This solution for removing gum from your shoe requires that you either have this product already or that you purchase it. Take a can of WD-40 and spray the area of the shoe with the gum. Allow at least one minute to pass. Use a paper towel or rag to wipe away the gum and the oily spray from the shoe. Use a clean rag or paper towel to wipe the shoe a second time to remove any additional residue.
Automotive Engines
Tools & Technique:
To clean automobile engines, use a commercially available product. Spray generously onto a cool engine, allow degreasers to work, then hose off, avoiding electrical wires, connections, and boxes.
Tree Sap from Automotive Finish
How can I safely clean off some tree sap that is on my car’s exterior? It has been on there for a while and seems to be stuck like glue. It must have fallen on my car when I was parked under some pine trees last autumn.
Tree Sap
Removing tree sap from a car’s finish is a bit more difficult than tar, as hardened sap can scratch your paint. I’ve found that by hand-rubbing the sap spots with mineral spirits or denatured alcohol, I’m able to easily remove the sap without damaging the finish. Mineral spirits and denatured alcohol acts as a solvent to break up and dissolve the sap.
If there is a large amount of sap on the car, or if the sap has been left on the finish for an extended period of time, it can be a lot of work to remove. For these cases, I discovered that hitting the affected areas with a light-duty buffing compound removes the hardened surface on the sap spots. Then I can hit the sap with the mineral spirits to remove it. The light duty buffing compound softens the sap so the mineral spirits or denatured alcohol can do its job. The goal is to use the least pressure possible to reduce the risk of scratching the paint. After removing heavy sap, I always buff the treated areas with a good polish to clean up any marks created during hand-rubbing with solvent. The treated area must also be re-waxed.
We’ve also had good success using orange based solvents and children’s plasticine (molding clay). Apply a bit of the solvent and rub with the clay – it is abrasive enough to scrub off the sap which has been broken down by the solvent.
All of the chemicals used to remove the aforementioned tree sap also removes your wax or sealants. After removing tar, sap or bugs, plan to spot wax or re-wax your vehicle. If you don’t have time to wax right away, use a quick detailing spray that contains wax. Eagle One’s Wet Spray Wax, a quick spray wax, is great for this kind of spot waxing, too.
Information provided by www.Autopia-carcare.com
Pillows
Your pillow will always come with an instructions label. Before deciding to wash or dry clean your pillow, read the instruction label.
Wash vs. Dry Clean
If your instructions advise you to only dry clean your pillow, do not attempt to wash it just to save a trip and few dollars. Take your pillow to the dry cleaners and ask them to do the job.
Machine Wash vs. Hand Wash
If you are going to wash you pillow in the washing machine, try and do so in a separate cycle without any other linen or washing. Pillows should always be washed on delicate cycle. This prevents them from losing their shape.
Pillows have different fillings and therefore, for best results always use a mild soap, if possible avoid laundry powder detergent. Liquid soap is usually the best option to go with. When the wash cycle has finished, go through the rinse cycle at least two to three times to make sure all the soap has been completely washed out. Do the same for the spin feature to take out the maximum amount of water from the pillows.
If you are washing your pillows by hand, fill a tub with warm water, mild liquid soap and a few drops of bleach. Immerse the pillow completely into the water and cover the tub. Leave for about half an hour. Then squeeze the pillow a few times to get all the dirt out. Rinse under running water for at least 15 20 minutes, or till you feel that the soapy feel has disappeared. Place on a flat surface to get rid of excess water.
Drying
Whether you wash your pillows in a washing machine or hand wash them, it is important to make sure you have a completely dry and fluffy pillow.
Pillows require plenty of space in the dryer, so do not put any other articles to dry with them in the dryer. During the dry cycle add some new or clean tennis balls. As the pillows have filling in them, they will require a few cycles to be completely dry.
Once you feel they are dry, give them a few punches to bring back the fluffiness, and leave in an airy and moisture free room for a day or so, as there may still be some moisture deep inside the pillow that you may not be able to feel but is a perfect breeding ground for mould. Once finished, you are ready to use your pillows again.
Spilled Gas On Carpet
I spilled gas in the back of my SUV. The smell will not go away. What can I do to remove it?
Ryan
The solution is to rinse the nonvolatile solvent(gasoline) out of the carpet using a volatile solvent (dry cleaning solvent). Volatility refers to the ability of the solvent to dissipate at room temperature.
What you have tried to do was to wash, in essence, oil with water. They do not mix in fact when you attempted to wet clean the area the gas would have chased from the water.
If the spill is large (bigger than a dollar bill) I recommend calling an IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning & Restoration) certified carpet cleaning company and let them handle the problem.
If it is a small area, purchase some dry cleaning solvent (available @ grocery stores, janitorial supplier or carpet cleaning supply houses) along with some white terry towels.
Follow all safety instructions on the dry cleaning solvent bottle.
Test the affect of the dry cleaning solvent on the carpet before attempting to clean it by placing a small amount of dry cleaning solvent on the terry towel and apply it to an inconspicuous part of the carpet (I.e. under the seat) to see if there is any colour transfer or puckering.
If there does not seem to be a problem with the test, proceed to clean the stained area by placing dry cleaning solvent on the terry towel (DO NOT POUR IT DIRECTLY ONTO THE CARPET) and lightly tamp the stained area. Repeat this process 3 or 4 times if required and do nothing else.
Dry cleaning solvent will dissipate when exposed to the air and does not leave cleaning residue.
Cheers
Jay Miles, Forum Member
CRS Carpet Cleaning
Vancouver, Cananda
