When laying a clean white tablecloth on the table before a festive lunch or dinner, you need to prepare for the fact that by the end of the feast, stains will appear on it. It is difficult to remove traces of food and drinks, often it is not enough to simply put the thing in the washing machine or soak it with laundry soap. Some food contaminants, such as wine, juices, tea or grease, require a more efficient approach. Let’s consider ways to wash the tablecloth from stains.
The most common marks on the tablecloth that are difficult to wash off:
- red and white wine;
- beer;
- juices;
- coffee, cocoa;
- tea;
- greasy spots;
- wax;
- beets, tomatoes.
Red wine
As soon as you noticed that red wine was spilled, you need to act immediately, since it is much more difficult to wash the tablecloth afterwards. Blot the stain with paper towels, then rub the area with a clean, damp sponge, making sure to rinse it. Place paper napkins under and over the wet area of the tablecloth, cover with something heavy, such as a plate. This will help absorb the remaining moisture and cover the contaminated area for a while until the guests leave their homes. After washing the tablecloth in warm water with soap (preferably Antipyatin) or washing powder.
If the wine on the tablecloth was noticed already after the feast, and it had time to dry, then it can be washed using any of the methods described in the link . Here are some of them:
- Mix the salt and a small amount of water so that the salt dissolves a little and you get a slurry. Leave this tool on for half an hour to an hour, and then wash it off with hot water.
- 1 tbsp. dishwashing liquid, 1 tbsp. hydrogen peroxide and 3 tbsp. water Mix the ingredients and apply to spilled wine for 5-10 minutes, then rinse with water.
- Use vinegar, alcohol or ammonia. They will act as solvents and help wash the tablecloth, especially if the contamination is large and not only from wine.
White wine, beer, juices
Stains from white wine, juices and beer can be washed off the tablecloth with ammonia.
Washing with soda will also help. For 1 liter of water, dilute 1 tsp. soda, add soap, powder or dishwashing liquid. Leave the tablecloth to soak for 12 hours, then wash as usual.
Coffee, tea
How to remove a tea stain is described in detail in this article . The methods of extracting coffee are similar. When you need to act quickly, use the following tools:
- Vinegar. Soak the stain in vinegar dissolved in water (1 tablespoon of vinegar per glass of water).
- Apply ammonia to a dirty tablecloth, then rub in a thick solution of citric acid. After half an hour or at the end of the feast, wash the tablecloth with soap.
- Pour a coffee or tea stain with a mixture of 1 tbsp. glycerin and 4 tbsp. ammonia To wash off the dried mark, heat the product.
Fat stains
A small drop of grease on a snow-white tablecloth completely spoils its appearance and is difficult to remove if timely measures are not taken.
To remove the greasy stain from the tablecloth, sprinkle it liberally with salt (starch, soda, breadcrumbs are also suitable). Wait until the fat is absorbed, shake off the salt and sprinkle again. If a mark remains, then cover the salt with a napkin and iron it, so the fat will be absorbed much more effectively. After the feast, wash the tablecloth with dishwashing detergent.
Wax
Candles are the decoration of any holiday, but dripping wax on the tablecloth spoils the mood, as wax traces are difficult to wash off. To remove them, use paper napkins or a cotton cloth that does not hurt, and an iron. Place a napkin over and under the wax stain and iron. Repeat the procedure several times until all the wax comes off the tablecloth.
Beetroot, tomato
A piece of tomato that fell on the table or a beet salad that slipped off the spoon leaves characteristic stains that cannot always be washed off, especially if the traces of vegetables have dried.
Use citric acid dissolved in water, it will act as a solvent and help soften the stain, and then it will be easy to wash off with ordinary soap and water.
No matter how difficult the stains on the tablecloth are, they can always be removed if you make efforts and ingenuity. There is a suitable “cleaning” agent in the kitchen or in the medicine cabinet, which will save you from having to throw away the festive table decoration. Enjoy the feast and communication with guests and don’t worry about spilled wine or dropped thigh – it’s easy to clean up all this with our tips.