DON’T CRY OVER SPILLED WINE

Every Christmas drama – totally defused

GRAVY

Cotton and synthetics: Scrape off with a blunt knife. Apply a few drops of methylated spirits to the stain; blot with white paper towels. Allow solvent to evaporate, then machine wash at 40°C with biological detergent on the relevant cycle. Silks: Blot with white paper towels, rub a little detergent on stain before machine washing on a delicate cycle. Wool: Follow steps for silks, then wash on a hand-wash cycle. Carpet: Treat affected area with Dr Beckmann Carpet Stain Remover following pack instructions.

CANDLE WAX

Cotton: Pre-soak in soda crystals following pack instructions, then machine wash at 40°C.

Synthetics: Wash at 40°C on a synthetic cycle. Silks and wool: Apply ice until wax is hard; pick off carefully with a blunt knife, then machine wash on a delicate or handwash cycle. Carpet: Pick off hardened

wax, put white kitchen paper over it and iron on a low heat. Don’t let the iron touch the carpet or it could scorch. Keep moving the kitchen paper around until all the wax has been soaked up.

RED WINE

Cotton: Rub with washing-up liquid, then machine wash at 40°C with biological detergent. Synthetics and silks: Machine wash on the relevant programme.

Wool: Liberally spray the stain with hairspray, then machine wash on a hand-wash cycle. Carpet: Blot up as much moisture from the stain as possible with white paper towels. Spray with Wine No More Stain Remover following pack instructions.

GREASE

Cotton: Scrape off with a blunt knife. Apply drops of methylated spirits to stain and blot with white paper

towels. Rub a little washing-up liquid into stain, then machine wash immediately at 40°C. Synthetics: Follow steps for cotton but use synthetic cycle. Silks: Spot-treat with Stain Devils Cooking Oil & Fat

following pack instructions. Machine wash on delicate cycle at a high temperature. Wool: Follow step for silks but use a handwash cycle. Carpet: Use Dr Beckmann Carpet Stain Remover.

CHOCOLATE

Cotton, synthetics, silks and wool: Put in the machine at 40°C on the relevant programme. Carpet: Blot or scrape off

deposits using a blunt knife and white paper towels. Spot-treat with Dr Beckmann Carpet Stain Remover following pack instructions.

LIPSTICK

Cotton and synthetics: Wash at 40°C on the relevant programme.

Silks: Use Dr Beckmann

In-wash Stain Remover alongside detergent. Wool: We recommend talking to a specialist dry cleaner. Carpet: Scrape off lumps with

a blunt knife. Spray with WD-40, wait 30 seconds, then blot with white paper towels, working from outside in until stain is lifted.