The 12 Stains of Christmas (And How to Get Rid)
Christmas – the season of joy, happiness and celebrations! Celebrations may mean you encounter pesky stains in your home and on your clothes! We countdown the 12 most common stains of Christmas and how you can get rid of them!
How to Clean the 12 Stains of Christmas
1. Christmas tree sap
Whether your Christmas tree goes up on the 1st December or the day before Christmas, tree sap call cause carpet stains! To clean up tree sap stains, a small amount of dishwashing detergent rubbed into the sap should do the trick! Rub the detergent until there’s no sign of sap or detergent left on the carpet! Leave to air dry.
2. Red Wine
Would it be Christmas without a glass of red wine? While you or your Aunt may be merry, one too many can be a nightmare on your favourite cream blouse or your expensive cream carpets! Get rid of red wine stains by sprinkling the affected area with salt which absorbs the wine then blot with a boiling hot cloth – do not rub!
3. Chocolate Stains
From chocolate in advent calendars to post Christmas dinner treats, most people enjoy Chocolate during the festive period. However, chocolate stains can be notoriously difficult to clean off of table linen, sofas or carpets! To remove the chocolate, the chocolate should be frozen so you can scrape the chocolate off more easily! Do this by rubbing an ice cube on the stain and then use a butter knife to scrape off when ready! After this, use a bit of warm water to rinse the area completely.
4. Candle Wax
Candles in the home are common at this time of year but more candles can mean candle wax drippings on surfaces! In the same way as removing chocolate stains, rub an ice cube into the candle wax stain and once hardened, use a butter knife to remove the wax remnants. Following this, rub the stain with alcohol and soap to treat the table linen or carpet.
5. Ink
Busy writing all those Christmas cards and not realised you have caused an ink stain on your table cloth? Get rid of ink stains by spraying with hairspray and dabbing the affected area!
6. Diary
Christmas and cheese go hand in hand but accidents may occur! To remove dairy stains, blot the area with cold water but be patient as it may take a while for stains to get rid of stains completely! A small amount of detergent can also be worked into the fabric then wash the fabric as normal in your washing machine.
7. Food drippings / grease
From turkey drippings to fat from roast potatoes and parsnips, grease can drip on to clothes and table linen! The magic solution is alcohol and warm water. Rub the stain with alcohol and warm water. Let the fabric absorb the solution for about 15 minutes then rub a small amount of soap into the stain. Following this, wash your linen or top in the washing machine as normal.
8. Blood
Sometimes accidents can happen in the kitchen when using those sharp carving knives! Blood can easily find its way on to clothes or other fabrics. Blood can be easy to remove by dabbing a little soap and cold water on to the area!
9. Coffee
Need a pick me up during the madness of Christmas? You are likely to be reaching for a hot cup of coffee whenever possible! Coffee stains can be nasty however you an get rid of them easily with some soda! Add a small amount of soda onto the stain and blot the stain until it disappears!
10. Mud
Boxing day walk or kids playing outside in the garden? Mud can easily find its way inside the house especially as British weather can be so unpredictable. To remove mud stains from carpet, mix a small amount of detergent with warm water and sponge the stain with the solution.
11. Pet Accidents
Your dog or cat got a bit excited in this season’s festivities? If an accident has happened on your clothes, add a box of baking soda to your regular washing powder and pop the soiled item in the machine then air-dry. Accident on the carpets? A decent carpet cleaner or carpet stain remover may be required. Alternatively talk to Butlerz about our professional carpet cleaning service to save you the hassle!
12. Lipstick
Dressing up for party season or kissing someone under the Mistletoe at New Years? Sometimes lipstick can find its way on to surfaces unexpectedly during the celebrations. Remove lipstick in the same way as you would clean up candle wax by rubbing an ice cube on the affected area to freeze the lipstick then remove by scraping with a knife! Wash the fabric as normal in the washing machine and let it air dry after this.
Still Struggling to clean the 12 stains of Christmas?
Contact Butlerz for Specialist Dry Cleaning Services
For stains to effectively be removed it’s best to tackle them as quickly as possible however during the busy festive period, this may be challenging or some stains may simply be stubborn! If this is the case, Butlerz can help. From specialist carpet cleaning to table and bed linen dry-cleaning services, we have the right solutions for your specific needs!
Leave Butlerz to tackle the tough stains, so you can relax during the holiday season! Contact Butlerz if you would like to use our professional dry cleaning services this Christmas or find out about dry cleaning collection and delivery service.
