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Big Meal = Big Mess? Not Necessarily

We all know that Thanksgiving is a delicious holiday, but it's also pretty messy.

You have cooked the meal, your family has enjoyed it and the day is over, right? Not at all. Look at your house! Your aunt June spilled wine on your blouse! The candles dripped wax onto your tablecloth and you broke a glass in the kitchen. Think you will be up until all hours cleaning? Think again.

Julie Edelman, author of the Accidental Housewife has suggestions that can make your cleanup quick and easy with a lot of items that you may already have in your kitchen, and under your sink.

Basic Tips


Read care labels first -- Make sure that you read your care labels first. That means tablecloths, blouses, rugs etc. Once you have started working on stain it's hard to take go backwards, so take care to look before you leap.

Pretest a small area first -- If you are worried about sensitive areas, pretest your cleaning solution first. When and if it works, tackle the big one.

Carry stain sticks -- Stain sticks allow you to get a head start on stains you might not get to right away. You can use them discreetly on any cloth stain and leave them for later. Not going to be home for Thanksgiving and you are worried about your outfit? Slip a stain stick in your purse and use them on yourself as needed.

Tablecloth stains


The first obstacle you need to tackle with tablecloth stains is usually grease. So start by mixing together a powdered solution of cornstarch and baby powder. Allow those to sit on the stain for fifteen minutes to soak up the excess grease. Then take the tablecloth and soak in an enzyme detergent and hot water for five minutes. Then wash in washing machine as care label suggests.

Clothing Stains


Clothing stains can vary, according to the type of fabric, but the die hard method usually works. Cover the stain with salt and allow to soak for at least five minutes. Then cover the salt soaked stain with white wine. After allowing that to soak for a couple of minutes, blot the stain with a clean white cloth.

Rug Stains


You might be surprised to learn that shaving cream works well on rug stains. Simply cover the stain with the foam for at least an hour, or allow to soak overnight. Then soak and blot the stain with water and blow dry it clean.

Candle Wax


Candle wax drippings on wood tables can be a pain to get out, but there is a simple solution. Place a paper towel over the wax drippings and iron over that paper towel with an iron. The iron will melt the wax and get it soaked up into the paper towel, removing it from any wood surface. You can also ice it and pry off with a credit card.

Broken Glass


When you break a glass, shards can be anywhere. But covering your palm with soft bread or play dough can pick up all the shards you need.

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