V
VANILLA ESSENCE
On carpet/upholstery
- Remove excess by blotting with paper towel.
- For a new stain, place white vinegar on a cloth and wring tightly so it’s damp but not wet. Blot over the mark.
- For an old stain, wipe with 2 drops of glycerine on a toothbrush or cloth. Leave for 90 minutes. 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 imitation vanilla, use previous steps and then leave for 24 hours. Then wipe with white vinegar 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.
On cotton/fabric
- Remove excess under the tap using blood-heat (body temperature) water.
- For an old stain, wipe with 2 drops of glycerine on a cloth. Leave for 90 minutes.
- For a new stain, blot with or soak in white vinegar.
- Alternatively, for an old or new stain, soak in ½ lid of Vanish NapiSan Oxi Action and 9 litres of blood-heat water for 30 minutes. Don’t use on wool, silk or leather.
- Wash according to the fabric. Dry on the clothesline or clothes airer.
On timber
- Vanilla can eat through varnish and paint.
- For a sealed surface, wipe with 2 drops of dishwashing liquid and water on a cloth. You may need to replace the paint or varnish.
VANILLA EXTRACT
On carpet/upholstery
- Remove excess by blotting with paper towel.
- Mix equal parts white vinegar and blood-heat (body temperature) water.
- Scrub the mixture with a toothbrush or pantyhose in all directions – north, south, east and west – until removed.
- Absorb moisture by covering the area with paper towel. Place a book on top of the paper towel to assist with absorption.
- When the carpet appears to be almost dry, repeat.
- If a shadow returns in a couple of weeks, repeat again.
On cotton/fabric
- Remove excess under the tap using cold water.
- Blot with or soak in white vinegar.
- Wash according to the fabric. Dry on the clothesline or clothes airer.
VARNISH
To clean
- For oily or grimy patches on varnished surfaces, scatter damp tea leaves over the stain and allow the tannins to break down and absorb the grime.
- Polish with beeswax on a cloth.
To remove
- Wipe with white spirits on a cloth.
- On painted surfaces, wipe with white spirits on a cloth, then wipe with a damp cloth and allow to dry.
VASELINE
(see ‘Petroleum Jelly’)
VASE
To clean
- Wash with a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid and water.
- Coat stains in baby oil and leave for 2 hours.
- Remove the oil with a paintbrush (cover the metal part with sticky tape) or a bamboo skewer with chewed ends.
- To access hard-to-reach areas, create a curl in the end of a bamboo skewer and work it into the area.
VEGEMITE
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 blood-heat (body temperature) 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.
TIP
To remove a splinter from skin, apply ¼ teaspoon of Vegemite and cover with a Band-Aid. The splinter will rise to the surface.
VEGETABLE DYE
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.
- 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 wool
- Blot with 2 drops of lavender oil on a cloth. Leave for 20 minutes.
- Wash in 1 teaspoon of cheap shampoo and blood-heat (body temperature) water.
- Rinse in blood-heat water.
- Gently wring and dry flat on a towel in the shade.
VENETIAN BLINDS
To clean
- Cut a kitchen sponge in half. Place each sponge half on one inside end of a pair of tongs and secure with rubber bands.
- Place the sponged tongs over the top and bottom of each slat, pinch together and run along the slat.
- If very dirty, wipe slats with black tea and hot water on the tongs.
- Alternatively, make a bran ball. 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 the mixture into the toe of pantyhose and tie off tightly. It will be the size of a tennis ball.
- Wipe the bran ball over the dirty slats as though using an eraser.
- When finished, store the bran ball in a zip-lock bag in the freezer to use again.
- Alternatively, put on white gloves and run your fingers along the slats.
TIP
Have a peg handy in case the front doorbell rings while you’re cleaning the blinds. That way you know where to resume cleaning.
VINAIGRETTE
(see ‘Salad Dressing’)
VICKS VAPORUB
(see ‘Ointment’)
VINDALOO
(see also ‘Tandoori’)
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.
- 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. Wipe the front of the stain with 2 drops of lavender oil on a cloth.
- Wash according to the fabric. Dry in sunshine.
VOMIT
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 cold water.
- 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.
- If the vomit contains bile (pale lime green colour), wipe with equal parts glycerine and dishwashing liquid on a cloth. Wipe with a damp cloth until the dishwashing liquid is removed.
- To get rid of the smell, mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with 1 litre of water in a spray pack and spray over the area.
- 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.
- Soak in ½ lid of Vanish NapiSan Oxi Action and 9 litres of hot water for 30 minutes. Don’t use on wool or silk. For wool and silk, rinse in 1 teaspoon of cheap shampoo and blood-heat (body temperature) water.
- If it contains bile (pale lime green colour), wipe with equal parts glycerine and dishwashing liquid.
- Wash according to the fabric. Dry in sunshine.
On mattress
- Remove excess by lifting with a plastic comb or by blotting with paper towel.
- Wipe with a damp cloth.
- To get rid of the smell, mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with 1 litre of water in a spray pack and spray over the mattress.
- If you can, put the mattress in the sun to dry it out and to kill bacteria.
- If you can’t get it in sunshine, dry with a hair dryer.