White spirit stain on linestone mantlepiece

[Peter Boulton]

Hi,

Our decorator put down a wet bottle of white spirit on our limestone fireplace mantlepiece and it has left a ring stain. We assume it is white spirit as it smells like white spirit and has not evaporated like water.

Assuming it is white spirit, please can anyone suggest a good way to remove the stain (other than replacing the fireplace!)? I've read about poultices of talcum powder and peroxide for other stains, but have so far not found any suggestions for white spirit.

Any suggestions most appreciated!

Thanks,

Pete

[Peter Boulton]

John Rumm wrote: ...

Good point John, it could be (either) - they both smell the same I think (to my nose, anyway!)

We thought it was coffee or tea till my wife had the good idea of actually putting her nose near it and sniffing!

If it was turps, then...

Pete

[John Rumm]

Sure it was not something more oily like turps? White spirit usually evaporates fairly quickly.

[John Rumm]

Real turps is uncommon - most encountered is the substitute stuff which is basically white spirit anyway. I would be inclined to leave it for a bit and see if it fades. Failing that, you could try a sheet of blotting paper and a little warmth (iron), and see if that picks up any. Absorbent materials like fullers earth or even clay cat litter may also draw some out. As a last resort, paint the rest with white spirit to match! ;-)

[Stuart Noble]

If you can still smell it, it hasn't evaporated, so there's a good chance it'll go eventually. It evaporates quickly from a sealed surface but limestone is porous, so it could take a while.

[Rod]

A priest?

[Frank Erskine]

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 21:06:56 +0800, Peter Boulton had this to say:

Make a claim against the decorator - he ought to be insured for things like this...

Failing that, an angle-grinder might help. :-)

[Andy Dingley]

Nope - white spirit is Stoddard solvent, originally a dry cleaning fluid, and it _will_ evaporate.

If this stuff doesn't, then it's either turps sub or poundshop white spirit that isn't real (to the BS standard) white spirit.

[Andy Champ]

Isn't that for dark spirits?

Andy

[Peter Boulton]

That's good thinking Stuart, thanks! I hope you're right. Not sure whether it might be a little lighter now but as we tried putting fragranced talcum powder over it we can now only smell the talcum powder!

Pete

[Peter Boulton]

That's good thinking Stuart, thanks! I hope you're right. Not sure whether it might be a little lighter now but as we tried putting fragranced talcum powder over it we can now only smell the talcum powder!

Pete

[The Medway Handyman]

He may well be - but he will have a policy excess of prolly £250, so its not an open purse.

[dennis]

That is his problem.

If he is a really careless workman he will end up without any insurance, that is also his problem.

[Frank Erskine]

On Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:59:24 GMT, "The Medway Handyman" had this to say:

So he'll have to pay the excess out of his own pocket....

[The Medway Handyman]

Yes Dennipoo's, hanging is too good for him. Be patient, matron will be around with your medication soon.

[The Medway Handyman]

Unlikely that the claim would be over £250, but the point I'm making is about the 'make a claim' culture that abounds these days. What the OP should do is to ask the decorator politely to help sort out the problem not immediately think 'make a claim, he's insured'.

[Stuart Noble]

There has to be some effort on the part of the home owner as well. Anyone who has tried to work in a house with kids (or, worse still, dogs) running around, will know what I mean. You start off with a situation where accidents are almost inevitable. I can remember having to wash up the breakfast things before tiling someone's kitchen. Whose responsibility is it if I break a plate? A very grey area I think.

[The Medway Handyman]

Yup. BTDTGTTS. Fitting laminate floor & the room hadn't been cleared as arranged, flat pack they said would be taken upstairs & wasn't - thats happened just this week.