T

TABASCO SAUCE

On carpet/upholstery

• Remove excess by blotting with paper towel.
• Place white vinegar on a cloth and wring tightly so it’s damp but not wet. Blot over the mark.
• Absorb moisture by covering the area with paper towel. Place a book on top of the paper towel to assist with absorption.

On cotton/fabric

• Rinse the stain with white vinegar.
• If stubborn, heat white vinegar in the microwave until it’s steaming. Pour through the stain until removed.
• Wash according to the fabric. Dry in sunshine.

TANDOORI

(see also ‘Vindaloo’)

On carpet/upholstery

• Remove excess by lifting with a plastic comb or by blotting with paper towel.
• Massage with a little dishwashing liquid on your fingertips until the liquid feels like jelly.
• Wipe with a damp cloth until the dishwashing liquid is removed.
• Place white vinegar on a cloth and wring tightly so it’s damp but not wet. Blot over the mark.
• Wipe with 2 drops of lavender oil on a cloth.
• To remove food colouring, expose to sunlight or ultraviolet light. (If using ultraviolet light, protect areas around the stain with cardboard.) Check every 2 hours.
• Absorb moisture by covering the area with paper towel. Place a book on top of the paper towel to assist with absorption.

On chopping board

• Wipe with 2 drops of lavender oil on a cloth.
• Scrub with dishwashing liquid and water.

On cotton/fabric

• Remove excess under the tap using cold water.
• Massage with a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid on your fingertips until the liquid feels like jelly.
• Rinse under blood-heat (body temperature) water.
• Place a dry cotton ball behind the stain. Working in circles from the outside to the inside, wipe the front of the stain with 2 drops of lavender oil on a cotton ball.
• Wash according to the fabric. Dry in sunshine.

TAR

On carpet/upholstery

• Remove excess by lifting with a plastic comb.
• Wipe with 2 drops of baby oil and 2 drops of tea tree oil on a cloth or pantyhose.
• When the tar softens, sprinkle with talcum powder.
• Rub with tissues. The tar will come away in little balls.
• Vacuum.
• Alternatively, remove excess then wipe with kerosene on pantyhose.
• Rinse with a damp cloth.
• Scribble with a cake of bathroom soap run under cold water.
• Wipe with a damp cloth.
• Absorb moisture by covering the area with paper towel. Place a book on top of the paper towel to assist with absorption.

On cotton/fabric

• If you can, place the fabric in the freezer.
• When frozen, cut off as much tar as possible with scissors or a blade.
• Dampen the back of the stain with baby oil and tea tree oil on a cotton ball.
• Working from the outside to the inside, rub the front of the stain with white spirits on a cotton ball.
• Massage with a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid on your fingertips until the liquid feels like jelly.
• Alternatively, remove excess then wipe with kerosene on pantyhose. Rinse with water.
• Wash according to the fabric. Dry on the clothesline or clothes airer.

On stone

• Remove excess by scraping with a single-sided razor blade.
• Wipe with baby oil and tea tree oil on a cloth. Alternatively, wipe with kerosene on pantyhose.
• If stubborn, mix plaster of Paris and water to the consistency of peanut butter.
• To each cup of mixture, add 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid.
• Spread 5 mm to 1 cm thick over the stain.
• Allow to dry completely. If it feels cold on the back of your hand, it’s not dry.
• When dry, brush away.

TARTARE SAUCE

On carpet/upholstery

• Remove excess by lifting with a plastic comb or by blotting with paper towel.
• Massage with a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid on your fingertips until the liquid feels like jelly.
• Wipe with a damp cloth until the dishwashing liquid is removed.
• Absorb moisture by covering the area with paper towel. Place a book on top of the paper towel to assist with absorption.

On cotton/fabric

• Remove excess under the tap using cold water.
• Massage with a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid on your fingertips until the liquid feels like jelly.
• Wash according to the fabric. Dry on the clothesline or clothes airer.

TEA

(see also ‘Green Tea’)

On carpet/upholstery

• For fresh spills, remove excess by blotting with paper towel.
• Lightly brush with 2 drops of glycerine on a toothbrush. Work from the outside to the inside of the stain.
• Tightly wring a cloth in white vinegar, fold the cloth flat and polish out the glycerine without pushing it into the back of the carpet or upholstery.
• For old spills, wipe with 2 drops of glycerine on a cloth. Leave for 90 minutes, then wipe with white vinegar.
• To remove milk, massage with a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid on your fingertips until the liquid feels like jelly. Wipe with a damp cloth until the dishwashing liquid is removed.
• Absorb moisture by covering the area with paper towel. Place a book on top of the paper towel to assist with absorption.

