Question: Recently, I purchased a bouquet of flowers from a market. The clerk wrapped them in heavy, black poster-type paper. The stems were quite wet and seeped through the paper, resulting in stains on my white denim jacket. As soon as I got home I washed it with plain water. I have also tried hair shampoo and quite a few commercial stain removers, including one containing hydrogen peroxide. I air-dried them outside in the sun. The stains faded quite a lot but are still visible as a faint charcoal colour. I’m not sure what I should try next; any advice would be welcome. Thanks, Shirley
Answer: Often, running hot water through tough fabrics such as denim will cause organic stains to disappear. Unfortunately, sometimes trying several commercial products on a stain will set the stain. The good news is you haven’t put the jacket in the dryer and the stain has lightened. Make a paste of water and one of the following: Head and Shoulders dandruff shampoo, glycerin, Sunlight detergent bar soap, washing soda or Borax. Leave for a few hours and wash as usual, being careful not to put the jacket into the dryer until you are sure the stain is gone. Worst-case scenario: purchase Rit dye remover or white Rit dye and use it according to the directions on the box. Places such as Michaels carry this product.
Question: Without constantly tossing dish cloths into the washing machine, how can I keep them smelling fresh? Alex
Answer: Boil them with a little dish soap and water in a pot for up to five minutes. Rinse, and if time permits, hang in the sun. Two extra tips: 1) If a family member has a skin condition, boil their facecloth. 2) If any fabric wash items smell, wash them with hot water and hang the items outside.
Household success
I bought a lovely rayon dress. I washed it in cold water and hung it to dry. It shrank to a shirt length, but I learnt I could fix it by putting it in cold water with hair conditioner. As it dried I stretched it, and it worked the dress is back to its original length!
— Rysa
The pasta I make tastes much better since adding this tasty tip to my kitchen routine. I cook pasta for one minute less than called for. I then heat up the sauce and toss the pasta in the sauce for one minute. Lots of flavour in every bite.
— Mario
Note: Every user assumes all risks of injury or damage resulting from the implementation of any suggestions in this column. Test all products on an inconspicuous area first.
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