The 12 stains of Christmas - and how to get rid of them!

It’s the festive season, and this undoubtedly means that your carpets and upholstery are likely to be hit by an array of stains.

Here are the 12 most common stains of Christmas and how to get rid of them.

RED WINE
The dreaded red wine stain needs to be treated swiftly, before the stain has a chance to set in. Your first step is to spray water on the stain, to keep it wet. Alternatively, you could pour soda or sparkling water over the carpet. Secondly, grab an old tea towel and blot up as much of the red wine as you possibly can, making sure that you don’t spread the stain.
CHOCOLATE
Got yourself a chocolate stain? Mix washing-up liquid in some warm water and using a sponge, gently work the bubbly solution into the stained area. Hopefully the stain will lift, and further attention won’t be required.
COFFEE
With all the guests likely to arrive at your home over Christmas, drinks are bound to get spilled, and coffee could be one of them. If this happens to you, grab the bicarbonate of soda and once mixed with some warm water to make a paste, apply a thick layer to the stain and leave it to work its magic. Finally, use a brush or something sturdy to work the stain out of the carpet and hopefully the brown coffee stain will have vanished.
CREAMY DIPS
Firstly, arm yourself with a paper towel and get up as much of the creamy dip as you can. Secondly, apply some rubbing alcohol onto some cotton wool and apply to the affected area. If the creamy dip has a strong odour, for example garlic, your final step is to mix water with some white wine vinegar and apply to the area.
CANDLE WAX
Ooops! Did some candle wax get on your lovely festive tablecloth? Fear not! You’ll need some ice cubes, an iron and a paper bag to remove this stain. Step 1 is to rub some ice cubes over the wax until it hardens. You will then be able to scrape up a lot of the wax quite easily. Secondly, get a paper bag and position it over the area where any stubborn wax bits remain. Using a warm iron, rub over the area and liquefy the wax, allowing it to absorb onto the bag. Thirdly, wash your table cloth as normal and watch it regain its former self.
SOOT
MOVE AWAY FROM THE WATER! Repeat – do not add water to a soot stain. The worst thing you could do here is grab a wet cloth and start scrubbing. Soot is oily and water and oil are a match made in hell. Your first step in removing a soot stain is to get a dry sponge and try to get rid of and remove as much soot as you possibly can. If this method fails, and leaves you with a few stubborn bits, some rubbing alcohol on the edge of a sponge, rubbed into the stain should be enough to get your carpet clean again.
CRANBERRY SAUCE
It wouldn’t be Christmas without cranberry sauce, but unfortunately its red colour is notorious at causing stains. After removing the excess sauce that has spilled, your next step is to mix some dishwasher liquid and warm water and apply to the affected area, using a sponge to blot up the liquid which should hopefully be lifting the stain. Keep repeating this process until the stain is gone.
TREE SAP
Christmas is over, you’re throwing out the tree, and there it is, a tree sap stain. Before you attempt to treat the stain, make sure that the tree sap is dry. If it is, you should be able to easily pick it off the carpet. To treat any that is left behind, water mixed with some dishwashing liquid should be enough to sponge and clear up the rest of the stain.
DIRT & MUD
Prevention is better than cure, so make sure that you’ve armed your front door with quality door mats. This will help keep dirt, mud and leaves from entering further into your home. However, if you do find that guests have brought this mess indoors and onto your carpet areas, in most cases, a quality vacuum cleaner should be enough to get your carpet clean again.
TREE WATER
Using a solution of vinegar and water to neutralize the browning effect caused by spilled water from the Christmas tree, should be enough. However, if the water was rusty due to the tree stand being metal, the stain will be more stubborn, and we recommend consulting a professional or your carpet manufacturer for advice.
MINCE PIE/ CHRISTMAS PUDDING
Crumbly, sticky and sweet, some mice pie or Christmas pudding landing on your carpet could be very messy, especially if there’s brandy sauce involved, however fear not, a solution of water and washing up liquid should be enough to get rid of the stain. Simply use a sponge to wipe the stain away.
GRAVY
Like cranberry sauce, a gravy stain that has dripped, splashed or run onto your carpet can be treated in a similar way. Again, it’s your trusty mixture of water and washing up liquid that will hopefully save the day here. After wiping up any excess gravy with a cloth, simply blot the stain away with the water mixture. When the stain appears to have been lifted, sponge the area with cold water and dab dry with a clean cloth or sponge.