It’s that time of year! Autumn is in the air and the holidays are right around the corner. Some of the most popular holiday traditions such as pumpkin pies, jack-o-lanterns, turkey dinners and Christmas trees, often become some of the most stubborn stains. Below are some tips on how to remove each type of stain!

Turkey Goodness

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday. Today, it is estimated that Americans eat 46 million turkeys every Thanksgiving and another 22 million on Christmas. With many different ways to prepare a turkey, from deep frying to roasting, there is a definite guarantee that it will stain your shirt or your table cloth.

Removal Guide – Light Stains

1. Always read the care label on clothing or fabric.
2. Using a pretreatment spray stain remover, spray stains and leave sit for a few minutes.
3. After the pretreatment has soaked in, treat spots by pouring a small amount of laundry detergent on each stain and rub gently.
4. Wash according to care label.

Removal Guide – Heavy Stains

1. Always read the care label on clothing or fabric.
2. Lay out paper towels on your counter. Make sure they are white and contain no colored patterns.
3. Place the soiled fabric stain side down on the paper towels.
4. Following the instructions on the back of the bottle, use drycleaning solution to blot out stain. You will need to change the paper towels often.
5. Allow the item to air dry and then rinse out the drycleaning solution.
6. Wash the item in the hottest water that is safe for the fabric.

Pumpkin Pie A’La Shirt

Annually, America harvests more than 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkin to turn into jack-o-lanterns, pumpkin pies and pumpkin puree. The pumpkin has become part of a holiday tradition in pies, side dishes and desserts; and is a decorating favorite for the autumn season. Since accidents will happen try this technique for removing a pumpkin stain.

Removal Guide – Light Stains

1. Always read the care label on clothing or fabric.
2. Using the hottest water safe for the fabric, clean the item with detergent. Avoid using natural soap since it could make the stain harder to remove.

Removal Guide – Heavy Stains

1. Always read the care label on clothing or fabric.
2. Mix one quart of warm water to 1 teaspoon of an enzyme presoak. Add the soiled item and let soak for at least 30 minutes.
3. Wash following care label instructions.

Deck the Halls

Since 1850, Christmas trees have been sold commercially in the United States . With approximately 36 million trees harvested annually, 21 percent of American households display a real tree. With a real tree comes sap and usually it is on your hands and your clothing. To keep that pine smell limited to the tree and not permanent on your clothing, proper stain removal is important.

Removal Guide – Light Stains

1. Always read the care label on clothing or fabric.
2. Using a stain remover, pretreat the stain and allow to absorb for several minutes.
3. Using liquid laundry detergent, pour directly onto the stain and rub gently.
4. Wash the item according to the care label instructions.

Removal Guide – Heavy Stains

1. Always read the care label on clothing or fabric.
2. Lay out paper towels on your counter. Make sure they are white and contain no colored patterns.
3. Place the soiled fabric stain side down on the paper towels.
4. Following the instructions on the back of the bottle, use drycleaning solution to blot out stain. You will need to change the paper towels often.
5. Allow the item to air dry and then rinse out the drycleaning solution.
6. Using a stain remover, pretreat the stain and allow to absorb for several minutes.
7. Using liquid laundry detergent, pour directly onto the stain and rub gently.

Wash the item according to the care label instructions.

See more stains by viewing our stain removal guide!