Need your advice....

Published on March 17, 2004 By dharmagrl In Misc

I have a couple of questions that none of my friends seem to be able to answer, so I thought I'd tap into the plethora of wisdom readily available on JoeU and see what you all had to offer.

#1
I scored at the thrift store today and bought a single breasted leather blazer for $3.99 (whoo hoo!! Sorry, i'm still rejoicing at my find). It smells musty, you know, that thrift store smell? How do I get rid of that without getting the jacket dry cleaned (there's nowhere around here that dry cleans leather, I'd have to send it to Denver)? I have Febreeze, but have found in the past that it doesn't work as well as the commercials claim it does...so I was wondering if anyone had any experience with this sort of thing and wouldn't mind sharing it with me.

#2
I have warning lights on my car control panel (96 Merc. Sable LS). Recently the door open warning light has been coming on and staying on, even though all the doors are closed. I have narrowed it down to the driver's side door being the problem one...is this a sensor problem, and is it going to be easy to fix myself? I'm reticent to take it into the shop to get it looked at; since I totalled my Jeep this is my only means of transportation. If I can't fix it myself then I'd at least like to know what the hell is wrong with it so I can forewarn the mechanic and hopefully cut down on the amount of time I'm car-less. I'm pretty handy when it comes to cars and vehicles; I change the oil and do all the maintenance myself...having said that I also know when I'm out of my depth and need to call a mechanic.

Lastly....
Shea's kitten is in heat. For the past 4 days she's driven us nuts with her yowling, and has been wiggling her ass at anything that moves (and some things that are stationary too). How long is this going to last? Apart from getting her spayed or knocked up, what can I do to alleviate her symptoms, so to speak?

I look forward to your ideas......and thank you!

Comments

JeremyG

on Mar 17, 2004

Dont know about the first two, but for the cat....just cut out her tongue. Poof, no more noise.

JillUser

on Mar 17, 2004

I don't know about cars or cats but I do know I got smoke smell out of a leather jacket with the following:

1 part white vinegar
2 parts linseed oil

shake together in a jar, apply with soft cloth and let sit for 8-12hrs then buff with clean cloth. The vinegar removes odor and the two together help clean and condition the leather.

Hope that helps!

Dan Kaschel

on Mar 17, 2004

#2- check out the door and see if a lever is stuck. That happened to my car recently.

~Dan

dharmagrl

on Mar 17, 2004

I checked the door latch, that was the first thing I looked at. The door is closed, and the latch is fine...the warning light is only on for a few minutes before it goes off and the doors lock. I can lock the doors manually whilst the light is on, which leads me to believe it's something to do with the sensor.

Thanks for the input, tho, Dan.

imajinit

on Mar 17, 2004

you're not going to want to hear this, but for the cat, you can stick something in her ie. a sterile Q-tip and that will quiet her down. that's all she needs to 'satisfy' the craving for some *ahem* lovin'...

if you call a vet on the phone, they'd give you this info fer free...

dharmagrl

on Mar 17, 2004

...and you're charging me fer it, MJ?

I'll try it...I had heard something like that a long time ago....just forgot until you said something about it.

Thanks for the advice.....

Suspeckted

on Mar 18, 2004

Well I don't care about cats but as for the car thing...those entire "check engine" panel things and other warning lights were really just created to cut laymen out of car repair cause then they can use their really expensive computer analysis equipment to figure out that there's a short in your door sensor. My advice...screw it, and don't worry about it as long as the doors aren't flying open when you're driving. My friend has a "check engine" light on her grand prix that's been there for 5 years.

As for the coat....just leave it outside for a few days and let it air out....if you have a porch or something that would be perfect.

KarmaGirl

on Mar 18, 2004

#1 - What type of leather is it? Is it smooth or suede? JillUser's idea is good for smooth. They also sell "leather cleaner" that will help. The other thing you can do is get a large bag. Place the vest in it. Dampen a few dryer sheets and place then *inside* the vest. Close the bag and let it sit for a couple days.

#2 - if it works- don't worry about fixing it. If the light is what bugs you, take the bulb out. I agree with reply #7. My husband bought a code reader so that he could turn off the check engine light in his truck. It's an issue that he knows about, but it isn't anything that *needs* to be fixed. the trouble light is the most annoying part of the issue.

#3- I've never owned a cat and always have my animals spayed or neutered, so I have no advise other than have her spayed if you don't want extra kitties. I've talked to too many people whose cats have "gotten out".

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