Christmas feasts are nice but not on that holiday sweater!

Christmas is tomorrow, and while we here at Pearl Street Laundry have been busy decorating and getting into the holiday spirit, we are well aware that ‘tis the season of holiday stains. We will be here after the holidays to help you get a handle on the cleaning, but in case you need to make some spur of the moment decisions about how to care for those soiled garments, we’ve got some tips on dealing with the particular stains associated with yule-tide cheer!

First of all, no Christmas is complete without a lot of sugar! Whether it is candy canes or sugar cookies, sweets make up a big part of the celebration. But what a pain those sticky fingers are once they’ve wandered onto your clothing. Like with so many other stains, vinegar is the answer here. Just a little soak with vinegar and warm water, before a normal laundry cycle, and no more worries!

Another tricky Christmas item is good old egg nog. Nights spent sitting by the fire sipping this delicious Christmas concoction are certainly relaxing: egg stains on your clothes, not so much. But don’t fret, the enzymes found in the nog are easily lifted with a bit of enzyme detergent and a half hour soak in cold water.

And what could be more Christmassy than a nice holiday pie to spark the spirit? Blueberry, strawberry, peach, and apple, to name a few. Hopefully, it all ends up in your tummy and not on your tie, but if it does there is no reason to lose hope. While the type of stain matters (cherry, for instance, can often be removed with dish detergent), pretreatment goes a long way when it comes to these bright colored fruit stains. Make sure you act fast and don’t let that filling have a chance to soak in and infiltrate your fabrics permanently.

Then, of course, there is every adult’s favorite Christmas libation— mulled or spiced wine. We like ours served piping hot in a big mug, with plenty of cinnamon and herbs. What we don’t like, is seeing those dark crimson stains all over our carpet or clothes the next day.

Fact is, red wine is one of the worst stains you can get, so it is important to act fast. Always start by blotting (not rubbing) as much of the offending liquid up as possible. If you don’t have our favorite treatment (Wine Away) on hand, get some boiling water to pour over the affected area as quickly as possible – but remember to take your clothes off first so not to burn yourself! Remember, this is only for red wine. Other tips range from using salt or club soda. For white wine colder water tends to be better. Afterwards use some dish soap on the affected area before washing normally. Voila, your clothes should hopefully come out without a lasting stain. Can’t help you with that hangover though!

Holiday stains, while unpleasant, shouldn’t put a black mark (or red, or blue, or brown) on having a happy and enjoyable rest as the year comes to a festive close. 2017 is coming fast, and we’ll be with you every step of the way for all your clothing care needs. Happy holidays from your friends here at Pearl Street Laundry!