Don’t Let Holiday Stains Ruin Your Holiday Memories

Helpful cleaning tips you can try yourself, courtesy of Zengeler Cleaners

The holidays are over, leaving behind lots of fond memories of family, friends and traditions. Those family gatherings also leave behind an unwanted headache: stains on some of our favorite apparel and other household items. Even small gatherings and celebrations can leave stains that threaten to ruin your holiday tablecloth, new carpet or your favorite blouse or shirt.

Let’s face it: anytime you bring good people, good times and good cheer together, there’s a risk it will end up with accidents or spills. We probably wouldn’t want it any other way; what fun would the holidays be without something delicious and messy? The challenge is, we likely don’t have a lot of experience cleaning up pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce, eggnog, gravy and stains from other seasonal dishes every day of the week.

“This is a season when we have to clean up messes that are just a little different than usual,” said Tom Zengeler, President of Zengeler Cleaners. “In addition to the items listed above, beverages such as wine, tea, specialty coffees and soft drinks are also especially challenging. With that in mind, we have some practical stain removal tips you can try right at home!”

Tips for liquid stains

For stains such as wine, tea, coffee, soda, cranberry sauce and apple cider.

• Rinse the stain with cold water

• “Blot” it with mild dishwashing liquid or a mild detergent and rinse

• If the stain is still present, blot with white vinegar, then rinse thoroughly

• When all else fails, try 3% hydrogen peroxide (available at most stores), but first test it in an unexposed area such as a seam or shoulder pad to be sure it’s safe for the fabric and color.

Eggnog and gravy stains

• Blot the stain with cold water and mild detergent, then rinse

• If the stain persists, mix a small amount of powdered detergent with 1 ounce of “nonsudsing” household ammonia to form a paste; apply to the stained area for 5-10 minutes and launder as usual

• Caution: Do no try on silk or wool garments; for those, use a mild detergent, then rinse thoroughly

Tips for other types of stains

• Always test the colorfastness of fabrics before attempting any type of stain removal

• Treat stains as soon as possible to avoid having them “set”

• If the garment is dry-cleanable, it should be handled professionally

“If none of these suggestions remove the stains, bring your soiled garments to Zengeler Cleaners, where we have a few additional tricks you can’t really try at home,” Zengeler said. “When you bring your stained items in, be sure to let us know where the stain is and what you’ve already tried. That will help us find the best solution to remove the stain without damaging the fabric.”

For more cleaning tips, visit Zengeler Cleaners at zengelercleaners.com.

Zengeler Cleaners has stores in Deerfield, Northfield, Winnetka, Northbrook, Long Grove and two Libertyville locations.