Nov 30, 2018

14 Cool and Unusual Uses for Ice Cubes

Bagged ice in bulk

What can ice be used for? An ice cube is more than a drink cooler; ice cubes are surprisingly useful. From beauty to cleaning to kitchen shortcuts, a simple ice cube could be your answer to a problem.

In The Kitchen

  • When reheating rice, just set an ice cube on top before microwaving. The ice will melt and steam as the rice reheats.
  • Need to skim the fat from your soup or stew? Fill a metal ladle or small container with ice, and then drag it across the surface of your stew or soup.  The temperature drop will cause the fat to solidify a bit, sticking to the outside of the metal. Wipe the fat from the ladle and continue until you remove the amount of fat desired.
  • Need creamy salad dressing? Here is the secret; place an ice cube in a jar with your homemade dressing and shake it briskly. Then, simply remove the ice cube and serve.
  • You shouldn’t put fats into your garbage disposal, but if you are guilty of this, a few ice cubes can rescue you. Throw a handful into your disposal with a squirt or two of lemon juice. Run the disposal.  The ice will harden the fat and take it down the drain. The lemon juice will rinse and refresh.

Ice Cubes in the Laundry?

  • You don’t need a steaming clothes dryer to refresh your wrinkled clothes. Simply throw two or three cubes in with a few items and run until the clothes are wrinkle free and all water has evaporated. Voila!

First Aid

  • Ice even works well in healthcare. To lessen the severity of a bruise after an injury, quickly apply ice.  Wrap the ice cubes in a towel or washcloth and hold over the injured area.  This may not avoid a bruise, but to slow the release of blood beneath the skin, ice does the trick. The bruising should be less significant. It also helps keep swelling down.
  • The next time you have a splinter, use an ice cube to numb the area before you try to remove the splinter.  This actually works even if the splinter is under a fingernail.
  • No one likes to take horrible tasting liquid medicine.  If you suck on an ice cube just long enough to numb your tongue, and your taste buds, you will barely be able to taste the bitterness.

The Beauty Routine

  • An ice cube in a soft cloth placed over your eyes will reduce puffiness.
  • To keep pain to a minimum when tweezing your eyebrows, upper lip or chin, wrap an ice cube in a soft cloth and hold over the area you are about to tweeze, just until a bit numb, then tweeze.
  • If you suffer from large pores, an ice cube will be your best friend as part of your pre-makeup routine. An ice cube in a soft cloth will shrink your pores and reduce redness while priming your face.
  • Some say an ice cube is a big help in fighting a pimple. A cube will lessen any inflammation and any pain.

Around the House

  • If you are rearranging furniture and want to get rid of those dents in your pile carpeting, just place ice cubes along the dent and leave them to melt. As they melt and the carpet starts to dry, it will fluff back up again. You can brush it to help a bit as it dries.
  •  For containers with a narrow neck, like vases, place some lemon juice and salt with a few cubes then shake well. This will clean those unreachable containers.

Have Ice on Hand at Your Home Any Time with Emergency Ice

This is just a short list; you probably have some of your own ideas.  One thing for sure, you will never look at an ice cube as only a drink-chiller ever again.  If you are in need of ice cubes for an event or just because, contact Emergency Ice today to schedule a delivery.