Dear Home Ec 101,

Hello! My three year old son decided it would be fun to draw on our car upholstery with black pen.

In the past I have been able to use hairspray on crayon with wonderful success (couch and table cloth), but I have never attempted it on pen. Any tips or am I better of just leaving the unsightly mess? I’d hate to try something and have it look worse.

Thanks,

Inky in Indy

Ivy says:

Give a little kid a pen and they will create a masterpiece. Unfortunately, if they don’t have any paper on hand, they’ll draw on anything that happens to be around, whether it’s their own skin or your walls or your car upholstery.

Fortunately, cleaning it isn’t that bad. You’re going the right direction with thinking hairspray, but it is the alcohol in the hairspray that does the actual cleaning. So skip the middle man and get some rubbing alcohol.

First, blot the stain to get up any excess ink. Don’t rub. Nowhere in this process should you rub*- rubbing will cause the stain to spread, so blot only. Then put some alcohol on a rag and blot again with the alcohol. Keep alcoholing and blotting until the stain comes up.

I find it really amusing that we’re using rubbing alcohol to clean something that is blot-only, but perhaps that is only me. Good luck!

*If you have a very large ink blot, you may have to do a tiny bit of rubbing. Work from the outside of the blot inward to make the stain smaller.

Hello ladies!

I’ve asked my mom, I’ve asked my friends, and I don’t know why I didn’t ask you two first.

Here’s the skinny: we bought our first new furniture early last year; a couch and a recliner.  My husband works in a kitchen, so he comes home sweaty and covered with kitchen grease and steam and all that good stuff (Ivy, you know what I’m talking about).  After a year and a half of him coming home exhausted and flopping into his beloved chair, we’ve got a nice dark mark right where his head rests.

The chair is covered with regular upholstery but was sprayed with Scotch Guard type stuff when it was manufactured.  Any bright ideas on how to get the kitchen funk out of our living room?  Other than covering it up with a towel, which I’ll likely be doing anyway.

Signed,

Mrs. Danny Zuko

Heather says:

After spending nearly ten years in restaurants, I do know the particular funk of which you speak. Before you do anything, I want you to look for your stain / warranty information.  There will probably be a phone number to call.  If you cannot find your paperwork, look up the manufacturer online and see if you can find care information.  If you have a warranty, you do not want to void it by improperly caring for your furniture.

My first suggestion is to try cornstarch.  Use a generous amount and rub it into the stain.  Work it in gently with either an old toothbrush or the brush attachment on your vacuum (while it is not running).   Vacuum the area thoroughly then wipe with a slightly damp rag.  You may need to repeat this process several times.  I have also heard of using this technique with salt, cornmeal, or talcum powder.  My only concern with salt or corn meal is they may act as an abrasive and weaken fibers.

If this is ineffective try using baby wipes on the affected area.

Your care tag will likely have some guidelines:

W – water based cleaners

S- solvent based

SW – Water or Solvent

X – Vacuum only

For tags marked W  try using diluted dishwashing soap.  Gently rub it into the area, use a dry cloth to soak up as much as possible before using clear water to rinse the area.  Blot, then blot some more.  Finally fold a white towel, place it on the armrest, and weight it with a large book.  Every hour or two change the towel for a dry one and replace the weight until the fabric is dry to the touch.   Use a fan in the room after the towel has been removed to further encourage thorough drying.

If your care tag is marked S, try an upholstery foam but please check it in an inconspicuous spot first and follow all the label directions.

Good luck.

Send your household questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.