Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and many of us are excited to be celebrating a holiday together with friends and family IRL for the first time in almost two years.
This means that things are probably going to get messy in the kitchen and around the dinner table on Thanksgiving Day. This year, don’t let a few stains put a damper on the festivities. Here are eight common Thanksgiving stains and how to get rid of them with ingredients you probably already have in your home.
Food grease
To remedy a food grease stain, allow the offending spot to sit in dish soap for at least 10 minutes, then launder it with cold water. If the stain is still visible, repeat the process again. Be careful not to put anything in the dryer until you’re sure the stain is completely gone.
Pumpkin & sweet potato
Use a dull knife to scrape off any excess pumpkin or sweet potato chunks, turn the fabric inside out, and run cold water on top of the stain to flush it out as much as possible. Before washing the fabric with hot water, treat the stain with laundry stain remover.
Cranberry sauce
Rinse this rich red stain with cool water first, then add one tablespoon of white vinegar and half a teaspoon of liquid laundry detergent to one quart of cool water. Dab (do not rub!) the solution on the stain with a clean cloth until the spot is gone.
Red wine
The dreaded red wine stain is one of the trickier ones to remedy, but if you have white vinegar and liquid detergent on hand, it shouldn’t be a problem. Saturate the stain in white vinegar, then rub in liquid detergent before running it under very hot water to help lift the stain.
Candle wax
Let the candle wax dry before scraping off what you can with a dull knife. Once you’ve removed as much candle wax, melt the remaining wax with a hairdryer, which will result in an oily residue that can be dabbed at with a cotton ball soaked in rubbing alcohol. Launder the item as usual.
Chocolate
Use a dry, clean toothbrush to brush away any loose crumbs of hardened chocolate before applying a mixture of one tablespoon of dish soap and two cups of warm water with a microfiber cloth onto the stain. Dab at it gently, but make sure not to rub as this can push the stain deeper into the fabric. Repeat until satisfied then soak up the solution with a clean towel.
Gravy
Use a clean cloth to press a solution of a quarter of a teaspoon of dish soap and three drops of ammonia in half a cup of warm water onto the stain. Again, do not rub. If you’re dealing with wool or silk, swap out the ammonia for club soda.
Lipstick
Use a clean toothbrush to work some liquid laundry detergent into the stain, then leave the fabric for at least 15 minutes. Wash the fabric on hot, check to see if the spot is still there. If it is, repeat the process, and if not, you can chuck it in the dryer.
