Iodine is used to treat skin wounds, so every home has a glass bottle of it.
Everyone is well aware of the rich dark brown color of the drug. Getting it on various surfaces will lead to the appearance of persistent stains that are not easy to remove.
The article will discuss how to completely remove iodine using improvised means and special household chemicals without damaging the product.
Priority actions
If iodine gets into an area where it should not be, emergency measures must be taken. They are aimed at eliminating the main part of the drug, making the stain less noticeable and easier to wipe off with improvised means.
First aid rules:
Blot the iodine with a dry paper towel. It will absorb excess liquid and prevent it from being absorbed into the surface.- Sprinkle with starch.
By reacting with iodine, it neutralizes it. Don't worry about the stain turning from brown to blue. This is a natural process. When all the starch is colored, sweep it away with a brush. Instead of starch, you can use raw potatoes. It is cut into 2 halves and the stain is wiped. Then wash the area with soapy water. - Iodine can be quickly neutralized using a solution of ascorbic acid. If such a remedy is in your home medicine cabinet, then the ampoule needs to be opened and poured onto the stain. After 15 minutes, wash off the product with clean water.
The listed methods will help cope with the problem only if the contamination is fresh.
Potato starch
Of all the ways to combat iodine, this is the most economical. Cut the potato into 2 parts and rub the stain.
You can also use potato starch in its pure form. Dilute it with water to a paste consistency. Apply the resulting mixture to the contaminated area, cover with a piece of textile for 10 hours. After this, all that remains is to remove the starch and wash the problem area with a detergent solution.
How can you remove a stain using improvised means at home?
There are several universal recipes that will help remove iodine stains from any surface. They can be used to treat old stains. The substances that are included in the recipes are easy to use and are available in every home.
You can get rid of iodine stains using acetone. Use this product only on colorless surfaces or on products with durable coloring.
Procedure:
- Apply a small amount of solvent to a cotton pad.
- Wipe the stain with it. If you can’t deal with it the first time, you can leave the sponge on the dirt in the form of a compress for 10-15 minutes.
- Rinse off any remaining product with clean water.
To combat iodine stains you will need baking soda and vinegar. Mode of application:
sprinkle the stain generously with soda; there is no need to pre-moisten it with water;- use a spray bottle to irrigate the contamination with acetic acid;
- leave to act for half an hour; if the stain is absorbed into the fabric, then increase the time to 2-3 hours;
- wash off the composition with clean water.
If the material is delicate, it is better to use nail polish remover. It has a lower solvent concentration.
Old stains can be removed using denatured alcohol. Use it in the following way:
- Soak a clean rag or cotton pad in alcohol.
- Treat the dirt by wiping it from the edge to the center.
- Repeat the treatment until the stain completely disappears.
- As the sponge gets dirty, it needs to be changed.
There is no need to rinse off the alcohol with water. It will evaporate on its own, thereby making the stain even less noticeable.
Note to housewives
Contamination can be removed without harming the upholstery or cabinet furniture. To do this, follow simple tips:
- Always test the product on an inconspicuous area when treating surfaces. A strong stain remover or even peroxide can leave marks.
- Before cleaning, the surface of the furniture or upholstery should be cleaned of dust.
- First, they begin to erase the mark with a weak solution of the product, gradually increasing its concentration. The stain is always cleaned using movements from the edges to the center.
- Detergents must be alternated with rinsing.
Remember: when removing stains from fabrics, stain removers thin the material. Therefore, it is not recommended to use such products too often or apply them in concentrated form.
You will get rid of blots faster if the furniture is located outdoors. In this case, the iodine will gradually evaporate, since this tincture is alcoholic.
How to quickly remove with household chemicals?
If the means at hand do not help to cope with traces of iodine, then you can use household chemicals. The following substances are active against iodine stains:
White
It effectively bleaches iodine stains , but it can only be used on light-colored products and materials. If you apply white to a dark surface, it will leave a white spot on it. The maximum exposure time to whiteness is 30 minutes.
Washing powder
To enhance the effect, it is mixed with soda and laundry soap in equal proportions. The resulting composition is dissolved in water and the contaminated area is treated with it. After an hour, the product is cleaned with a soft bristle brush and washed with clean water.
Laundry soap 72%
This is the most harmless and effective product that can be used to clean any surfaces.
Before application, the soap is ground into shavings and diluted with a small amount of warm water until a homogeneous paste is obtained.
It is applied to the stain, left for 30-60 minutes, and removed with a clean damp cloth.
