9 Thanksgiving Stains (and How to Remove Them)

It’s time to enter the full swing of the holiday season! With Halloween festivities complete and a few weeks of fall left to savor, the time has come to bask in the autumnal charm of Thanksgiving.

What do your Thanksgiving plans look like this year? Whether it’s a formal dinner, a casual potluck, or a football viewing party, there’s one thing every gathering has in common: the risk of stains.

Before a spill has you panic-searching ‘laundry near me,’ stock up on home remedy ingredients and keep reading for our Thanksgiving stain removal guide!

Here’s How to Remove 9 Thanksgiving Stains…

1. Butter and Grease

Do you take charge when it comes to Thanksgiving cooking? When you inevitably find yourself facing a fresh butter or grease stain, here’s what to do:

1. Dab, don’t rub, the stain with a clean hand towel

2. Pour a generous amount of grease-fighting dish soap onto the stain, covering it entirely

3. Let the soap-covered stain sit for 10 minutes

4. Pour or spray warm water directly onto the stain

5. Use your finger to rub the stain in circular motions

After this process, wash the garment as you normally would, but opt for line drying instead of machine drying.

2. Red Wine

Red wine tastes especially good on Thanksgiving, but the chaos of the holiday certainly increases the risk of spills.

If a glass ends up on someone’s clothing, follow these steps:

1. Rub liquid laundry detergent or standard dish soap into the stain

2. Submerge the garment in cold water for 30 minutes

3. Add stain remover directly to the spill, then wash the garment as usual in your machine

You may have to repeat the process a few times, so don’t be discouraged after your first try!

If the spill is on your carpet, read this blog to learn what to do.

3. Gravy

Thanksgiving dinner wouldn’t be the same without gravy, but passing it around is a spill waiting to happen—especially with kids at the table! If gravy escapes its boat, try this stain removal tip:

1. Scrape excess gravy off the stain with a spoon, but try not to spread the sauce further

2. Use your finger to rub standard dish soap onto the stain

3. Run the garment under warm water until the oil is gone

Next, machine wash the item as normal and air-dry instead of machine-dry.

4. Cranberry Sauce

Cranberries have a gorgeous color, but it’s the last shade you want staining your clothing. For this one, grab white vinegar and rubbing alcohol, then follow these steps:

1. Combine ⅔ cup of rubbing alcohol with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar

2. Gently sponge the stain with your mixture and a clean white cloth

3. Continue blotting the spill until gone

Like with red wine, this one might take a few tries before it works!

5. Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes may look innocent compared to their stain-prone Thanksgiving dish peers, but they can easily leave a lasting mark.

If the starchy side ends up on your clothing, try this:

1. Scrape away any remaining chunks of potato

2. Turn the garment inside out and rinse under cold water

3. Use your finger, a clean cloth, or a toothbrush to wash the stain with dish soap

4. Rinse the item, then add liquid laundry detergent to the stain

5. Soak the garment in cold water for 30 minutes

Finally, run it through your washing machine (if safe to do so) at the hottest temperature the material allows. Here’s a refresher on how to read the care label!

6. Chocolate

Halloween may involve more chocolate than Thanksgiving, but we’re not out of the woods yet!

If you’re a chocolate-loving family, here’s how to get it out of fabric:

1. Scrape away as much excess chocolate as you can without rubbing the item

2. Add liquid laundry detergent directly to the stain, then let it sit for 10 minutes

3. Rinse the item, then soak it in 2 parts hydrogen peroxide and one part dish soap for one hour

7. Blood

We hope you don’t need to remove blood from clothing or fabric, but heavy-duty cooking and turkey carving always carry their risks.

Follow these steps if blood ends up on clothing:

1. As soon as possible, soak the stain in cold water or run it under the tap

2. Pour hydrogen peroxide onto a clean sponge

3. Dab the stain repeatedly while running it under colder water

4. Rub the stain with enzyme-containing liquid laundry detergent

5. Machine wash the item with warm water and color-fast, non-chlorine, or oxygen bleach

If you notice the stain when it’s already dried, read this article.

8. Coffee

Need caffeine to power through the cooking? Plan on serving coffee during dessert? If the drink winds up spilled, try this:

1. Soak up extra liquid with a clean towel

2. Run the garment under cold water for about 10 minutes

3. Apply liquid laundry detergent or liquid dish soap to the stain and let it sit for 5 minutes

4. Use your finger to rub the stain away, then rinse thoroughly

If the stain persists, soak it in a bit of stain remover for 5 minutes before machine washing as usual.

9. Lipstick

Unfortunately, food and blood aren’t the only stains that crop up during Thanksgiving. If you’re hosting or heading to a formal celebration, lipstick can easily stain your favorite dinner party outfit!

Removing lipstick stains is actually pretty simple—here’s what to do:

1. Use a dull edge like a knife or spoon or scrape away excess lipstick

2. Grab a cotton ball and dab the stain with rubbing alcohol

3. Wash the garment as usual in your machine or by hand

Can’t Beat the Stain? Head to WaveMAX Laundry.

Are your Thanksgiving stains too stubborn to remove at home? Although we’re well-known for our popular Thornton laundromat, the WaveMAX Laundry Team can also help with your dry cleaning.

Check out our list of stains dry cleaning can tackle, then visit our website to schedule a pick-up and drop-off dry cleaning service.

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