# What the heck!!



## cacarpetbagger (Oct 8, 2013)

I almost put this in unexpected discoveries, you'll see why.  Sooo I bought this wicker covered demi that was full of dried up crud like tar.  Fast forward a couple years and I finally get around to trying to clean this thing.  Tried gasoline, paint thinner and acetone to no avail.  Then because of a suggestion I found here I tried paint and varnish remover and that did the trick.  Took a couple of weeks of soaking and pushing a wooden dowel into the goo to loosen it up.  Then I made a scoop out of a cut off spoon handle wired to the wooden dowel, don't tell my wife.
 From there it was about scooping a little out at a time.  Then I notice when I would wash my hands with dish soap and water it melted right off my hands.  So I added some dish soap and water and that really did the trick, I was able to drain the tar out.  Here's a before pic, as you can see I keep my work area in my garage clean and organized at all times.


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## cacarpetbagger (Oct 8, 2013)

But after draining all the tar there was some solid stuff clunking around.  Turned out to be a bunch of petrified mice.  Your looking at a mound of mice.


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## cacarpetbagger (Oct 8, 2013)

This one came out in one piece, even the whiskers were preserved.  That's my tar scoop it is laying next to.  Hope I not grossing you out to much.


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## cacarpetbagger (Oct 8, 2013)

And here is the end result, I really like it.  Nice yellow green color in near mint condition.  It is more yellow than the pic shows.  Glad I finally cleaned it.


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## epackage (Oct 8, 2013)

Very common occurrence with these and stoneware pieces, sickening too, great demi


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## AntiqueMeds (Oct 8, 2013)

might of been molasses in there, that would have attracted mice like crazy.


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## cacarpetbagger (Oct 9, 2013)

> ORIGINAL:  AntiqueMeds
> 
> might of been molasses in there, that would have attracted mice like crazy.


 That's a possibility.


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## LC (Oct 9, 2013)

I have a beautiful green five gallon bottle plastered all over with bubbles . When I got it , it was full of some real sticky stuff as well . Had a fellow tell me it was sheep dip . Sheep dip is a liquid formulation of insecticide and fungicide which shepherds and farmers may use to protect their sheep from infestation against external parasites such as itch mite (Psorobia ovis), blow-fly, ticks and lice . Doesn't seem something like that would be sticky to me  . Anyway , filled it half full with water and sand and rolled it back and forth across the living  room floor for what seemed like forever . Any way ,the end result was that it took every bit of that gooey stuff out of the bottle . If I remember right I posted a pic of that bottle on here some time back .


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## FitSandTic (Oct 9, 2013)

Wow! That thing cleaned up nice, great color too.


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## cowseatmaize (Oct 9, 2013)

> Then I notice when I would wash my hands with dish soap and water it melted right off my hands.


I did a big messy car job a ways back and was taught an old trick. Mineral oil really lifts the grime off and then the dish soap rinsed it away. I still needed to scrape at the finger nails though.
 I wonder if that would work on the tarry stuff?


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## cacarpetbagger (Oct 9, 2013)

I don't know what that stuff was but it was tough to get out.  I'll remember the mineral oil, might try it if I have the same problem again.


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## cowseatmaize (Oct 9, 2013)

I'd be curious for sure. I went through that long ordeal a few times in my lifetime and know it's a royal pain. I think the hook and pull first will always be a big part though.


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