Did your home find itself frequented by a plethora of visitors this holiday season? Chances are your home is also finding itself victim to messes. Here are some tips on how to clean the worst of the holiday messes.

 

Spilled wine – It’s inevitable that wine will spill either on your gorgeously decorated table or somehow make its way to the carpet. To avoid a deep stain, immediately soak the area in a mixture of water and laundry detergent without bleach. If the stain is being stubborn, try a mixture of water and white vinegar for extra power in soaking up the color.

 

Carpet stains – Before you try to clean up the mess, be sure to scrape away any excess food or drink that has spilled. Like before, reach for the detergent or vinegar solutions immediately so the stain doesn’t have a chance to set. Another great solution for carpet stains is to dab at it with 3%-strength hydrogen peroxide.

 

Christmas tree sap and needles – Real Christmas trees are beautiful and smell amazing during the holidays. But sometimes when you dispose of them, you find drips of sap have left their mark on your carpet. Blot the area with rubbing alcohol and then clean with the detergent solution. Always clean the area with a white towel to avoid further stains or color transfer.

 

Candle wax – Did a candle spill over? Get a pot of boiling water and pour over the spilled wax from a height of at least a foot. The extra pressure of pouring from this height will help loosen the wax from the surface it spilled on. After the larger pieces of wax have been removed, you can proceed to launder the linen as usual.

 

Makeup on linens – Use the detergent solution with water to remove makeup from napkins or bedding. Rinse it thoroughly and repeat if the stain persists. Once the makeup is removed, wash the linens as usual.