Dear Reena: Our dog’s favourite place to sit was on our leather sofa. Now that she is gone, we cannot seem to get the odour off the leather. We have tried leather cleaners, but to no avail. I had a professional here yesterday to clean it, but he said pet odours cannot be removed. Can they?
Debbie
Dear Debbie: Begin by dampening the area and wiping it with white vinegar and baking soda. Wipe clean. Next, purchase a container of saddle soap, which is specifically made for leather. Wet a cloth and rub it with saddle soap to create lather. Work the lather into the chair and rub for several minutes, allowing the ingredients to penetrate the fabric so that you reach all areas of where the dog’s mess soaked through. Dry well.
Dear Reena: I dripped some red candle wax on an old oak table and did not notice it for over an hour. As soon as I saw it, I scraped off the wax and rubbed the spots with furniture oil. Now I see that, although all the wax is gone, there is still some red dye in the wood. I thought I might try some mineral spirits next, but I decided to contact you to see if you have thoughts on this. I would like to avoid having the table refinished if at all possible. Thanks in advance.
Shelby
Dear Shelby: Have you tried rubbing the area with the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser? Depending on the finish of the wood, you may have great success with this. I have also received reports that some people add a few drops of rubbing alcohol to the Magic Eraser and say that the dye stain disappears (test on an inconspicuous area first). Another option is to scrub the area with Head and Shoulders Dandruff Shampoo and rinse with water. Mineral spirits will likely remove the dye, but also damage the finish of the wood. Next time (if there is a next time), cover the area with a brown paper bag or tea towel. Press the area with a warm iron (steam setting off). Move the paper around the area to soak up all of the wax.
Dear Reena: I live alone and love the taste of freshly made bread. So I make my own bread dough and have a hard time eating more than one loaf while it is still fresh tasting. Is it possible to freeze bread dough and bake it later?
Jessy
Dear Jessy: All you need to do is increase the yeast by one third when you are making it for freezing. Allow the dough to rise as a loaf and then place the loaf into a lightly floured double-sealable bag. Freeze. When the time comes to bake the loaf, remove it from the bag and place it inside of a lightly oiled loaf pan. Cover the pan with a plastic bag and thaw in the fridge. Once thawed, let it rise and bake as normal.
Dear Reena: I bought the same honey that I always buy, but, for some reason, the honey in this bucket is as hard as a rock. I have already bent two spoons trying to get the honey out of the pot. Should I throw it out? The bucket was $20, so I don’t want to get rid of it.
Nathan
Dear Nathan: When I think about how hard those little honey bees work for every pound of honey, I cringe at the idea of even one teaspoon of honey being tossed into the trash. Especially since the solution is so simple. Fill the kitchen sink with hot water. Put the sealed honey pot into the water, making sure that no water seeps inside the pot. Wait 20 minutes and the honey will be liquid and easy to pour.
Did you know? The average worker bee produces between one and two teaspoons of honey in its entire lifetime.