Fabric stain remover
Despite the fact that such compounds are designed for treating matter, they work well with stains on hard surfaces, carpet, linoleum and more. To remove iodine traces, it is better to use a gel-like product. It is applied to the stain, left for 1-3 hours, and washed off with clean water.
When choosing household chemicals, you need to take into account the characteristics of the material from which the product that needs cleaning is made.
Features of removal from different surfaces
Iodine stains are firmly absorbed into various porous surfaces: wood, plastic, linoleum, leather and more. For each of them, there are means that allow you to effectively cope with pollution and not cause harm to it.
How to remove from furniture?
You can remove iodine from furniture using hydrogen peroxide. Use it as follows:
- apply the product to a cotton pad;
- treat the problem area with it;
- leave the disc on the stain as a compress for 15 minutes;
- wash the surface with soapy water and then with water.
You can use fabric stain remover to clean upholstered furniture. It is used for armchairs, sofas and poufs.
From the table
You can remove iodine from a varnished table using toothpaste. Procedure:
- The paste is applied to the contaminated area and spread over the stain.
- Leave it for 15 minutes.
- Remove the composition with water.
- Repeat the procedure until the countertop is clean.
Iodine can be removed from a wooden table using hairspray. It is sprayed over the surface of the product and rubbed with a dishwashing sponge. Two approaches are enough to completely remove the contamination.
If the table surface is not glossy, you can use baking soda . Fresh stains are no less successfully treated with alcohol. A regular school eraser also works well with iodine. They rub the surface with it after washing with soapy water.
From plastic
Plastic quickly absorbs iodine, which penetrates deeply into the porous material. It will take some effort to remove brown marks. The most difficult thing to deal with is old stains.
Algorithm of actions:
- to begin with, the surface is treated with soda slurry, it is applied to the stain and left for 30 minutes;
- wash off the soda with water, then fill the trace with hydrogen peroxide and leave for another half hour;
- treat the surface with soapy water and rinse with clean water.
This three-step cleaning process allows you to bleach the plastic back to its original state.
From linoleum
The most effective means for removing iodine from linoleum is bleach . It is diluted with water, applied to the stain and left for 5-10 minutes. Then wash the floors in the usual way. You can also use a paste made from baking soda and water.
There is a more radical cleaning method, which comes down to using sandpaper or pumice. With their help, the stain is rubbed until it disappears completely, but the use of brute force can lead to damage to the floor covering.
Therefore, it is better to use a melamine sponge, which will remove the stain without harming the linoleum. Read more here.
From the skin
Leather should not be treated with aggressive compounds . To quickly scrub away a brown stain, you can use soap.
If after this it is still noticeable, use a rich cream, for example, a children's cream. Apply generously to the contaminated area, leave for 5 minutes and remove with a cotton pad.
You can deal with iodine on the skin using alcohol-containing liquids, but instead of vodka it is better to use perfume or cologne. The main thing is not to leave the product on the skin for too long so as not to dry it out. Moreover, iodine itself has a similar property. Details are in this article.
From the carpet
To remove iodine from the carpet, it is better to use household chemicals. , soap solution and stain removers cope well with this task The composition is applied to the product for 30-60 minutes, after which it is washed off with clean water. A small carpet can be washed by hand.
If the stain is fresh, sprinkle it with starch. When it stops changing color, pour lemon juice over the stain. After 30 minutes, wipe the coating with a clean, damp cloth and allow it to dry. This article will tell you in more detail.
What should you not do?
Do not use hot water to remove iodine . It will lead to sealing of the substance in the porous surface. As a result, it will be impossible to remove the stain.
Do not try to wipe the stain off with a colored rag. Applying a cleaning agent to it will cause pigments from the material to transfer to the treated area upon contact with the contaminated surface. It is better to use a cotton pad or a white napkin.
Do not use metal brushes to remove stains. They will only scratch the surface, and traces of iodine will remain in the same place.
Alcohol solution, vodka
Ethyl alcohol is an excellent stain remover. If there is no alcohol or vodka, any solution containing ethanol will do: cologne or perfume. The process of removing stains is extremely simple: use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to rub the stain until not a trace remains of it.
Important! Please note that the liquid is colorless.
Helpful information
Tips for removing antiseptic from various surfaces:
If you are not sure how the material will react to cleaning, you need to test the composition on an inconspicuous area. If the reaction is satisfactory, proceed to the main stain removal procedure.- Iodine is destroyed by ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, the soiled item can be taken out into the sun and left for several days.
- If iodine gets on the fabric, you can use the classic method by sprinkling the stain with salt, but this method is only effective on fresh stains.