On cotton/fabric (not wool)

• If old, wipe with 2 drops of glycerine and leave for 90 minutes first.
• Blot with or soak in white vinegar.
• Wash according to the fabric. Dry on the clothesline or clothes airer.

On laminate

• Wipe with equal parts Gumption and glycerine on rolled up pantyhose.
• Wipe again with a damp cloth.

On marble/stone

• Mix plaster of Paris and water to the consistency of peanut butter.
• To each cup of mixture, add ½ teaspoon of glycerine.
• Spread 5 mm to 1 cm thick over the stain.
• Allow to dry completely. If it feels cold on the back of your hand, it’s not dry.
• When dry, remove with a plastic scraper.

On wool

• Massage with equal parts glycerine and cheap shampoo on your fingertips.
• Leave for 30 minutes.
• Rinse in blood-heat (body temperature) water.
• Rinse in 1 teaspoon of cheap hair conditioner and blood-heat water.
• Gently wring and dry flat on a towel in the shade.

TEAPOT

To clean ceramic

• Sprinkle with bicarb followed by white vinegar.
• When the mixture fizzes, scrub with a nylon brush or pantyhose.
• Wipe with a damp cloth.

To clean silver

• Place 1 cup of unprocessed wheat bran in a large bowl. Add drops of white vinegar one at a time, stirring as you go, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. It shouldn’t be wet. Place into the toe of pantyhose, tie off and rub over the teapot.
• Alternatively, apply the mixture directly wearing old cotton socks on your hands to prevent sweat from tarnishing the silver. Wipe with a damp cloth.
• For shadow marks, wipe with non-gel toothpaste, then wipe with bicarb and white vinegar on a cloth. Wipe with a damp cloth.

TELEVISION

Television screens are very sensitive and should be cleaned with care.

To clean LCD and plasma

• First, turn off the TV.
• Wipe the screen with one damp and one dry pair of pantyhose. Lightly rub with the damp pair and then with the dry pair.

THERMOS

To clean

• Put 2 tablespoons of bicarb, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of uncooked rice inside the thermos.
• Put your hands on top and shake, but not for too long. Don’t put the lid on or it will explode.
• Let it sit for 30 minutes.
• Shake again and rinse.

TIGER BALM

On carpet/upholstery

• Remove excess by lifting with a plastic comb or by blotting with paper towel.
• Scribble with a cake of bathroom soap run under blood-heat (body temperature) water.
• Wipe with a damp cloth.
• Wipe again with 2 drops of tea tree oil on a cotton ball.
• Absorb moisture by covering the area with paper towel. Place a book on top of the paper towel to assist with absorption.

On cotton/fabric

• Scribble with a cake of bathroom soap run under blood-heat (body temperature) water.
• Rinse in blood-heat water.
• Wipe with 2 drops of tea tree oil.
• Wash according to the fabric. Dry on the clothesline or clothes airer.

TILE

(Indoor/outdoor)

To clean

• Sprinkle with a little bicarb. Spray with white vinegar.
• While fizzing, sweep with a broom or wipe with a cloth.
• To finish, wipe with a damp cloth.
• To clean grout, scrub with a plastic (not metal) scourer while bicarb and white vinegar is fizzing.

TIMBER SHUTTERS

To clean

• For heavier soiling, cut a kitchen sponge in half. Place each half sponge on one inside of a pair of tongs. Secure with rubber bands.
• Place one sponged tong end on the top and the other on the bottom of each slat, pinch the ends together and run along each slat.
• If very dirty, dip the sponges in a solution of black tea and hot water and run along the slats.
• For lighter soiling, put on white gloves and run your fingers along the slats.

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TIP

Have a peg handy in case the front doorbell rings while you’re cleaning the shutters. That way you know where to resume cleaning.

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TISSUE

In washing machine

• To remove tissue fluff, put your hand inside the toe of pantyhose and wipe over the drum of the washing machine. The tissue will stick to the pantyhose.
• For garments covered in tissue, wash in the washing machine and add pantyhose. The tissue will stick to the pantyhose.
• For remaining fluff, put on disposable rubber gloves and wash your gloved hands with a cake of bathroom soap and water. Shake your hands dry. Stroke over the fabric and the tissue will attach to the rubber gloves.

TOBACCO

(see ‘Cigarette Ash’ or ‘Cigarette Staining’)

TOFFEE

On carpet/upholstery

• Remove excess by lifting with a plastic comb or by blotting with paper towel.
• Scribble with a cake of bathroom soap run under blood-heat (body temperature) water.
• Scrub with a toothbrush or pantyhose in all directions – north, south, east and west.
• Blot with equal parts white vinegar and water on a cloth.
• Absorb moisture by covering the area with paper towel. Place a book on top of the paper towel to assist with absorption.
• When almost dry, repeat.
• If a shadow returns in a couple of weeks, repeat again.

