Q:Someone decided that egg was a good addition to my garage door. It was winter and 20 below so washing it off was not an option until this summer. I used a pressure washer –not my best idea, because now that section of the paint looks cleaner than the rest. How do I paint the door so it still matches the house? It is a metal garage door.

A: So, what I gather here is that someone egged and stained your metal garage door, and now part of it looks cleaner than the rest, and if you repainted the entire garage door, the paint, being newer, would not match the rest of the house.

When I touch up paint on my cedar clapboards, I use a foam brush and just a bit of paint and sort of wash it into the surface. I’m helped by the fact that I always keep about a half-gallon of the paint I’d originally used in a tightly sealed plastic container. That, and the technique, tend to solve shading differences.

Experiment with lighter and darker shades of the garage door paint, using a board or piece of metal for the test strips and then holding them to the surface to see if they match. You probably won’t get an exact match, but time and weather compensate for even the biggest differences in a very short time.

Q: A can of black paint was set on a brick retaining wall and it leaked and ran down the side. Is there any way to remove this paint stain?

A: It’s fortunate that the accident happened outside instead of inside the house, because chemical paint strippers seem to be what the professionals recommend, and you don’t want to deal with them in enclosed areas.

Wear a mask, goggles, gloves and loose-fitting clothes, and dispose of the residue in accordance with local environmental rules, and it should be good.

Q: My husband ruined my upholstered reclining chair with his perspiration and oils from his body. How I can clean it?

A: Leather is a real minefield to clean since so many cleaners can damage or discolor it. Although I offer my readers a chance to weigh in, I found a Web site that addresses the issue: tips. simplygoodstuff. com/how-to-clean-leather/