10 Common Thanksgiving Stains (and How to Remove Them)

Let’s start with cranberry sauce, a delicious treat that is bizarrely really only enjoyed under the auspices of this one blessed annual meal. Maybe because it leaves such horrific stains? The University of Illinois even has a whole “Stain Solutions” site of tried-and-tested remedies and for cranberry stains alone, and recommends mixing one tablespoon of white vinegar with ⅔ cups of rubbing alcohol, then using a clean cloth to sponge the stain. Keep blotting until the stain is absorbed.

Gravy stains aren’t the most common of all the dirty possibilities of Thanksgiving dinner, but once you have one, you’ll see how annoying they are. Luckily, Clorox has a guide for removing a gravy stain. Scrape off any excess with a dull knife before blotting with a paper towel or cloth, then cover the stain with cornstarch to suck up the grease. Brush the residue off and follow with a blotting of cold water and dish detergent. Rinse (and repeat the blotting if necessary) and you’re done.

Butter is one of the things that makes Thanksgiving taste great, and leave terrible stains. To remove a butter stain, first try dish soap, which is literally designed to clean up grease, as we’ve mentioned before. Apply it directly to the stain. Rub it in gently until you’ve saturated the area, and let it sit for a few minutes. Then, wash your clothes as you normally would, or use a clean, wet cloth to dab up the detergent. You can also try white chalk. Rub it over the stain to pull up that grease, then toss the stained item into the washing machine.

If you got a little too excited when whipping up your pie, we don’t blame you, but a pumpkin stain can be troublesome. Your approach will depend on what, if anything, the pumpkin was mixed with when it made contact with your shirt or tablecloth, according to The Spruce. If there is milk or cream in it, for instance, you have a combination stain that requires special attention. Follow steps to remove the additional factors, like butter, first, then focus on the pumpkin. Use a dull knife to scrape off excess, then run cold water against the back of the affected fabric. Use pre-treatment or liquid laundry detergent to saturate the stain before washing it, rubbing it in with your fingers or a soft-bristled brush. After 15 minutes, toss it in the machine.

With pie comes ice cream, and with ice cream can come stains. In the past, we’ve recommended applying an enzymatic stain remover like Zout, Biz, or Puracy Stain Remover and allowing it to sit on the stain for 10 to 15 minutes before washing as normal. If the ice cream is chocolate, however, you have to do more. Use Shout spray, saturating the chocolate stain and rubbing the affected fabric together. Then run the stain under cold water, flushing it while continuing to rub the fabric together.

Sweet potato stains are similar to pumpkin stains, but they’re really bright, so you want to act on them fast. According to the University of Illinois, you can mix one tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap with two cups of cool water, then use a clean white cloth to sponge the stain out. Keep repeating the process until the stain is gone, then follow up with a clean cloth dipped in cold water to blot out the detergent.

Like pumpkin, the severity and treatment of a mashed potato stain depend largely on what else is in the potatoes when they make contact with fabric. If there’s butter in there, use the cornstarch method mentioned earlier to pull out the grease first. If there is other dairy, like cream, in the mix, be sure to avoid setting the stain with hot water and opt for cold water instead. To remove the mashed potatoes themselves, scrape off any excess from your fabric. Then, according to Stain Removal 101, you can turn your fabric inside out and run it under cold water, then rub a small amount of dishwashing liquid into the fabric and rinse it again. Pretreat with a liquid enzyme laundry detergent for at least 30 minutes (longer if the stain is old). Finally, launder the item on your washer’s hottest setting.

Foods aren’t the only staining culprits on Thanksgiving. Candles can drip on your tablecloth and leave ugly marks. To remove wax, you can try either a hot or a cold technique. If you opt for cold, put ice or an ice pack on the wax to freeze it, then scrape it off with a thin object like a credit card. If you go for heat, your approach will depend on the surface the wax is on. If it’s a hard surface, use a hair dryer to melt it, then rub it off with a cloth. If it’s on the carpet, set a paper bag on top of it, iron over it, and press down until the melted wax is transferred to the bag. The same process works for fabrics like tablecloths—sandwich the fabric with paper bags or newspaper, then iron on medium heat until the wax has transferred from the fabric to the paper.

A fancy dinner calls for a fancy look, so you can expect guests to wear lipstick to your house—and probably get it on your nice napkins. Remove lipstick stains by mixing a tablespoon of lemon juice and a tablespoon of baking soda to create a paste, spreading it over the stain, and letting it sit for 30 minutes. Wipe it away with a clean cloth and wash the fabric on a high temp, advises Tom’s Guide.