How to get rid of typical Christmas stains

We’ve all done it: spilt our brew. Leaving us with that unmistakable caffeine-brown stain. Thankfully, removing caffeine stains from clothes or the the carpet is pretty straightforward. 

• Dab — don’t rub — the stained area with a cleaning cloth or towel to dry it as much as possible. 
• Grab your upholstery cleaner or laundry stain remover and follow the instructions according to the product label.
• For carpets, work in the upholstery cleaner with a brush and let it dry completely. Then simply hoover it up.
• For clothing, let the stain remover soak in for 10 minutes. Then apply some liquid detergent to the stain, pressing it in with the cup. Give it a few minutes to soak in. If the garment is machine washable, then wash it as usual.

Part of tucking into a festive feast is the greasy goodness — all those buttery, oily dishes! If your shirt gets splattered plating the turkey, you’ll want to do a quick spot clean. If gravy stains the table linen, don’t dash to the washing machine immediately — the stuffing would get cold! There is a different approach for older, larger stains.  

• How to spot clean grease from clothes - All you need is dish soap! It’s designed to cut through grease. Massage a small amount of washing up liquid onto the grease stain. Rinse it with cold water from the tap. Let it dry. Wash as normal in the machine later (once the dinner party is over!).
• How to remove grease from a table cloth - Dab the stain and surrounding area with a stain-removing washing liquid suitable for grease, such as All OXI stainlifter®, let in soak in. Then wash the linen in the hottest cycle possible. Check the label for washing instructions to know the correct temperature setting.
  

Don’t let spilling red wine put a cork in your festivities! Follow these fool-proof steps to remove red wine stains from clothing instead. It’s best to act fast when it comes to wine.

• Pour a little washing liquid onto the stain.
• Rub the washing liquid into the stain with something like the back of a spoon. 
• Check the label in your clothing. If it’s machine washable, wash as usual according to the label.
• For brighter whites, try adding a Dylon Brilliant White repair sachet to the drum of your washing along with your clothes and usual detergent to really add that extra bit of life back into your clothes!

While it’s tempting to lick it off, there is a better way to remove chocolate smudged into your carpet or couch! All you need is some carpet and upholstery cleaner.

• Scratch any excess chocolate off with your teeth the back of a spoon. 
• Shake the carpet and upholstery cleaner. Spray generously onto the stain.
• Work the foam into the fabric with a damp, soft brush. 
• Wait for the foam to dry completely.
• Then hoover up the dried foam. No more stain!

Don’t panic if someone gets Rudolf The Reindeer-red lipstick on your best napkins! Pre-treating it with stain remover should do the trick. To remove most lipstick stains from cloth napkins (and clothes), follow these steps:

• Pre-treat the lipstick stain with a stain remover.
• Rub it in and leave for up to 10 minutes.
• Then, wash the napkin at the hottest temperature recommended for the fabric with liquid washing detergent. A quick look at the label should tell you. 

With these tricks up your sleeve, there ain’t nothing Christmas can’t throw at you.  

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