QUESTION: You helped me with a problem several years ago when my car trunk was drenched in gasoline. You told me to stuff the trunk with crumpled up newspaper, which I did, and the smell was gone. You also helped my daughter fix scratched CDs using peanut butter; she is a library technology student at Red River College and now the class keeps a jar of peanut butter in the classroom at all times for scratched CD emergencies.
My daughter and I really enjoyed your presentation at the Winnipeg Autumn Home Show (love the humour)! Here is my question; what is the best way to clean stains on leather and suede fabric? I couldn't find treatments in any of your three books. I have a leather jacket and know it's expensive to clean, so any tips would be appreciated.
-- Barbara (Lowe Farm)
ANSWER: In terms of leather, it is difficult to explain how to remove stains on leather without knowing what caused the stain. One solution to try (if you don't know what caused the stain) is to apply boiled linseed oil with a clean cloth. For regular leather cleaning; mix one quarter cup vinegar and half cup water; use a cloth to wipe off wax build-up. To restore the shine use a circular motion and apply saddle soap or Urad to leather. Never use furniture polish or varnish on leather because they may contain solvents that cause leather to become sticky. As for suede fabric, my favourite solution is to make a paste of baking soda and water. Leave it on the area for 10 minutes and then swipe the spot back and forth with a stiff brush until the area is clean.
QUESTION: In my last apartment my sofa bed was against an outer wall and I did notice that as the weather warmed there was a musty odour. I chalked this up to the fact that the upholsterer had made the skirt too long and air was not circulating underneath. I changed the fabric-covered mattress for a plastic covered one and sprayed the entire sofa with Febreeze and eventually Nil Odor.
The item has been on an inner wall for almost five years and I notice the same odour when the outside temperature rises. The bed has only been pulled out for use on less than 20 occasions during the many years I have had it, I air it out every summer when the specific aroma reminds me to do so. I hope you can give me a quick response before my wool carpet is also affected.
-- Thank you, Max, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Airing the sofa out is a good idea because it sounds as though mould grew or is growing somewhere inside of the sofa bed, perhaps in the mattress. In my opinion commercial air freshener sprays mask odours for awhile but don't actually clean. If I were you I would begin by having the bed professionally steam cleaned.
You may want to consider storing thin piles of newspaper inside of the sofa when the bed is closed, doing this will help absorb odour and moisture.
Reena Nerbas is the author of the national bestselling Household Solutions series. Her website is www.householdsolutions.org. You can contact her at Box 429, Blumenort, MB, ROA 0C0.
