01/05/2022

Cleaning Up After the Holidays

The party is over, leaving us in the month of January feeling letdown.  Fall Festivals that begin in October lead to a big Thanksgiving feast followed by an entire month of holiday dinners and office parties with the grand finale on New Year’s Eve.  All this celebrating leads to stains from food and drinks, which inevitably end up on clothes, rugs, and table linens.  

So, January seems like a suitable time to get things back in order.  From coffee and apple cider to wine, tea, and soft drinks to cranberry sauce, gravy, and eggnog, we are offering tips to help you recover from too much celebrating.

1. If the care label says dry clean only, it should be handled professionally.
2. If the care label indicates that you can care for the item at home, be sure to test for colorfastness before attempting any type of stain removal treatment.  If the stain remains after washing, do not place the item in the dryer, and consider consulting with your local dry cleaner before trying any additional stain removal products.
3. For wine, tea, coffee, soft drinks, cranberry sauce, and apple cider, rinse the stain running the cold water through from the backside.  Next, blot it with mild dishwashing liquid or a mild detergent and rinse. If the stain is still present, blot it with white vinegar. Rinse thoroughly. If these procedures do not work, we recommend that you stop.  Too many attempts could cause damage to the fabric.  At this point, we recommend visiting a professional.
4. For eggnog and gravy, rinse the stain running the cold water through from the backside.  Next, blot on a mild detergent and rinse.  If the stain remains, take a small amount of powder detergent, and mix with about one ounce of regular household ammonia (the non-sudsing type) to form a paste and apply to the stained area. Let it stand for five to 10 minutes, then launder as usual. This procedure should not be used on silk or wool garments.  If the stain remains, we recommend visiting a professional.
5. For spills on rugs, blot the area with a dry, white cloth or paper towel.  Never use anything with color or print as the dye could transfer to your carpeting or rug.  Get a bucket of cold, soapy water and clean the area using a clean, white cloth. Use a pH neutral detergent and be sure not to scrub or rub too firmly.  Thoroughly rinse the area using a clean white cloth with plain water.  Blot dry with a clean, dry, white towel.  If the stain remains, consider calling our local rug expert, Greg Henderson, at 336-840-0045.

The holidays are a hectic time of year, and with all the partying, mishaps will occur. Just remember that the sooner you address a spill, the more likely it is to be removed.  Of course, A Cleaner World is always here to help with any spill or stain – whether holiday related or not.