The Day After, Fixing Common Thanksgiving Stains
By lilybee
You know the person at big family gatherings like Thanksgiving, (or my Aunty M's christmas bash) who can't be trusted not to score a messy direct hit on cherished linens, upholstery or carpet? The person you kind of wish you could put at the kid table complete with a drop cloth?
That person would be me. Hi. Sorry.
Luckily I come quipped with knowledge of how to deal with spillage disasters. Here are the big ones for thanksgiving, first, and this applies to all stains.... QUICK! If you can get to a stain before it dries and it's easier to get rid of.
Cranberry Sauce:
On linens - Scoop up and blot off excess without spreading it around. Then sponge with a tiny bit cool water.. Next, mix up a cup of cool water, a tablespoon of white vinegar, and about half a teaspoon of laundry detergent. Soak the stain in that solution for about 15 minutes. Still there? Sponge on a little rubbing alcohol. That should get it, then wash like you normally would.
On Upholstery or Carpet - Again with the scooping and blotting to remove the chunks then, sponge with 1 tablespoon white vinegar mixed with 2/3 cup rubbing alcohol. You want your sponge to be barely moist, definitely not drippy. Blot the stain with cold water (again moist not drippy) to 'rinse' it then pat it dry.
Gravy or butter, mmm butter:
On linens - Scoop and blot then grab your favoritestest pre-wash spray, squirt away. Soak the tablecloth/napkins/shirt-you-were-wearing in the washing machine (uh, or bucket) overnight in solution of laundry detergent and some all-fabric bleach.
On carpet or upholstery - Scoop & blot then break out the big guns, you'll need to use a dry cleaning solvent (find 'em at hardware or grocery stores) or a specific carpet stain remover.
Red Wine
On linens - squirt with a pre-wash spray then toss it in the laundry. Easy.
On upholstery - blot blot blot, we use one of those super absorbent towels that the shouty guy on TV advertises. Then sponge what's left with 1 tablespoon hand dish-washing liquid mixed with 2 cups cool water; rinse (with your moist not drippy sponge) and blot dry.
On carpet - Again, blot like crazy. Then toss down enough table salt to good and cover the stain, leave it overnight then vacuum up. When that's done sponge the stain with 1 tablespoon hand dish-washing liquid mixed with 2 cups cool water; rinse and blot dry.
OR you could just grab a bottle of Wine Away red wine remover and follow the instructions.
And do sit me and my messy kindred someplace away from the soft furnishings. I won't mind, honest.
Info from bitter experiene or here image from here
Tagged:
thanksgiving entertaining stains cleaning upholstery carpet linens
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Decorating on a teeny budget is my thing. Recycling and Reusing and Repurposing are my...
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