How and how to properly wash iodine from clothes
Iodine is a well-known antiseptic that is found in almost every home medicine cabinet. And do not let the iodine drops spilled during the treatment of the wound on the sofa or on your clothes upset you.
There are many ways to get iodine off your clothes.
Composition and properties of iodine solution
Iodine does not dissolve in water, which means that simply rinsing the stain with water will not work. But it is susceptible to high temperatures. The substance is quite caustic and quickly stains surrounding things.
Therefore, try to localize the problem as quickly as possible so as not to expand its scale. The admixture of 96% ethanol makes iodine volatile and dries quickly.
How to remove iodine stains from clothes
Contrary to popular belief, iodine solution can be washed from clothing or furniture. Even if you accidentally discover an old stain, don't throw it away. It is possible that the stain will give in to removal.
If you spill a jar of iodine, do not wait until it is completely absorbed into the material. Blot excess iodine with a sponge or tissue. Do not scrub the stain in the hope that it will go away on its own. So you will only aggravate the situation, rub the iodine deep into the tissue and increase the area of contamination.
Folk remedies
To remove iodine stains, it is sometimes enough to take a familiar product from the refrigerator. This is a safe and easy way to solve a problem that will save your clothes.
Milk
Milk removes iodine drops from any material, from fine silk to dense woolen fabric. This simple method is especially good for expensive fabrics and exclusive items. To remove the stain, both homemade and store milk of any percentage of fat content is suitable.
Soak the item or the soiled part of it for half an hour. Then wash with laundry soap and rinse well in cool water.
Starch and raw potatoes
If the iodine stain has just appeared, sprinkle it with fresh potato starch for a while. The contaminated area should turn blue. Then wash the item well with a stain remover.
If this does not remove the stain, leave the stain sprinkled with potato starch overnight.
Half a freshly cut potato has the same effect. After a blue tint appears on the surface, rinse the item thoroughly.
Lemon juice
Lemon from the refrigerator and citric acid from the kitchen cabinet can quickly and effectively remove iodine stains.
Cut the lemon so that as much fresh juice emerges as possible. Apply it to the stain and let it sit for a few minutes. The fabric should be well saturated with the lemon composition. The pollution will soon lighten noticeably.
Then wash the garment thoroughly so that the lemon does not continue to destroy the structure of the threads of the material. A weak solution of citric acid and water works the same way.
Baking soda and acetic acid
Baking soda and vinegar work great in tandem as a budget and effective stain remover. It is important that the bubbling reaction of the two compounds takes place precisely in the spot zone. The resulting bubbling air bubbles lighten and push out the remains of iodine absorbed into the material.
To do this, fill the stain with iodine and fill it with acetic acid. Leave the soiled item on for a few hours. Iodine residues must be washed off. They will lighten noticeably, and over time they will completely disappear. It remains to wash and dry the item.
Heat
A simple and effective method for removing iodine is to work with an iron. Iodine is easily removed if the surface of the soiled fabric is quickly heated to a temperature above 50 degrees. Isolate the contaminated area with cardboard or thick cloth. Use a backing to prevent the blot from soaking through and onto the other side of the garment.
Preheat the iron well, iron the stained area for a quarter of an hour. The stain should gradually lighten. Then wash the laundry as usual.
Hot water works in the same way. If you quickly put a thing stained with iodine into it, the stain can be successfully removed.
Laundry soap
Laundry soap is a universal remedy to remove iodine from white clothes. Rub the soap bar on a fine grater and dilute with water until it becomes a thick slurry.
Apply the mixture generously to the stain and let sit for at least half an hour. All dirt should be washed off after such an application in the normal wash cycle.
Denatured alcohol
Undiluted rubbing alcohol also helps clean up troubles in the form of iodine on your clothes. Blot the area with rubbing alcohol for 10 minutes and then wash in warm water. The effect can be enhanced by using laundry soap for washing.
The method is suitable for thin, light materials for which aggressive stain removers are contraindicated.
Special means
Special remedies for removing stains after iodine work quickly and flawlessly. In this way, you can clean not only clothes, but also bedding, upholstery, car interior.
Acetone
Acetone is effective because the result of removing stains is immediately visible. You don't have to wait a long time. Just attach a cotton pad soaked in acetone to the blot.
The iodine will begin to brighten immediately and disappear after a short time. Be sure to wash the item well so that the pungent acetone aroma disappears.
Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide can wash away iodine stains, provided the fabric is painted with persistent dyes. Otherwise, along with the stain, the intensity of the color or the clarity of the print on your clothes will gradually disappear.
Moisten a cotton pad with peroxide and apply to the stained area. Gradually, the stain will become lighter, and after a while it will completely disappear.
Ammonia
Dilute ammonia with water and actively rub the contamination. After 15 minutes, wash the fabric in warm water and soap or another cleanser.
Photoreagent
Photographers know how to remove iodine stains on fabrics. The product for developing photographic film contains sodium hyposulfite.
It is enough to apply the reagent to the stain, and the iodine will begin to disappear before your eyes. The clothes are saved.
Vanish
Vanish stain remover is known for its unique ability to remove almost any stain. Apply the product according to the instructions. "Vanish" not only removes dirt, but also refreshes colors and prints on clothes, gives the shades more purity and brightness.
Stain removers
Different stain removers deal with iodine stains differently. Read the instructions for use carefully and observe the required holding time. The action of the agent will directly depend on the composition and active ingredients.
Dish gel
Dishwashing gel is another convenient and versatile tool that you have at hand in every kitchen. If there is no lemon in the refrigerator or the stain remover has run out, then the universal detergent for plates and pots is probably on the shelf.
The tool has a prolonged effect. Therefore, there is a wash to soak the stain in the gel for several hours. Then wash the item in the usual way.
Dealing with a stain on your carpet or sofa
The difficulty in removing iodine stains from carpet is that the pile absorbs any cleaning liquid and its smell. And if the carpet base is soaked, it can become damp. Over time, there is a risk of mold.
Therefore, it is preferable to wipe off iodine from carpets using dry impurities. How to remove iodine from the carpet? Here are some helpful guidelines:
- Do not rub spilled iodine on the carpet. Gently blot spilled residue with a dry cloth to prevent it from absorbing into the base.
- Mix the starch and water until a thick gruel is formed.
- Apply the mixture to the stain and wait for about an hour. The water-starch mass should not be liquid, so that the pile and the base of the carpet do not get wet.
- Collect the white starch bloom. Apply shavings of laundry soap diluted in water to the stain and finally clean the iodine stain.
- Collect the foam with a sponge or rag, and dry the carpet by weight or with a hair dryer.
Advice. Stains can be easily removed from furniture with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. The composition can be left overnight and then vacuumed off.
Cleaning the leather surface
Remember that it is very difficult to remove old iodine stains from the surface of leather furniture, almost impossible. Most folk and chemical products that can corrode paint cannot be used here either.
Dissolve a tablespoon of isopropyl alcohol in a glass of cold water. Soak a cotton pad in the solution and treat the area stained with iodine.
How to open a bottle of iodine and not get dirty
There are many ways to open a jar of iodine and not get dirty:
- Some craftsmen screw a self-tapping screw into a plastic cork.
- Wear disposable gloves before handling iodine.
- An effective method is to pick up a nylon plug with a screw cap and direct it a little to the side. The method requires a lot of skill, but soon clean fingers are guaranteed when opening the bottle!
Don't be discouraged if you stain your favorite clothes or furniture. Proceed quickly and carefully, test the action of the product on an inconspicuous area and thoroughly wash the site of removal with clean water.
Video: how to effectively remove iodine from clothes
