Sticky situations, Greek icons in shining armour

MY HUSBAND managed to squirt Pattex contact adhesive on a 100% cotton turquoise T-shirt. Could you recommend something I can try to get this off? – CI, Port Elizabeth.

Sponging with pure acetone (from the pharmacy, not nail polish remover) is the best chance you have of removing a product that is designed to stay put. As the adhesive has now hardened, you can try to soften it with a hairdryer before applying the acetone.

Acetone evaporates quickly, so persistent sponging may be necessary.

You are safe using this solvent on cotton as it does not damage natural fibre. It can, however, be harmful to synthetics.

As the T-shirt is coloured, it would be advisable to test on an inside seam to ensure that the acetone does not affect the dye. If the colour is affected, I'm afraid the T-shirt will no longer go on outings but will become a stay-at-home shirt.

It's been nine months since I cleaned my sterling silver Greek icon with a toothbrush and toothpaste, and sprayed it with Q20. Here is a picture to show that it is still looking good! – MR, Port Elizabeth.

Thanks for the feedback. You certainly seem to have discovered an excellent cleaning method, and best of all, a lasting one.

Please can you let me know how to remove pollen stains from my clothing – JS, Port Elizabeth.

The first thing to do when you notice the pollen, is to take sticky tape and dab it over the loose pollen. This advice has come from several readers over the years. Most of the pollen sticks to the tape and only a small stain will remain. This can be removed by hand washing for suitable fabrics.

With organic fabrics such as cotton, especially if they are white, removing stains should not present too much of a challenge, but some pollen stains can be difficult – particularly the bright orange stains of lilies. Sponging with mineral turpentine has proved successful.

Another method is to make a paste of Omo and water and spread it on the stains. Rub in and leave for a while. Then soak in a strong solution of Omo and water.

If these treatments do not remove the stains you could try bleach, but proceed cautiously. Adhere strictly to the instructions on the Jik container. It includes the procedure for a colour-fast test.

For stain removal, the proportions are a quarter cup (about 65ml) of bleach to five litres of water. Soak the garment for five to 15 minutes. Rinse and then wash as usual.

I noticed your mention of the numbers in the recycling emblem for plastic. The triangle indicates a recyclable material where 1 stands for PET (I think polyethylene triapthelate), 2 is HDE (high density ethylene), 3 is uncommon (often lemon juice bottles and some medicine/chemical containers), 4 is LDPE (low-density polyethylene, 5 is PP (polypropylene), 6 is PS Hi (polystyrene high density) and 7 is "other", or mixed plastics. 1, 2, 4 and 5 are accepted locally. Wet paper, also mentioned in your column, is a problem for recyclers as paper is usually baled for transport prior to processing. – AF, Port Elizabeth.

Well, just the answer I had been hoping to receive from a well-informed reader. Thanks for all the details!

I have found the correct seals for a Tedelex pressure cooker, after unsuccessfully trying so-called "universal" seals. They are obtainable at P&P Electronics, 51 Green Street, North End. They also do repairs on various household appliances. – MR, Port Elizabeth.

Many thanks for the information. I'm sure it will be useful to other readers.

- At Your Service, with Gwen Bisseker