The indication of a great meal may be an empty plate, but unfortunately, the true sign of a joyful holiday gathering is often gravy dotting one’s dining room rug or carpet, or cranberry juice dribbled on a chair (sigh). But just enjoy your festivities worry-free, because we’ve got the solution to getting your fine furnishings clean again Remember, the longer spots or spills sit on a fabric, the more difficult they may be to remove, so act quickly. Here are a few tips for removing some common holiday spots or spills. Always start by blotting with a clean, white terry or paper towel or scooping up or scraping off excess with a spoon or dull knife. Never scrub or rub!
And before attempting any spot removal process always pretest in an inconspicuous area to ensure that the cleaning solution you use will not cause color migration or color loss.
Turkey, gravy, butter, and salad dressing: (oil-based stains): Blot up the excess. Apply dry cleaning fluid (Carbona, Energine) to a dry white cotton cloth, then gently work in the cleaning agent from the edges of the spot to the center. If the fabric is colorfast, apply spotting solution available from your local WoolSafe Service Provider (or mix 1/4 teaspoon of a mild laundry detergent such as Ivory or Dreft) per one cup of lukewarm water to a white cotton cloth, then gently work in from the edges of the spot to the center. Continue until there is no longer transfer of the spot to the cleaning cloth. Blot with a water-dampened towel. Place a thick stack of towels on the area, weighted down with a heavy object (jug of water or glass dish) and leave for several hours, or use a hair dryer.
Cranberry sauce, apple cider, and pumpkin pie:(fruit-based stains): Blot up the excess. If the fabric is colorfast, apply spotting solution available from your local WoolSafe Service Provider (or mix 1/4 teaspoon of a mild laundry detergent such as Ivory or Dreft) per one cup of lukewarm water to a white cotton cloth, then gently work in from the edges of the spot to the center. Continue until there is no longer transfer of the spot to the cleaning cloth. Blot with a water-dampened towel.Place a thick stack of towels on the area, weighted down with a heavy object (jug of water or glass baking dish) and leave for several hours, or dry with hair dryer. If color remains, mist area with 3% hydrogen peroxide and allow to dry. Repeat as necessary.
Coffee, tea, wine, and soft drinks (beverage stains): Blot up the excess. Same as above.
Jello, colorful cakes, and desserts: (food-coloring stains): Blot up the excess. Same as above.
Wax: (solid) Use a dull knife to scrape off surface wax without pulling out fibers. Then lay several folded layers of paper towel over the area. Use a clothes iron on the lowest setting or a hair dryer on the area to liquefy the wax. When it melts, blot with a towel as the wax will absorb into the paper toweling. Continue until wax is completely removed. If color remains, treat it like a food coloring stain. Note: When working on synthetic fibers be careful not to melt the fibers!
Soot or ashes: (dry particles) First vacuum thoroughly with a crevice tool getting down into the backing! Then vacuum some more. Don’t rub or scrub; you may make the stain worse. Then follow the steps for oil based stains above.
To find a WoolSafe Service Provider company in your area or for more spotting tips and videos search the WoolSafe site - www.woolsafe.org. You may also download the WoolSafe Consumer Spotting App to your phone or device.
