22 November 2017. Sophocles may have said, “no speech can stain what is noble by nature,” but we all know how well red wine can stain our holiday tablecloth.
Thanks to a super helpful article by cleaning expert Jolie Kerr in the New York Times, we learn that not all stains are created equal. Depending on what caused the stain - such as grease, dairy, starch, wine or chocolate - you want to adjust your approach. For grease stains, you want to use liquid dish soap. Lipstick on your good napkins? Rubbing alcohol is your friend. If things get really out of hand, and you find yourself with a bloodstain, use salt (but don’t rub it into any wounds).
One of our favorite tips is to never put a grease stained item in the dryer until you are sure the stain has been washed it out, as the heat of the dryer will permanently set it. Let the fabric air dry then check to see if the stain is indeed gone. If not, treat and wash it again and that just might do the trick.
Before the party gets started, make sure you have on hand salt, liquid dishwashing soap, Pine Sol, rubbing alcohol, enzyme-based stain remover and liquid stain remover, such as Shout. Check Ms. Kerr’s article to know what to use for what. With this arsenal, you should be able to treat almost any stain and keep your textiles looking fresh. This way you can ensure the memories of your joyful gathering will last, but the stains don’t have to.
Image credit goes to The Bonjon Gourmet. Alanna generously features our kitchen cloths in her food styling and for that we are so grateful. You can find the recipe to this gluten free stone fruit galette with cardamom and honey here.