Untraditional stains are a thing of the past
DO you have a remedy for removing tea stains from table linen? All the detergents and 40 volume peroxide I have used don't work. Sodium hypochlorite takes out the colour. – BL, Port Elizabeth.
It's "the sooner the better" with stains, and tea certainly falls into that category. Now that you have already tried to remove the stains, the chances of getting them out are even slimmer.
Regarding sodium hypochlorite, you can use chlorine bleach in a weak solution for coloured linens and cottons. There are instructions on the Jik bottle for testing for colour fastness, and the safe proportions for stain removal, the time factor for the treatment (five to 15 minutes) and then rinsing.
An alternative to bleach is borax. For coloured fabric, soak in a solution of 15ml borax and 500ml warm water.
After removing the stains, soak in a strong solution of cold water detergent. This will freshen up the tablecloth before it goes into the washing machine.
We put in laminated wooden floors two years ago and they look beautiful. I use a cleaner intended for laminated floors – just a few drops in the water – and go over them with a wrung-out mop. This is fine, but I needed to wipe some water off the floor and used white kitchen paper towel. To my surprise the towel has come up very grey. Now what do I use to clean this lovely flooring? – VT, Port Elizabeth.
You have kept your floors in a good condition by doing the right thing. Using any strong cleaning solutions could spoil them. I spoke to a company that specialises in laminated flooring, and they stressed the need to keep cleaning methods simple.
Stains can be treated with a little Sunlight dishwashing liquid. Otherwise, just keep up with your regular maintenance programme.
I have bought a house with double Roman concrete roof tiles. They have developed a black mould, especially on the leeward side. I've heard that high pressure cleaning is not ideal long-term as you open the pores in the tiles, which then allow growth of the fungus to replicate. Is there a "soft" method of cleaning, and what products can you recommend? – Peter, Port Elizabeth.
Having spoken to Industro Clean in North End, I was interested to find that your reservations about high- pressure hosing for your problem was a valid one. They recommend spraying the tiles with Ketovapour Chlor. This is a specially designed product which can be used on cement tiles and also on paving.
After spraying, leave for a short activating time and then rinse off with a normal garden hose.
I lifted a loose rug from my parquet flooring, only to find a few pet stains! Do you have any suggestions for removing the stains please? – FS, Port Elizabeth.
Tackling the stains depends on the state of the parquet. Presumably it is not sealed with a varnish, otherwise it shouldn't have stained.
If professional sanding is not an option, you can try some cosmetic work. Brown shoe polish, for instance, can achieve remarkable results. Believe it or not, I once stained a whole wooden bench with liquid wax shoe polish. It worked like a charm. There is, of course, a wide range of products for staining wood.
The metal studs of an easy chair that was put back on a damp carpet have caused rust marks. How can I remove them? – LW, Port Elizabeth.
If the marks are not too entrenched, rubbing them with a cut lemon is often sufficient. Otherwise, make up a solution of one teaspoon of cream of tartar and one teaspoon of lemon juice in 500ml water. Sponge this into the stains, leave briefly, then wipe off with clean water and blot dry thoroughly.
- At Your Service, with Gwen Bisseker