Q How can I remove salt stains from leather shoes and boots?

A If the salt can't be brushed off, remove it with a soft cloth dipped in water or a mixture of water and white vinegar. This process, however, might harden leather. For shoes you value, use a commercial salt-remover product available at stores that sell shoes or at shoe-repair shops.

Q How do I get salt stains out of the carpet in the car?

A Dissolve the salt, and then wash it away. But that's easier said than done. Although table salt readily dissolves in water, it is not normally a part of the deicers we use in winter.

Try this:

• Vacuum to remove as much of the salt deposits as possible.

• Prepare a mixture of half water and half white vinegar.

• Using cotton balls, dab the mixture on small areas. For larger applications, a spray bottle might work better. Let it set for a minute or so.

• Using clean terry-cloth towels, dab the treated areas to dry and remove the stain.

You might have to repeat the process to get out all of the stain.

If the carpet is dirty and not just salty, it will need cleaning. You can try a traditional carpet cleaner, but Road & Travel Magazine recommends using a glass cleaner -- yes, a glass cleaner. Soak the area, allow it to sit for five minutes and then blot dry. Glass cleaner will clean all types of carpeting and upholstery without leaving the soapy residue of most traditional carpet cleaners, which only attract more dirt afterward. Glass cleaner is normally effective on difficult stains.

Q Salty sand collected on the lawn along the walk. I'm afraid it will kill the grass. What can be done about this?

A Salts in deicers can harm or kill grass and plants. Try to sweep and rake up as much of the salty sand as possible. Sweep it off the grass but don't push it into the street, where it will go into the storm sewers and ultimately into the watershed. Once the frost is out of the soil, soak the affected areas with water. That helps drive the salt deeper into the soil, where grass roots won't pick it up.

University of Minnesota Extension

Q We used deicer to help break up the ice on a brick walk. How can we remove the whitish stains left behind?

A. It's possible that the deicer included some sodium chloride. It's not a good idea to use such deicers on brick because they can cause efflorescence, a crystalline deposit of water-soluble salts on the surface. From your description, that is the stain you are seeing.

This deposit can usually be removed with a dry, stiff-bristled brush. If it is a heavy deposit, it might require the use of a proprietary cleaner such as one manufactured by ProSoCo. (Call 1-800-255-4255 for information or go to www.prosoco.com.)

Next year, if you must use a deicer, choose one without sodium chloride.

Engineering and Research, Brick Industry Association, Reston, Va.