On cotton/fabric

• Soak in cold water first.
• Scribble with a cake of bathroom soap and blood-heat (body temperature) water. Rub the fabric against itself using your hands.
• Rinse in equal parts white vinegar and water.
• Wash according to the fabric. Dry on the clothesline or clothes airer.

On stone

• Wipe with a cake of bathroom soap run under blood-heat (body temperature) water on a cloth.
• Mix plaster of Paris and water to the consistency of peanut butter.
• To each cup of mixture, add 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid.
• Spread 5 mm to 1 cm thick over the stain.
• Allow to dry completely. If it feels cold on the back of your hand, it’s not dry.
• When dry, brush away.

TOILET

To clean

• Flush the toilet to wet the inside of the bowl.
• Sprinkle bicarb over the inside of the bowl.
• Wipe the top of the cistern with bicarb and white vinegar on a cloth.
• Wipe the top of the toilet lid, under the lid, the top of the seat and under the seat with the same cloth.
• Splash white vinegar over the bicarb in the bowl and use a toilet brush to scrub, including under and around the rim.
• Wipe the top of the rim with a cloth.
• Rinse the cloth under hot water and wipe again.
• Flush.
• Rinse the cloth and wipe the outside of the toilet bowl right to the floor, including the plumbing at the back.
• For stubborn stains, leave 2 denture tablets in the bowl for 1 hour. Then flush.

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TIP

To save on cleaning, place 2 denture tablets in the toilet cistern once a week.

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TOMATO

On carpet/upholstery

• Remove excess by lifting with a plastic comb or by blotting with paper towel.
• Place white vinegar on a cloth and wring tightly so it’s damp but not wet. Blot over the mark.
• For a red stain, expose to sunlight or ultraviolet light. (If using ultraviolet light, protect areas around the stain with cardboard.) Check every 2 hours.
• Absorb moisture by covering the area with paper towel. Place a book on top of the paper towel to assist with absorption.

On cotton/fabric

• Remove excess under the tap using cold water.
• Blot with or soak in white vinegar until the stain is removed.
• Wash according to the fabric. Dry in sunshine.

On stone

• Wipe with white vinegar on a cloth.
• If stubborn, mix plaster of Paris and water to the consistency of peanut butter.
• To each cup of mixture, add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar.
• Spread 5 mm to 1 cm thick over the stain.
• Allow to dry completely. If it feels cold on the back of your hand, it’s not dry.
• When dry, brush away.

TOMATO SAUCE

On carpet/upholstery

• Remove excess by lifting with a plastic comb or by blotting with paper towel.
• Place white vinegar on a cloth and wring tightly so it’s damp but not wet. Blot over the mark.
• Absorb moisture by covering the area with paper towel. Place a book on top of the paper towel to assist with absorption.
• For a red stain, expose to sunlight or ultraviolet light. (If using ultraviolet light, protect areas around the stain with cardboard.) Check every 2 hours.

On cotton/fabric

• Remove excess under the tap using cold water.
• Blot with or soak in white vinegar. For a red stain, hang in sunshine before washing.
• Wash according to the fabric. Dry in sunshine.

On plastic

• Mix 2 drops of glycerine and talcum powder until it forms a paste.
• Wipe on the mixture with a cloth.
• Alternatively, rub uniodised salt and lemon juice into the plastic and leave in sunshine.

On stone

• Remove excess by blotting with paper towel.
• Place white vinegar on a cloth and wring tightly so it’s damp but not wet. Blot over the mark.
• If stubborn, mix plaster of Paris and water to the consistency of peanut butter.
• To each cup of mixture, add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar.
• Spread 5 mm to 1 cm thick over the stain.
• Allow to dry completely. If it feels cold on the back of your hand, it’s not dry.
• When dry, brush away.

TONER

On carpet/upholstery

• Rot some full cream milk in the sun until it forms solids.
• Place the solids over the stain.
• When the ink is absorbed, remove the rotten milk solids by lifting with a plastic comb.
• Scribble with a cake of bathroom soap run under cold water.
• Wipe with a damp cloth.
• Absorb moisture by covering the area with paper towel. Place a book on top of the paper towel to assist with absorption.

On cotton/fabric

• Rot some full cream milk in the sun until it forms solids.
• Place the solids over the stain.
• When the ink is absorbed, wash off the rotten milk solids.
• Wash according to the fabric. Dry on the clothesline or clothes airer.

TOOTHPASTE

Remove as soon as possible because it can bleach surfaces.

