathers.co.uk for more.

Q I’ve never worn ear plugs — the only ones I’ve tried were really uncomfortable. But everyone keeps nagging me to wear them. How do I decide what is a good set?

A Lucy Dell sells a test pack of 20 types for £9.95 – see www. earplugsbypost.com (a terrible website but a great service) – and one type is bound to suit. Or you could get a custom-fitted set. We use Ultimate Ear Squidgy ones (£65, see www.ultimateear.com for info).