Tackling your WORST stains: Expert reveals surprising hacks to remove red wine, gravy, and more
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We all love getting together with friends and family during the festive season. However, when the joyful celebrations are over, many of us are left with a mess to clean up.
And some of the most stubborn stains are not so easily removed, leading us to resign to never wearing our favourite red wine-drenched pants or using our gravy-stained tablecloth again.
But fear not - cleaning expert Lynsey Crombie recently shared some top tips with This Morning viewers to help get rid of even the toughest marks. From lumpy gravy to wax stains - Lynsey has a surprisingly simple solution for all of your hard-to-remove marks.
Gravy
If you find yourself dealing with a lumpy gravy mess on a dress, the tablecloth, or the carpet, don't worry! Compared to other stains, gravy can be relatively easy to remove.
First, pick up as much of the spill as you can. A blunt knife (you can also use an old credit card) works best. Next, apply a fabric stain remover to the affected area to remove the enzymes. This should help you get rid of the stain, as well as the smell.
You can also follow the instructions in this video below:
Credit: Howdini.
Glass ring stains
If you've got some glass condensation stains on your counters, Lynsey had a rather odd but effective hack: Rubbing potato peels on the surface and then rinsing it off. And yes, surprisingly, it works!
Alternatively, you can also heat up some white vinegar (not too hot, though) and use this as a cleaner.
You may also like this video to learn how to clean drinking glasses with bicarb soda, dish soap, and a few drops of lemon juice!
Credit: 5-Minute Bright Side.
Red wine
Ahhh, red wine… the stain of Christmas. Here, the key is to act as quickly as possible. Before you do anything else, get an enzyme-based fabric stain remover and apply it to the affected area.
Once it's had a chance to break down the stain, put the item in a bucket of cold water and leave it to soak.
Alternatively, you can try making a DIY paste with salt and cold water and start scrubbing the stain away. Don't waste white wine by pouring it on top of the stain – that won't help. What a waste of booze as well!
Wax
Red wine isn't the only festive staple that can cause stains! Candle wax can be a nightmare, too. When it comes to wax spills, Lynsey had two tips for tackling the nasty mess.
First, as with all stains, scrape away as much as you can. Then, put some greaseproof baking paper on top and apply some cool heat from an iron or hair dryer. This should help to rub away the wax.
You can always put the stained material in the freezer and then peel the offending splatters off using a blunt knife.
You can also follow the instructions in this video below:
Credit: Howcast.
Dirty ovens
Even a few Christmas dinners and an extra special New Year's Eve celebration can leave your oven looking a little worse for wear.
To tackle unsightly grease and grime marks, Lynsey recommended using a DIY cleaning paste made of bicarb soda and washing up liquid. Apply the paste using a painting or make-up brush or an old mascara brush - which can help get into the nooks and crannies.
You can also use soda crystals to soak up grease and grime.
Food remains on a pan
If you've left washing up for a little too long, you may find yourself dealing with congealed messes in the pan. However, olive oil and some salt make for an easy, DIY paste to clean it up. Simply use an old face cloth, apply the paste and watch the stuck-on food disappear.
And this video below may be useful if you're trying to remove tough stains off stainless steel cookware:
Credit: Wirecutter.
We hope these tips help make your clean-up after all of the festive fun a little easier. Let us know in the comments if you've got any other clever hacks to help remove common stains!
And some of the most stubborn stains are not so easily removed, leading us to resign to never wearing our favourite red wine-drenched pants or using our gravy-stained tablecloth again.
But fear not - cleaning expert Lynsey Crombie recently shared some top tips with This Morning viewers to help get rid of even the toughest marks. From lumpy gravy to wax stains - Lynsey has a surprisingly simple solution for all of your hard-to-remove marks.
Cleaning up after a year-end holiday party can be a real pain. Credit: Pexels/Karolina Grabowska.
Gravy
If you find yourself dealing with a lumpy gravy mess on a dress, the tablecloth, or the carpet, don't worry! Compared to other stains, gravy can be relatively easy to remove.
First, pick up as much of the spill as you can. A blunt knife (you can also use an old credit card) works best. Next, apply a fabric stain remover to the affected area to remove the enzymes. This should help you get rid of the stain, as well as the smell.
You can also follow the instructions in this video below:
Credit: Howdini.
Glass ring stains
If you've got some glass condensation stains on your counters, Lynsey had a rather odd but effective hack: Rubbing potato peels on the surface and then rinsing it off. And yes, surprisingly, it works!
Alternatively, you can also heat up some white vinegar (not too hot, though) and use this as a cleaner.
You may also like this video to learn how to clean drinking glasses with bicarb soda, dish soap, and a few drops of lemon juice!
Credit: 5-Minute Bright Side.
Red wine
Ahhh, red wine… the stain of Christmas. Here, the key is to act as quickly as possible. Before you do anything else, get an enzyme-based fabric stain remover and apply it to the affected area.
Once it's had a chance to break down the stain, put the item in a bucket of cold water and leave it to soak.
Alternatively, you can try making a DIY paste with salt and cold water and start scrubbing the stain away. Don't waste white wine by pouring it on top of the stain – that won't help. What a waste of booze as well!
Get rid of red wine stains as soon as possible for the best results. Credit: Unsplash/Kelsey Knight.
Wax
Red wine isn't the only festive staple that can cause stains! Candle wax can be a nightmare, too. When it comes to wax spills, Lynsey had two tips for tackling the nasty mess.
First, as with all stains, scrape away as much as you can. Then, put some greaseproof baking paper on top and apply some cool heat from an iron or hair dryer. This should help to rub away the wax.
You can always put the stained material in the freezer and then peel the offending splatters off using a blunt knife.
You can also follow the instructions in this video below:
Credit: Howcast.
Dirty ovens
Even a few Christmas dinners and an extra special New Year's Eve celebration can leave your oven looking a little worse for wear.
To tackle unsightly grease and grime marks, Lynsey recommended using a DIY cleaning paste made of bicarb soda and washing up liquid. Apply the paste using a painting or make-up brush or an old mascara brush - which can help get into the nooks and crannies.
You can also use soda crystals to soak up grease and grime.
If you've left washing up for a little too long, you may find yourself dealing with congealed messes in the pan. However, olive oil and some salt make for an easy, DIY paste to clean it up. Simply use an old face cloth, apply the paste and watch the stuck-on food disappear.
And this video below may be useful if you're trying to remove tough stains off stainless steel cookware:
Credit: Wirecutter.
We hope these tips help make your clean-up after all of the festive fun a little easier. Let us know in the comments if you've got any other clever hacks to help remove common stains!
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