Tis the season for entertaining and with the decorations and fun comes spills and stains. The following tips, from a newsletter I found in my files from the Whirlpool company, should help handle every drip and drizzle of the 12 stains of Christmas!
12 Candles dripping. Scrape off excess wax with a dull knife. Place stain between white paper towels.Press with a warm iron from back of fabric. Then place stain face side down on clean paper towels and sponge with a dry cleaning solvent. Air dry and launder as usual. If traces of color remain, launder again using bleach (chlorine or color-safe) according to fabric instructions.
11 Aunties kissing. To remove lipstick, scrape fabric stain with a dull knife. Use a dry-cleaning solvent or pretreat with detergent or stain treatment. Wash in warm water and air dry.
10 Chocolates melting. Pretreat with a liquid laundry detergent or soak fabric in warm water using a detergent containing enzymes. Difficult stains may require a bleach safe for the garment.
9 Toasts a tipping. To remove wine, rinse in cold water to dilute stain. Soak up to 30 minutes in detergent, weighted with a towel to keep submerged. Launder in hottest water safe for fabric and color. Air dry and repeat if necessary.
8 Hosts perspiring. Dampen stain with warm water and rub with bar soap. Launder in hot water with appropriate bleach is safe for the fabric. Note: if perspiration has changed the color of a fabric, apply ammonia to fresh stains or vinegar to old stains and rinse. Launder in the hottest water safe for fabric and color.
7 Fruits a falling. Rinse in cold water to dilute stain. Soak up to 30 minutes in detergent. Launder in warm water. Air dry and repeat if necessary.
6 Cups of coffee, tea or soda. To remove coffee, tea or soda, sponge or rinse stain promptly in cold water. Pretreat with liquid laundry detergent, launder using color safe bleach and the hottest water safe for the fabric.
5 Candy canes. To remove colored candy stains, rinse in warm water to dilute stain. Wash in warm to hot water and dry as usual.
4 Meat slices. To remove grease or cooking oil, use a dry-cleaning solvent or pretreat with a laundry product by rubbing into stain until saturated. Wash in warm to hot water. Air dry and repeat if necessary.
3 Trees a tipping. To remove tree sap, use dry cleaning solvent and then wash in detergent in warm to hot water. Dry and repeat if necessary.
2 Upset egg nogs. To remove milk or other dairy products, rinse in cold water to dilute stain. Soak up to 30 minutes with detergent. Wash in warm water and air dry.
And one gravy boat splashing. Scrape off excess with a full knife if dried. Pretreat by soaking in a laundry product containing enzymes or rub with a paste of powdered laundry detergent and water.
And here are some good stain removal reminders from my files. First, treat stains as soon as possible to avoid having them set permanently. Always remember to test for colorfastness prior to treatment. Try any treatment on an unexposed area such as an inside seam or pocket. Air dry treated items until you are certain the stain is removed. Drying in a dryer heat sets the stain. And finally, if the care label recommends dry cleaning, take items to your favorite dry cleaner and inform them about the type of stain.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and that 2020 brings health and happiness to you and your family!
Donna Krug is the Family & Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. Contact her at 620-793-1910 or dkrug@ksu.edu.
