The holidays are in full swing now. For more people that means plenty of celebrating including hosting and attending holiday parties.
One thing can certainly ruin the festivities are those pesky, hard-to-remove stains. You know the ones I’m talking about – red wine on your white blouse, spilled eggnog on your carpet and cranberry sauce some how making its way to your new white sofa.
With Clorox by your side, there’s no need to worry about those inevitable messes and stains during the holiday season. In fact, Clorox wants you to celebrate those messy moments at www.BleachItAway.com, a community that invites visitors to share their own “bleachable moments”. There you can also receive a $0.50 coupon for Clorox Regular Bleach.
Each day, a “featured moment” is selected for the spotlight and awarded a $50 gift card. One lucky winner will also receive $15,000! Visit the site for more information.
Also, make sure to check out myStain and download the free mobile app for those on-the-go stains.
Here are some great tips from Clorox and Dr. Laundry to help you treat holiday (and everyday!) stains.
Gravy
Gravy is a complex stain with grease, starch and colorant that requires a lot of attention.
- Scrape off excess gravy with a dull knife; blot gently with a paper towel or cloth; cover with cornstarch to help absorb the grease; brush off.
- Blot with cold water and liquid dish detergent; rinse.
FROM HERE, IF YOUR STAINED ITEM IS WHITE:
- Rub any residual stain gently with Clorox Bleach Pen Gel prior to laundering.
- Wash immediately in the hottest water recommended using detergent and a ¾ cup Clorox Regular Bleach (or a ½ cup of Concentrated Clorox Regular Bleach).
- Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.
IF YOUR STAINED ITEM HAS COLOR:
- Again, start by scraping off excess gravy with a dull knife; blot gently with a paper towel or cloth; sprinkle with cornstarch to help absorb excess grease, then brush the cornstarch off.
- Next, apply liquid dish detergent to the stain, and then rinse.
- Then apply good liquid laundry detergent and rub into stain. Wash immediately in hottest water recommended using detergent and Clorox 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster.
- Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.
Chocolate & Hot Chocolate
Chocolate has fine particles and milk proteins that can make this a difficult stain to remove.
- Soak fabric in cold water and good liquid laundry detergent for about 30 minutes to help loosen the protein part of the stain.
FROM HERE, IF YOUR STAINED ITEM IS WHITE:
- Rub chocolate stain gently with Clorox Bleach Pen Gel immediately before laundering.
- Wash immediately in warm water with detergent and a ¾ cup Clorox Regular Bleach (or a ½ cup of Concentrated Clorox Regular Bleach).
- Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.
IF YOUR STAINED ITEM HAS COLOR:
- Again, soak fabric in cold water and good liquid laundry detergent for about 30 minutes to help loosen the protein part of the stain.
- Then apply Liquid Clorox 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster directly to the stain and rub in. Wash immediately in warm water using detergent and Clorox 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster.
- Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.
Red Wine
Tannins help make great red wines, but really add difficulty to the removal of wine stains.
- Quickly blot up excess red wine with a paper towel or cloth, or use Club Soda to help bubble the wine off the fabric; blot away excess.
FROM HERE, IF YOUR STAINED ITEM IS WHITE:
- Rub the stain gently with Clorox Bleach Pen Gel immediately before laundering.
- Wash immediately in warm water with detergent and a ¾ cup Clorox Regular Bleach (or a ½ cup of Concentrated Clorox Regular Bleach).
- Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.
IF YOUR STAINED ITEM HAS COLOR:
- Again, quickly blot up excess red wine with a paper towel or cloth, or use Club Soda to help bubble the wine off the fabric; blot away excess.
- Then apply Liquid Clorox 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster directly to the stain and rub in. Wait 3-5 minutes, then wash immediately in hottest water recommended using detergent and Clorox 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster.
- Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.
Coffee & Espresso
Coffee, eggnog lattes and peppermint mochas may have a great aroma, but these stains have extra cream and sugar that make it a complex stain to successfully treat.
1. Do not rinse with bar soap as it may set the stain and make it much more difficult to remove.
FROM HERE, IF YOUR STAINED ITEM IS WHITE:
- Rub stain gently with Clorox Bleach Pen Gel immediately before laundering.
