Cleaning Crises!--Pen Ink

 Pen ink
On your
  pocket

Remove the pen and put it in the garbage. Remove the item of clothing, making sure not to smear the link stain on anything else. Place the stain face-down  on white paper towels or b. (put plastic beneath, to keep the ink from bleeding through and staining the surface you're working on.) Blot with a cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol, forcing the stain into the paper towels. If that does not work, try mineral spirits or kerosene. Be careful, because the solvents are flammable. Also test them first in an inconspicuous corner of the material. Rinse with water and launder in your washer.
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Rotten smell
            from
      unknown
          source

Follow your nose. First, try to isolate the odor. It is in a particular room? Is it wafting up from the basement? Is it a dead critter smell, a pet accident smell, a musty mold smell, a cooking odor?
Use deductive reasoning:  If it's in the kitchen and smells like rotten food, check the refrigerator
and the garbage disposal. Look under cabinets or appliances for dropped food. If it's a musty odor,
such as mold or mildew, check the sink drain or refrigerator drip pan. Look in the basement for mildew. Look for dead rodents. Here's how to handle a few common odor problems:

• For a kitchen with lingering cooking smells, wipe down all hard surfaces near the stove with a degreaser such as Simple Green, including windows, light fixtures, and cabinets. Wash curtains and dish towels.
• To deodorize your garbage disposal, grind up some lemon or orange peels in it.
• To deodorize your refrigerator, toss any old food, wipe down the interior with a damp sponge, and place an open box of baking soda inside.

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   Scorch
on fabric

Bad scorch stains cannot be removed. /Try laundering the fabric in your washer using bleach, if that is safe for the fabric. If not, soak in all-fabric bleach and hot water and then launder.
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Sewage
backing up
through
drains

First avoid using any toilets, sinks, tubs, or showers in the house until the backup is corrected.  And avoid direct contact with the contamination. (You may need rubber gloves and boots.) If you are part of a municipal sewage system, contact the city. It should send someone to diagnose the problem--and clean it up if it was the city's fault. If it's your fault, call a plumber or correct the backup the using a
plumber's snake  to clear the blockage. Clean up the mess using a wet vac and mop to remove the spillage. Mop and floors and wipe the walls with a heavy-duty cleaner/disinfectant. Then clean plumbing fixtures. Finally, call a professional to steam clean your carpets and rugs (the easiest and most effective approach), or do it yourself by renting or buying a steam cleaner (also known as a hot
water extraction machine) and following the directions that come with the machine.
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Smoke
from
fireplace

When smoke from the fireplace comes into the house, first make sure there is no chimney fire. Check for a loud roaring or sparks in the chimney. If it's a chimney fire, call the fire deaprtment. If it's not,
then chances are your chimney is not drawing well. Open a door or window on the windward side of the house to help the chimney draw. To clear out existing smoke, open more windows and doors
on the windward side and use fans to circulate the air. If the smoke smell lingers, wash the draapes and clean the upholstery. (Rugs should be OK, as smoke rises.) Wipe all exposed metal in the room with a degreaser, since smoke seeks out cool surfaces. (The acidic soot can etch metal.)
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Smoke
filling
kitchen

First, turn off the oven or stove. Contain the smoke by closing the doors to other rooms. Open the windows and turn on fans to circulate air. Next, wipe surfaces with a degreaser, such as Simple Green, to remove the particles and grease deposited by the smoke. Clean the walls and other surfaces close to the stove. Wipe the windows and window trim, light fixtures, and upper cabinets. Later,
wash the kitchen curtains and exposed dish towels.
   To get rid of the smoke odor quickly, combine 1/4 cup vinegar with 1 quart water and boil on the stove. The rising hot air will carry odor-neutralizing vinegar particles to the surfaces on which the smoke and grease settled.