I
ICE BLOCK
(Flavoured)
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.
- For a coloured 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 (not wool)
- 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 wool
- Massage with a little cheap shampoo on your fingertips.
- 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.
ICE CREAM
This is a protein, fat and sugar stain. Remove proteins first.
On carpet/upholstery
- Remove excess by blotting with paper towel.
- Scribble with a cake of bathroom soap run under cold water.
- Scrub with a toothbrush in all directions – north, south, east and west.
- Massage with a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid on your fingertips until the liquid feels like jelly.
- Wipe with a damp cloth.
- Place white vinegar on a cloth and wring tightly so it’s damp but not wet. Blot over the mark.
- Place the vinegar cloth in one hand and a dry cloth in the other and wipe hand over hand, as though stroking a cat, until the stain 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)
- 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 in blood-heat (body temperature) water.
- Blot with or soak in white vinegar until the stain is removed.
- Wash according to the fabric. Dry on the clothesline or clothes airer.
On wool
- Massage with a little cheap shampoo on your fingertips.
- Rinse in blood-heat (body temperature) water.
- Blot with or soak in white vinegar.
- Rinse in 1 teaspoon of cheap hair conditioner and blood-heat water.
- Gently wring and dry flat on a towel in the shade.
ICING
On carpet/upholstery
- Remove excess by lifting with a plastic comb or by blotting with paper towel.
- Tightly wring a cloth in white vinegar and blot over the mark.
- 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.
- Blot with or soak in white vinegar.
- Massage with a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid on your fingertips until the liquid feels like jelly.
- Rinse in blood-heat (body temperature) water.
- Wash according to the fabric. Dry on the clothesline or clothes airer.
INK
(see ‘Pen’)
INSECT
(Squashed)
On carpet/upholstery
- Remove excess by lifting with a plastic comb or by blotting with paper towel.
- Wipe with 2 drops of glycerine on a toothbrush.
- Scribble with a cake of bathroom soap run under cold water.
- Scrub with a toothbrush in all directions – north, south, east and west.
- Wipe with a cold, damp cloth.
- Absorb moisture by covering the area with paper towel. Place a book on top of the paper towel to assist with absorption.
- For insect faeces (which look like an orange splash), scribble with a cake of bathroom soap run under cold water.
- Wipe with a cold, damp cloth.
- In all cases, 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.
- Wipe with 2 drops of glycerine on a cloth.
- Scribble with a cake of bathroom soap run under cold water. Rub the fabric against itself using your hands.
- Wash according to the fabric. Dry on the clothesline or clothes airer.
IODINE
On carpet/upholstery
- Remove excess by blotting with paper towel.
- If stained black, wipe with glycerine and leave overnight. Then follow instructions below.
- If fresh, blot with methylated spirits on a cotton bud or cotton ball.
- 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
- Remove excess under the tap using cold water.
- Blot with or soak in methylated spirits.
- Wash according to the fabric. Dry on the clothesline or clothes airer.
On stone
- Blot with methylated spirits on a cotton bud or cloth.
- If stubborn, mix plaster of Paris and water to the consistency of peanut butter.
- To each cup of mixture, add 1 teaspoon of methylated 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.
IRON
(Clothes)
For black marks
- Place an old towel over the ironing board and pull pantyhose over the end of the board until taut.
- Sprinkle bicarb on the pantyhose and spray the surface of a cold iron with white vinegar.
- Run the iron over the pantyhose. Repeat, if necessary.
For blocked holes
- Put on rubber gloves and add 2 drops of CLR or Ranex to the water slot of a cold iron. Don’t get CLR or Ranex on your skin because it can cause irritation.
- Turn the iron on.
- Hold the iron horizontally over a sink and press the steam button.
- Repeat with clean water.
For white flecks
- Pour a weak tea solution – 1 tea bag in 1 cup of blood-heat (body temperature) water left to steep for 30 seconds – or equal parts white vinegar and water into a cold iron.
- Turn on the iron.
- Over a sink, press the steam button until the liquid works through the iron.
- Repeat with clean water and continue to press the steam function until the iron sprays clean water.
- To prevent this problem from recurring, remove water from the iron after using it.
TIPS
If you’re in a hurry or can’t be bothered to iron, try the bachelor’s ironing technique. Hang the garment in the bathroom while you’re showering. When you put it on, the heat from your body will interact with the slightly damp garment and creases will disappear. Another technique is to fill a spray pack with 1 litre of water and 1 teaspoon of lavender oil and spray it over your clothes before wearing them.
IRONING SCORCH MARK
On cotton/fabric (not polyester)
- Wring a clean cloth in 3 per cent hydrogen peroxide and place it over the mark.
- Iron over it on a cool setting.
On polyester
- Dampen the surface with white vinegar.
- Wring a cloth with a similar weave in white vinegar and place over the mark.
- Run a warm (not hot) iron over the top.
- If the mark doesn’t come out, the polyester is permanently damaged.
TIP
If clothes become shiny from ironing, wring a clean white cloth in white vinegar and place over the shiny area. Run a cool iron on top. This also gives clothes a quick spruce-up if they’ve been in the cupboard for too long.
IVORY
For yellowing
- Ivory yellows with age and you can’t make it white again.
To clean
- Mix sweet almond oil and talcum powder to the consistency of runny cream.
- Wipe on the mixture with a cotton bud.
- Polish off immediately with a damp cotton bud.