When you think of Christmas, what comes to mind? We’ll bet a lot of what you’re thinking of is festive food and drink – indulgent sweet treats, the occasional tipple, party food and roast dinners with all the trimmings. Whilst they are delicious, the deep and rich colours are also prone to leaving stains. With this in mind, the team at ACE has developed some tips for removing common Christmas stains, leaving you to make merry memories with the family while ACE takes care of the mess.
Cranberry sauce stains
There’s always someone who takes a huge spoonful of cranberry sauce and splats it in the middle of the table, or down their new light-up Christmas jumper. As soon as realistically possible – but don’t let worrying about stains interrupt your day – rinse away the excess sauce and flush the item with cool water. Soak the item in 10 litres of water with a capful of ACE for Colours, then wash as normal with your usual detergent and another capful of ACE.
For carpets the best thing to do is to mix one tablespoon of liquid dishwasher detergent with two cups of cool water. Use this solution to sponge the stain away (use a clean white cloth for this bit or else the colour of the sponge/cloth may transfer). For upholstery, the solution should be one tablespoon of white vinegar to two-thirds of a cup of rubbing alcohol.
Mulled wine stains
Red wine is one of the most infamous stains and unfortunately, the addition of cinnamon, cloves and clementine doesn’t make it any easier to remove. As soon as possible dab with ACE for Colours, leave to soak then wash as normal with a capful of ACE to leave the item good-as-new. A video tutorial is available as part of our My Mum’s ACE campaign.
For carpets or upholstery, pour over a little sparkling or soda water. The bubbles will help to push the stain out. Absorb as much as possible with a paper towel, making sure to dab – not rub – to reduce spreading. Repeat as many times as necessary. If some of the stain still remains, dab it gently with a solution of white vinegar and warm water.
Gravy stains
You can’t have a roast dinner without gravy; however it does have a tendency to drip, splash and end up everywhere. Gravy stains should come out during a normal wash, but for stubborn stains, a 15-minute soak in water with a capful of ACE for Colours will do the trick. The hotter the wash the better, but check the label in the item to find out the maximum temperature it can be washed at to avoid shrinkage. A video tutorial for gravy is also available as part of our My Mum’s ACE campaign.
If you’ve gotten really carried away and gravy has ended up on the carpet or sofa, sprinkle baking soda, corn starch or another absorbent powder onto the stain. Leave it for 10-15 minutes and then vacuum. If some of the stain still remains, dab it gently with a solution of white vinegar and warm water.
Mince pie or Christmas pudding stains
Mince pies and Christmas pudding are sticky, sweet and inevitably messy! If you’ve spilled pie filling or pudding with brandy butter on your clothes, rinse the item in cool water to get rid of the excess. As with cranberry sauce stains, soak the item in 10 litres of water with a capful of ACE for Colours, then wash as normal with your usual detergent and another capful of ACE.
For carpets, again the best thing to do is to mix one tablespoon of liquid dishwasher detergent with two cups of cool water. Use this solution to sponge the stain away. For upholstery the solution should be one tablespoon of white vinegar to two-thirds of a cup of rubbing alcohol.
Relax, treat yourselves and enjoy Christmas with your nearest and dearest. When you get back into the swing of household chores, ACE is here to help, no matter what the stain. Let us know if there are any more Christmas stains you need help removing at @ACECLEANUK on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
