Quick and Easy Tips for Removing Common Food Stains

We’ve all been there. You’ve enjoyed a delicious home cooked meal and then later found most of it either on you clothes, or the tablecloth (or carpet!) afterwards. 

Spills and stains are part of everyday life, but knowing how to quickly and easily deal with them without fuss is a boon. Here are a selection of common food and drink stains and how to easily remove them without any hassle. 

Common Food and Drink Stains and How to Remove Them

1. Red Wine

Red wine can be a tough stain to shift. If it’s ended up on clothes, soak off any excess with a clean microfibre cloth or kitchen roll. Then cover the top of the bowl with the stained fabric, pulling it taut. Next put salt over it and then slowly pour boiling water over the stain. Once that’s done, put it in the washing machine and give it a wash cycle using biological powder on the hottest setting it will allow for that garment. 

2. Tomato/Tomato Sauce

To remove a tomato sauce stain on your clothing, or from your upholstery or carpet, firstly you should scrape away any solid remains of food and then gently blot the red stain with a wet cloth. Soak it for a further five minutes in cold water, and then take an old toothbrush and your regular laundry cleaner and gently scrub at it. Wash the detergent away with warm water and leave to air dry. 

3. Butter or Grease

Butter, grease or oil can be difficult to remove, but there are ways to deal with such stains if they’ve affected your clothing or your furniture. Firstly, put some baking soda over the patch and allow it to absorb the grease. Let it sit for up to five minutes and shake off any excess. 

Next, place a small drop of dish detergent on the stain and rub gently with kitchen towel. Rinse and repeat until the stain has gone. Alternatively, you can add the small drop of dish detergent to the stain, rub it in and then put in the washing machine with your usual laundry cleaner and wash as normal. 

4. Chewing Gum

It’s happened to everyone at some point: they’ve sat on some old chewing gum or it’s become adhered to a favourite top or coat, or even worse, to a loved carpet or flooring in the home or outside. Removing it can be tricky and sometimes may require the professional assistance of a chewing gum removal machine, especially if it’s on a hard surface or a carpet. 

If it’s on clothing, one quick way of removing it is to place the item in a plastic bag and put it in your deep freeze at home. Leave it overnight and then simply remove it the next day before washing with your usual detergent in the washing machine. 

5. Chocolate

First remove any large chips of chocolate with a knife or spoon, but remember not to scrape or peel at it as this will cause it to melt and spread further. When the chocolate is removed, rinse the stain with cold water. If the stain is on flooring or furniture, use a spray gun filled with cold water to wet it and then dry off with a cloth before the next step. Rub a small amount of dish detergent onto the stain (make sure to check this is suitable for the fabric of your upholstery or carpet), leave to soak in and then simply place the garments into the washing machine with your regular laundry cleaner and wash on your usual setting.