Thanksgiving dinner can leave a happy mark in your heart – and unsightly stains on your clothing and tablecloth. Whether it’s gravy, cranberries or red, red wine, we have just the tips you need to remove stains left behind by your holiday feast.

Remove Stains Left by Thanksgiving Dinner

With so many goodies on the table, it would be tough to get through the meal without a few Thanksgiving dinner stains left behind. But they won’t be left behind for long if you follow our savvy tips. When it comes time to remove stains, the general instructions remain the same for all stain and fabric types:

• Spritz Charlie’s Soap Laundry Pre-Spray stain remover on the stain
• Gently rub the liquid into the stain and let is sit for at least 30 minutes. No worries if the Pre-Spray dries; it won’t harm your fabrics (even your favorite tablecloth).
• Don’t fret if you see the stain spread once you apply the Pre-Spray. This just means the stain is separating from the fabric, which is exactly what you want.
• Once the 30 minutes are up, wash the item with Charlie’s Soap natural laundry detergent. This, too, is safe for all fabric types. Just make sure you use the water temperature best suited for the type of fabric you’re washing.

If the stain is gone, you’re good to go. If it’s still sticking around, repeat the above steps until the stain is completely removed. Do not put any items in the dryer until you’re sure the stain is gone, as heat can make the stain set in forever.

Additional Thanksgiving Dinner Stains Tips

Now that you have the general rundown on what works to remove stains, we’ll dive into specifics for different stain and fabric types.

Turkey gravy and turkey fat: For light stains involving turkey gravy and fat, the general instructions using Charlie’s Soap Pre-Spray can do the trick. If you have heavier turkey fat stains, you may need to increase the stain-fighting power.

Heavy turkey fat stains: Place a clean paper towel on the counter, then put the stain face-down on top of it. Spritz Charlie’s Soap Pre-Spray on the back of the stain and let it sit until it dries. Rinse the fabric and, if the stain is gone, wash the item in the warmest water safe for that fabric. If the stain persists, repeat the treatment and launder again.

Sweet potatoes: Scrape off any excess sweet potatoes, and then run cold water over the area to loosen the stain before treating with Pre-Spray. Use the warmest water safe for your fabric when laundering after the Pre-Spray treatment.

Cranberry sauce: Scrape off excess cranberries, then treat with the Pre-Spray. Once again use the warmest water possible when laundering after the Pre-Spray treatment.

Red wine: Blot off excess liquid, but very gently. Never rub or scrub red wine spots. Treat with Pre-Spray as quickly as possible, laundering in cold water after the stain dissolves.

For extreme Thanksgiving dinner stains of any type: If the stain won’t go away after at least two Pre-Spray treatments, you can try this:

• Fill a bucket with water, mixing in four doses of Charlie’s Soap laundry detergent.
• Put the stained item in the bucket, covering it and leaving it overnight.
• Dump the entire bucket into the washing machine, running two cycles without adding any more detergent.

If our extreme treatment doesn’t remove stains, you have only one option left: a pair of scissors to cut out the stain. That’s because if Charlie’s Soap doesn’t get out your Thanksgiving dinner stains, nothing else will. Stock up on our natural laundry products today.