- Or for large spills, pre-soak the entire item in a solution of a ¼ cup Clorox Regular Bleach per gallon of cold water (or a ½ cup of Concentrated Clorox Regular Bleach). Submerge the garment and soak for 5 minutes.
- Wash immediately in the hottest water recommended by the care label using detergent and a ¾ cup Clorox Regular Bleach.
- Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.
IF YOUR STAINED ITEM HAS COLOR:
- Again, do not rinse with bar soap as it may set the stain and make it much more difficult to remove.
- Apply Liquid Clorox® 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster directly to the stain and rub in. Wait 3-5 minutes, then wash immediately in the hottest water recommended using detergent and Clorox® 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster.
- Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.
PumpkinPie
Pumpkin pie is a holiday favorite, but this stain has a lot of dairy products and sugars, which complicate the removal process.
1. Quickly scrape away any excess stain and rinse in cool water.
FROM HERE, IF YOUR STAINED ITEM IS WHITE:
- Rub stain gently with Clorox Bleach Pen Gel immediately before laundering.
- Wash immediately in warm or hot water using detergent and a ¾ cup Clorox Regular Bleach (or a ½ cup of Concentrated Clorox Regular Bleach).
- Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.
IF YOUR STAINED ITEM HAS COLOR:
- Again, quickly scrape away any excess stain and rinse in cool water.
- Then apply Liquid Clorox 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster directly to the stain and rub in. Wait 3-5 minutes, then wash in the hottest water recommended using a good enzyme detergent and Clorox 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster.
- Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.
Eggnog
Lots of cream, eggs and sugar make eggnog stains complex to get out.
1. Blot away excess. Submerge and pre-soak the item in cold water and good liquid laundry detergent for about 30 minutes to help soften and loosen the stain. Eggnog is a protein based stain and hot water will “cook” the stain into the fabric fibers.
FROM HERE, IF YOUR STAINED ITEM IS WHITE:
- Wash immediately in warm water using detergent and a¾ cup Clorox Regular Bleach (or a ½ cup of Concentrated Clorox® Regular Bleach).
- Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.
IF YOUR STAINED ITEM HAS COLOR:
- Again, blot away excess. Submerge and pre-soak the item in cold water and good liquid detergent for about 30 minutes to help soften and loosen the stain. Eggnog is a protein based stain and hot water will “cook” the stain into the fabric fibers.
- Then apply Liquid Clorox 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster directly to the stain and rub in. Wash immediately in warm water using detergent and Clorox 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster.
- Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.
Vomit
The Holidays are a prime time to enjoy long car rides, undercooked turkey, one too many extra servings of your favorite dessert, close contact with friends and family, and of course the chilly outdoor weather. From baby burps turned “uh-oh” to the common flu, you will want to get vomit stains out quickly!
- Immediately scrape off the excess, and thoroughly rinse the affected area with cold water.
FROM HERE, IF YOUR STAINED ITEM IS WHITE:
- Wash in the hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox Regular Bleach (or a ½ cup of Concentrated Clorox Regular Bleach).
- Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.
IF YOUR STAINED ITEM HAS COLOR:
- Wash immediately in the warmest water recommended on the care label using detergent and Clorox 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster.
- Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.
Baby Food
Did your game of airplane with your niece or nephew end in a crash landing? Don’t fret, that baby food should come out with these simple steps.
- Immediately scrape off excess baby food and rinse under cool water, taking care not to rub food into the fabric.
FROM HERE, IF YOUR STAINED ITEM IS WHITE:
- Wash in the hottest water recommended on the care label using detergent and 3/4 cup Clorox Regular Bleach (or a ½ cup of Concentrated Clorox Regular Bleach).
- Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.
IF YOUR STAINED ITEM HAS COLOR:
- Apply Clorox 2 Stain Fighter & Color Booster directly to the stain, rub in, and wait 3-5 minutes. Use the Free & Clear version if you’re concerned about sensitive skin.
- Then wash in the hottest water recommended by the garment’s care label with detergent and Clorox 2Stain Fighter & Color Booster.
- Air dry the item and check to make sure the stain is completely removed. If stain remains, repeat steps above.
Kimberly
*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this information for the benefit of my site readers. Any opinions expressed are my own unless otherwise noted.