How-To: Remove Common New Year’s Stains With What’s In Your Bar

It’s the turn of a decade and we’re ready to ring in the next ten years in style. Though with all the champagne, cocktails, and lavish dinners, New Year’s Eve festivities can get disorderly – fast. Rather than bring a mess into 2020, use these simple tricks for removing the most stubborn stains with what you already have behind the bar.

CHAMPAGNE: If you already know that you’ll be popping a bottle or two of bubbly when the clock strikes midnight, you’re probably bracing yourself for a sticky spill all over your outfit. But, there’s another reason to love this fizzy beverage: whether you’re a Veuve or Moet fan, champagne stains are relatively simple to remove. The carbonation and salt in club soda will do just the trick.

How-to:

STEP 1: Grab a sponge and a can of club soda from the fridge.

STEP 2: Soak the sponge in club soda and dab the stained area until it starts to disappear. 

STEP 3: Rinse with warm water

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CHOCOLATE: There’s bound to be leftover holiday chocolate at any New Year’s house party you attend, and melty-fingers might just make their way onto your clothing. Chocolate stains set with heat and time, so it’s essential to act fast. Acid from citrus fruit will be your saviour in this situation.

How-to: 

STEP 1: First, scrape away any excess chocolate from the area. Be gentle – the more pressure you apply the more likely you may cause damage to the fabric you’re wearing or work the stain in deeper. 

STEP 2: Find a cloth and a few lemons or lemon juice and get to work.

STEP 3: Soak the cloth in lemon juice and apply to the stained area until it starts to lighten. 

STEP 4: After treating the stain, toss your garment into the washing machine on a regular rinse cycle for best chocolate-erasing results.

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RED WINE: Spilling red wine on a light-coloured clothing item may be a party goer’s biggest fear, but we’ve got good news: the stain removal method we’re about to teach you can also act as your best-ever party trick.

How-to: 

STEP 1: Get your hands on some white wine.

STEP 2: Blot any excess liquid away with a clean cloth.

STEP 3: Next, apply white wine to neutralize the stain. 

STEP 4: Throw the stained item into the washing machine ASAP.

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LIPSTICK: A lipstick stain can quickly ruin the outfit you’ve been planning for the last month, but vodka will make you forget it happened in the first place. Not from drinking too many vodka sodas, but from using vodka to remove the stain. Here’s how to do it.

How-to:

STEP 1: Take a clean cloth and dampen it with the alcohol.

STEP 2: Carefully blot the stain until it starts to fade.

STEP 3: Run the patch of stained fabric under cold water and then toss everything in the washing machine for a good scrub.

Remember: It’s critical to read your garment’s care label. Although these stain removal tricks can work when you’re in a pinch, garments made from delicate fabrics like silk should always be left to the professionals. Wishing you a zero-spill New Year’s Eve. Happy New Year!