7 Unavoidable Holiday Stains and How to Treat Them

The holidays are in full swing with Christmas in a few days and the New Year to follow. As we are enjoying time with friends and family, with evenings full of laughter and hopefully lots of delicious food, the likelihood of a few spills or smears are unfortunately very likely. But don’t fret, CD One is here to the rescue with a list of the 7 most likely stains to happen this holiday season and how to treat them. Make sure you are prepared for treating your clothes this Christmas and New Year’s.

7 Unavoidable Holiday Stains

Chocolate

Chocolate always seems to be present at holiday functions one way or another and is likely to get transferred onto clothing at some point…

• Cotton\ Polyester\ Fleece – Gently scrape excess chocolate from fabric. Sponge or soak stained area in chilly water until stain is mostly gone. Pre-treat remaining stain by following the directions on your favorite spot remover or mix one-part OxiClean with four parts water and soak garment for 1-6 hours. When stain fades launder as usual in the hottest water setting specified on garment care tag. Repeat if necessary.

• Tip: Do not machine dry garment until you’re satisfied with the stain removal. High temps will set the stain. CAUTION: Before attempting to treat any stain, check and follow the care instruction on the garment label

Food (General)

What are the holidays if you don’t have great Food (General)? And with great food comes some of those unavoidable stains…

• Cotton/ Polyester/ Fleece – These stains contain properties that dissolve partially in cleaning fluid and partially in water.  Start by treating the oily/waxy component of the stain with a pre-treater like Shout, Resolve, Spray N Wash or other stain remover. Then rub with liquid detergent or a paste made of powdered detergent and water. Scrub stain lightly and rinse in hot water. Repeat as necessary. Once stain fades, wash in the hottest water suitable for the fabric using detergent and an all-fabric bleach to remove any dye in the stain.

Lipstick

Lipstick always seems to make its way onto your clothes at some point during the holidays, now you can get it out like a pro.

• Cotton/ Polyester/ Fleece – These stains contain properties that dissolve partially in cleaning fluid and partially in water.  Start by treating the oily/waxy component of the stain with a pre-treater like Shout, Resolve, Spray N Wash or other stain remover. Then rub with liquid detergent or a paste made of powdered detergent and water. Scrub stain lightly and rinse in hot water. Repeat as necessary. Once stain fades, wash in the hottest water suitable for the fabric using detergent and an all-fabric bleach to remove any dye in the stain.

Gravy

Gravy, for those of you who have more of a traditional menu each holiday might really need to take advantage of these tricks this season.

• Cotton/ Polyester/ Fleece – Gently scrape excess gravy from fabric. Treat the stain with Shout, Resolve or other solvent- based stain remover. Then use your fingers to agitate and break up the stain with liquid detergent or a paste made of powdered detergent and water. Rinse in hot water. Next, wash in the hottest water suitable for the fabric using detergent and an all-fabric color safe bleach.

• Tip: Do not machine dry until happy with stain removal. Hot temperatures will set the stain making it impossible to remove.

Candle Wax

Whether you go to candlelight event/mass or you are just trying to ensure your house is smelling festive, Candle Wax seems to be a present stain during the holidays.

• Cotton/ Polyester/ Fleece – Rub with ice and carefully scrape excess wax from fabric. Once excess wax is removed, place garment between several layers of paper towels and press with a warm iron. Reposition paper towel and repeat until most of the stain is absorbed. Follow the directions on your favorite stain remover like Shout, Resolve or Spray. Wash to eliminate the remaining stain. Launder in the hottest water safe for fabric. Repeat if necessary.

• Tip: Do not machine dry until you’re happy with the stain removal. High temps will set the stain. CAUTION: Before attempting to treat any stain, check and follow the care instruction on the garment label.

Fruit Juice

Fruit Juice or something related seem to be a classic nonalcoholic beverage during the holidays. If you can go a whole evening and no one spills their drinks especially the little ones then you are quite lucky.

• Cotton/ Polyester/ Fleece – Rinse the stained garment from the back with chilly water to prevent the stain from setting. Flush again with water and blot with a clean dry cloth. Repeat until stain has faded or disappears. Launder as usual in the hottest water suitable for fabric. For tough, dried-in stains soak garment in solution of Oxi Clean and water for at least four hours. If stain persists repeat above step with new Oxi Clean solution.

• Tip: Do not rub with soap or use soap flakes as they may permanently set the stain. CAUTION: Before attempting to treat any stain, check and follow the care instruction on the garment label.

Wine

As we are celebrating Christmas and welcoming in the new year, wine seems to be prevalent in many households, a spill here or there is not unheard of.

• Cotton/ Polyester/ Flannel – Rinse stained area from the back with chilly water. Try not to let the stain dry before laundering. Tannin stains are best pre-treated flushing and then soaking in chilly water. Blot stain area with a clean dry cloth to keep stain from spreading

• Tip: Soak garment for 15-30 minutes in a quart of chilly water with a tablespoon of vinegar and a teaspoon of your favorite laundry detergent. CAUTION: Before attempting to treat any stain, check and follow the care instruction on the garment label.

In case any stains do happen this holiday season, this list should help make sure you are prepared for any stain surprises. If you are unsure of what a stain might be, always make sure to check with your local dry cleaner first as some stains can become harder/impossible to clean if first cleaned incorrectly. Pay close attention to care labels and instructions. If anything proves to be a little tougher to extrapolate feel free to visit any of our 36 locations as we would be happy to help.