Did your holiday attire and fine linen tablecloths make it through the holidays untainted? Stains in clothing are sometimes difficult to remove. The following guidelines may help your garments and linens fabrics look clean again.

General Guidelines:

1. The first thing to do before treating a stain in fabric is to read the care label carefully. If the fabric is "dry clean only", take it to the dry cleaner as soon as possible. Stains should be treated while they are fresh because fresh stains are easier to remove than stains that are old.

2. Test stain removal products on the inside seam or other inconspicuous part of the item. Apply the stain remover and wait about 5 minutes and rinse the item. If the color changes, do not use the stain remover on the item.

3. Stain remover should be applied to the back of the fabric where the stain is located. Place the stained area face down on a paper towel or white cloth. This procedure will force the stain out of the fabric.

4. Do not put chemical dry-cleaning solvents in the washer. To avoid a fire, always rinse and air dry fabrics containing dry-cleaning solvents before washing in a washing machine.

5. Never mix stain removal products together. The chemicals in the products could produce harmful fumes when mixed.

6. When treating stains, do not use any type of bar soap, flake soap or natural soap. These soaps could cause the stain to be permanent or even harder to remove.

Most Common Holiday Stains and How to Remove Them

**Please note that these are only helpful suggestions and these methods may not work every time. Some stains may need repeated treatments or rewashed with bleach that is safe for that particular fabric and some stains may be permanent.

1. Apple Cider – Wash with detergent in the hottest water possible for that fabric.

2. Butter – Light butter stains can be pretreated with stain remover or liquid detergent. Heavy butter stains may need to be removed by applying the stain remover to the back of the fabric (see no. 3 under general guidelines above). Launder and inspect before drying.

3. Candle Wax – Harden the candle wax with ice and remove the surface wax with a dull knife. Enclose the stain between paper towels and lightly press with a warm iron. The towels may need to be changed to absorb more wax. Apply stain remover to the remaining stain and blot with paper towels. Let the fabric dry and then wash.

4. Chocolate – The stain should be treated with a prewash spray or product containing enzymes and then laundered.

5. Coffee, Tea – Rinse the stain immediately with cool water or soak for 30 minutes in cool water. Apply detergent to the stain and wash.

6. Cranberries – Wash in the hottest water possible for that fabric.

7. Eggnog – If the stain is fresh it should be agitated and soaked in cold water prior to laundering. Old stains should be scraped or brushed and soaked for several hours in cold water containing detergent or enzyme presoak. Wash in warm water.

8. Pumpkin Pie – Wash the item in the hottest water possible for the fabric.

9. Pine Resin (Tree Sap) – Apply stain remover and let it air dry. Rub with a paste of detergent and water and wash. If the stain remains, apply several drops of ammonia and let it air dry. Wash the fabric again with liquid laundry detergent and a color-safe bleach.

10. Wine – The stained area should be soaked in cool water. Apply stain remover or liquid laundry detergent and wash with a color-safe bleach in the hottest possible water for that fabric.

These tips and suggestions were taken from fabriclink.com. To learn more about fabrics and stain removal please visit their website at www.fabriclink.com. You can also find useful fabric care information at ext.msstate.edu/pubs/pub1400.htm.