Tinkle, tinkle little star and jolly cats
HOW can I remove a urine stain from a mattress? – MP, Port Elizabeth
The golden rule for stain removal is to tackle the marks as soon as possible. Quite severe stains can be removed effectively if tackled immediately. Obviously, I'm leading up to the bad news that old stains are extremely difficult to get out, and I hope this does not apply in your case.
Steam-cleaning by a professional would probably get the best results, but if this is not an option, try carpet-cleaning shampoo, from the supermarket.
Make it up according to the instructions, and add a little white vinegar to the mixture. Beat the solution into a good foam, and using a sponge, utilise the foam rather than the liquid to rub into the marks. You don't want to over-wet the mattress. Working this way also reduces the chance of ending up with wider water marks.
An excellent carpet cleaning product that might work, is Metsan Dry Wonder carpet and upholstery cleaner, which comes in powder form. No water is involved in the cleaning process, which is given on the container.
At this holiday time, when families often have visiting children, it is wise to protect mattresses with waterproof covers.
I squirted Woodoc furniture oil on the upholstered seat of two dining room chairs. I have tried baby powder and also ironing with brown paper, to no avail. Can you help? – MH, Port Elizabeth
Baby powder is the right thing to use in a bid to absorb as much of the oil as possible, but it should be left on for a while – at least overnight. Unfortunately, the ironing with brown paper would have been compromised because you were not able to put the absorbent paper on both sides of the fabric, but you were on the right track with both attempts.
A proven way to get rid of oily marks from garments is to dampen the spot with cold water and rub in Sunlight soap, not saturating the area. Leave for a few hours, before laundering. Perhaps you could adapt the method. The first thing to establish is whether the fabric can take cleaning with soap and water. If it is a tough upholstery fabric, I see no reason why you should not try the Sunlight soap. Of course, you cannot launder the chairs, so getting rid of the soap will require repeated cleaning off with a damp cloth.
Another product that has been used successfully in removing oily marks – including engine oil from a woollen garment – is Handy Andy.
If all this sounds a bit daunting, perhaps a call-around to steam cleaning companies would bring a helpful response.
What can I do about my neighbour's jolly cat? I have lived peacefully (no pets at all) in my home for 30 years. Now a new neighbour arrives with a pesky cat. It lies on all the patio furniture (mounds of hair everywhere) and has decided that its loo is behind one of my chairs. – LW, Port Elizabeth
The answer is to make the cat as unwelcome as possible. Apart from chasing it away, you could adapt this method of keeping cats out of flower beds and boxes: Make a mixture of five parts cayenne pepper, three parts dry mustard and five parts flour, and sprinkle this in the appropriate places. The cat won't like it, that's for sure. Bowls of ammonia, strategically placed, are also effective, and so is the commercial product, Feliway.
Another thing you can try came in a reader's response to deterring aggressive dogs in the street. Both dogs and cats dislike the smell of citronella oil, so perhaps a spray or wipe down of the hard surfaces would be an additional deterrent.
Of course, take in cushions overnight.
- At Your Service, with Gwen Bisseker
