Stains from Leather

New Zealand Listener, Volume 8, Issue 195, 19 March 1943, Page 11

Stains from Leather

Dear Aunt Daisy, Could you please help another through your page in The Listener? This is my trouble-while in town recently it became rather warm, so I popped baby’s best knitted white coatee into my blue leather zip bag. When I arrived home, I was very disappointed to see big blue patches of dye down the front of the coatee, Evidently the dye had come out where baby had dribbled on it, Is there anything to take off the stains? I find your pages in The Listener very helpful-the recipes are so practical. Pam, Try baking sode, Pam. Lay the coatee in lukewarm water-no soap, in case it may set the stain harder, and not sufficient water to cover the garment, Cover the places thickly with baking soda. Leave for some hours, then rub between the hands, rinse in clear water, and re-cover with soda. It may take three or four days, and if so, dry the coat two or three times in between the applications of soda, in case of mildew. Finally, wash in lukewarm soap suds in the usual way. This method was successful with a white linen tennis frock which had been washed with its red buttons on, and become stained with them. (2) Another idea which worked well with a stain off a leather belt on a silk ‘frock was to soak for an hour or so in a ten per cent solution of hydrochloric acid from the chemist. Wash afterwards in cool, soapy water, containing a little peroxide and a few drops of ammonia. Rinse well, Please let us know how*you get on.