Professionals share their advice for tackling common holiday stains

From red wine spills to cherry stains – there’s bound to be some mess made over the Christmas period.

Nathan Schokker from integrated facilities management company Talio says there are three golden rules to observe in stain crisis: act quickly, absorb liquids and vacuum or brush away solids.

When that fails, try the following silly season stain removal hacks from Prema Day, owner of the Perth-based company All Pure Cleaning.

To learn more about living sustainably, listen to episode two of Somewhere Else:

Chocolate

When sticky fingers have marked your clothes or table linens, begin by removing as much of the dry, embedded chocolate stain as possible with your fingernail or a small spatula. Next, make a solution of white vinegar diluted 2:1 with water, and pour this onto the chocolate stain. Leave for a few minutes, before rubbing the mixture towards the centre of the stain with a clean cloth. Leave to soak, then wash the item on a normal cycle.

Red wine

If the red wine stain is dry, pour a little water on it to soak and loosen the area first. Then, absorb as much of the liquid with paper towels, before sprinkling over some baking soda. Leave this to soak overnight – the stain should start to turn pale grey. The next morning, take a cloth dipped in white vinegar and dab the area gently before vacuuming up the debris. Repeat the process until no colour remains.

For clothing, pour some soda water over the stain and allow this to sit overnight. Natural cleaning expert Prema Day says sparkling water, seltzer and tonic water are not chemically the same, so only use soda for stains.

Cherries

For any cherry stains on clothing, apply some fresh lemon juice and let this stand for around five minutes. The acidic properties of lemon will break down the stain. Wash the item of clothing on a normal cycle then leave to dry in the sun.

Gravy

For any gravy that’s made its way onto carpet fibres, lift out any solid matter using a dull knife. Do not rub the carpet, as this will only push the oil more deeply into the fibres. Next, sprinkle the stain with cornflour or baking soda to absorb the oil, using a soft-bristled brush to work this slightly into the carpet. Allow the powder to sit on the stain for at least 30 minutes to a couple of hours, then vacuum.

If the gravy is on your clothes, one easy trick is to sprinkle the stain with talcum powder or cornflour. Gently brush the powder into the grease or oil stain using the back of a spoon or a new toothbrush. You will soon see clumps of the powder, which means the powder is absorbing the oil. Leave to sit for a few hours or overnight to absorb, then shake the remaining powder in the rubbish bin. Repeat if required.

Oily meat

If the turkey or roast chicken has marked your table linens or clothes, run some chalk over the spots to absorb the grease and oil, then brush off. You can also try marking stains heavily with chalk before washing.

Candle wax

Allow the wax to dry, (or if you’re in a hurry, rub some ice over the wax to harden it), then use a blunt knife to remove as much as possible. Place the stained fabric between two sheets of paper towel (or blotting paper if you happen to have this on hand). Cover the blotting paper with a towel, then iron on low heat, very gently pressing down as you go. Repeat until the wax is removed.

Water ring stains

When guests inevitably ignore your splayed out coasters, mix equal parts vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl. Apply this mixture to a watermark ring using a cloth, then wipe in the direction of the wood grain until the stain is gone. The vinegar will help remove the stain while the olive oil acts as a furniture polish.