We all know that alcohol + dancing = spills. I've never managed a party without at least one. But no one likes a hovering hostess, so I've found the best way to avoid panic and deal with accidents is to have a simple toolkit handy to calmly and quickly deal with spills so everyone can get back to the party.
Here's what's in my kit:
• Microfiber cloth (to blot liquid from a carpet)
• Soda water (to dilute a carpet stain before blotting)
• Spray bottle with 50:50 vinegar water (for any sticky surface)
• sponge
That's it! I make sure I have these things close by so I can quickly dispatch a carpet spot or sticky countertop without much fuss. Speed counts, so address the spill right away, but remember to do it gracefully. Try to avoid adding to the embarrassment of the spiller, because we've all been there!
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so, to get wine out of a carpet, you put club soda on it and blot it?
Kosher salt will get out wine stains- sprinkle it on liberally, let it dry, vacuum it up (or shake it off table linens).
Keep a big box handy. People are generally so impressed with the tip that it's not too embarrassing to treat in front of the spiller.
We use oxygen-based cleaner. It works so well. We don't bother with anything else.
But.
Test the cleaner on a corner of the fabric, first. Treated or synthetic fabrics sometimes don't like the oxygenated stuff, and after it dries could leave a watermark ring.
It's the reason why we go for linen furniture upholstery. Nothing stands between me and my liberal use of oxygen-based cleaning product. :)
Another way to go: Don't serve Red Wine if you have white carpeting. :)
...or you can buy Wine Away (http://www.wineaway.com/) or a strong spot cleaner for carpets.
(I try to stay away from chemical cleaners, but I've found it nearly impossible to fully clean red wine stains with salt and club soda.)
I try to be a gracious host, but it's so hard. I am meticulous about how I treat my personal items because I have to save so long to get them. I would never drink red wine or eat spaghetti on my new couch because I know the stain danger. However, my friends have no problems carelessly sloshing their drink around. It makes me a nervous wreck! Last time I took it upon myself to serve only white wine, but they brought thier own red and insisted that they would prefer to drink that instead. Sigh!
Hydrogen peroxide from the drugstore gets red wine stains out with basically no effort. Dump wine. Get annoyed. Get the hydrogen peroxide. Dump on wine stain. Blot with a towel if you feel like it. Forget it ever happened! It also works after the fact, and it's extremely inexpensive.
Another reason not to have carpets installed. The whole idea of wall to wall carpeting is disgusting and unsanitary anyway.
This works on area rugs and upholstered furniture too... no one really said anything about wall-to-wall carpeting.
Very handy tip. Thanks for sharing!
I have heard that immediately putting salt on the stain keeps it from setting. Thank you for these tips.
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