7 Powerful Things You Can Do with Just an Ice Cube

published Jul 8, 2018
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

One of my biggest pet peeves is reading about brilliant household hacks that require items I don’t have just lying around my pantry. (Why is it that beauty hacks always require witch hazel?) But if you have an ice cube—just one!—you can make cleaning, plant care, and getting dressed in the morning a lot easier.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

1. Get gum off of clothing and other fabrics

What is it about gum that makes it end up in the oddest spaces? Whether it’s on your carpet or your shirt, all you need is an ice cube and a butter knife to make it easy to remove with no sticky residue. Lay one or two ice cubes on top of the gum and let it sit until the gum feels cold or frozen. Then, you can gently chip away at the gum with the butter knife and it will easily peel away!

2. Quick-iron your clothing

This is a brilliant trick for those of us lucky enough to have an in-unit washer and dryer. Set your dryer to the warmest setting, and throw in the wrinkled item and a few ice cubes. Use no more than three if you’re de-wrinkling a few pieces, but one should work well if you’re just steaming one item. The ice cube creates steam in the dryer, leaving clothes smooth and ready-to-wear.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)
(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

3. Remove dents from rugs

If you’re having a feng shui moment with your furniture, you’ll likely find those annoying dents beneath chairs and couches once the piece has been moved. To refluff the carpet, leave an ice cube on the dent and let it melt. Then, brush up the fibers at the spot to make it look like-new. This works best on thicker carpets, but will definitely improve the look regardless.

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

4. Reheat rice without drying it out

The best leftovers taste as good—if not better!—the second day around. To avoid dried-out rice, place an ice cube in the center of the dish, on top of the rice, before putting it in the microwave. The added water will steam the rice and give it a little extra moisture and ensure it reheats evenly.

5. Speed up your disposal

Our garbage disposals tend to slow down when there’s significant grease build-up. If yours isn’t disposing properly, try throwing in a few ice cubes to help break up any grease or other residue. The grease will cling to the cubes—but remember to always have your faucet on when running the disposal, even just for a clean-up!

(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

6. Water your plants

Whether it’s a hard-to-reach hanging plant or a houseplant whose pot tends to overflow, throwing a few ice cubes on top of the soil will keep them hydrated. As the cubes slowly melt, the dirt will absorb the water without becoming over-saturated.

7. Smooth out sticky caulk

Re-caulking your shower? To give the caulk a pro finish, use an ice cube to help smooth out the seam at the end. The ice cube is firm enough to smooth out the caulk and create an even finish, but it’s cold enough that the caulk won’t stick to it!

Have one we missed? Let us know in the comments!