On carpet/upholstery

• Remove excess by lifting with a plastic comb or by blotting with paper towel.
• Place white vinegar on a cloth and wring tightly so it’s damp but not wet. Blot over the mark.
• Absorb moisture by covering the area with paper towel. Place a book on top of the paper towel to assist with absorption.

On timber

• Wipe with water on rolled up pantyhose.
• If the toothpaste has bleached the timber, wipe with a damp tea bag. The tannins in tea draw out the tannins in the timber and replace the colour.

On wool

• Remove excess under the tap using blood-heat (body temperature) water.
• Blot with equal parts white vinegar and water on a cloth.
• Soak in 1 teaspoon of cheap shampoo and blood-heat water for 30 minutes.
• Rinse in blood-heat water.
• Gently wring and dry flat on a towel in the shade.

TOY

To clean hard toy

• Mix ¼ teaspoon of tea tree oil and 1 litre of water in a spray pack. Tea tree oil is a great disinfectant and is non-toxic.
• Spray over the toy and wipe with a cloth.
• To clean a mouldy rubber toy, add ¼ teaspoon of oil of cloves to a 4-litre bucket of blood-heat (body temperature) water.
• Place the toy in the bucket, squeeze so water gets inside and leave for 2 hours.
• Remove, squeeze out the water and set aside to dry.

To clean soft toy

• Place in the freezer to kill microscopic bugs and dust mites.
• Check the label. Most can be washed in the washing machine on a gentle cycle. Instead of detergent, use 1 tablespoon of cheap shampoo. Place in a delicates bag or pillowcase.
• Don’t use the dryer but hang the toys to dry in sunshine.
• Alternatively, after removing from the freezer, mix 1 kg of unprocessed wheat bran and drops of white vinegar until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Place inside a pillowcase and add the soft toy. Tie off and shake well.
• Remove toy and brush with a scrubbing brush.

TREACLE

(see ‘Maple Syrup’)

TREE SAP

(see ‘Sap’)

TRUFFLE OIL

(see ‘Cooking Oil’)

TULLE

For glue

• Boil the kettle to generate steam.
• Hold the affected area over the steam for 1 minute.
• Rub over the glue with pantyhose. The glue will be pulled off.

To smooth

• To stiffen or smooth tulle, mix 1 tablespoon of pure soap flakes with 1 litre of water in a spray pack.
• Shake the mixture until the soap flakes are completely dissolved.
• Spray over the tulle.
• Pull the tulle straight and dry with a hair dryer. Don’t hold the hair dryer too close or the heat will melt the tulle.

TUNA

(Tinned with oil)

On cotton/fabric

• Remove excess under the tap using cold water.
• Scribble with a cake of bathroom soap run under cold water.
• Massage with a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid on your fingertips until the liquid feels like jelly.
• Rinse using cold water.
• Wash according to the fabric. Dry on the clothesline or clothes airer.

TURMERIC

On carpet/upholstery

• Remove excess by blotting with paper towel.
• Blot with 2 drops of lavender oil on a cloth until removed.
• Absorb moisture by covering the area with paper towel. Place a book on top of the paper towel to assist with absorption.

On cotton/fabric

• Remove excess under the tap using cold water.
• Place a dry cotton ball behind the stain. Blot the front of the stain with 2 drops of lavender oil on a cotton ball.
• Wash according to the fabric. Dry on the clothesline or clothes airer.

On stone

• Massage with a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid on your fingertips until the liquid feels like jelly.
• Wipe with a damp cloth.
• If stubborn, mix plaster of Paris and water to the consistency of peanut butter.
• To each cup of mixture, add 1 teaspoon of lavender oil.
• Spread 5 mm to 1 cm thick over the stain.
• Allow to dry completely. If it feels cold on the back of your hand, it’s not dry.
• When dry, brush away.

TYRE MARK

On concrete

• Dampen concrete with water.
• Sprinkle with uniodised salt.
• Sweep backwards and forwards with a stiff broom.
• Rinse with a hose.

On cotton/fabric/vinyl flooring

• Mix 2 tablespoons of uniodised salt, 2 tablespoons of talcum powder and 1 tablespoon of glycerine to a paste.
• Place over the mark. Leave for 90 minutes.
• Rinse using cold water.
• For vinyl flooring, wipe with a damp cloth.
• For others, wash according to the fabric. Dry on the clothesline or clothes airer.

On stone

• Wipe with uniodised salt on a scrubbing brush.
• If stubborn, mix plaster of Paris and water to the consistency of peanut butter.
• To each cup of mixture, add 1 teaspoon of white spirits.
• Spread 5 mm to 1 cm thick over the stain.
• Allow to dry completely. If it feels cold on the back of your hand, it’s not dry.
• When dry, brush away.