The guests have left and the tree is (maybe) gone — but the holidays still leave their mark on homes across the country by way of one pesky problem: stains.
Merry Maids' home cleaning expert and franchise owner Amy Bates stopped by TODAY Friday to show how you can tackle red wine, coffee, lipstick stains and more in your own home. Find her tips below!
Quickly treat red wine stains
Blot the stain immediately, without rubbing. Drape the stain over the top of a large bowl, secured by a rubber band around the top. Pour either ice water or chilled club soda onto the stain, then generously pour salt on top of the fabric and let it sit for five minutes. Pour hot or boiling water on the stain and let it rinse in the sink. If there are still remnants of the stain, add a mixture of water and vinegar to the bowl and soak the fabric. Then launder normally.
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Easily clean champagne flute and wine glass stains
Place a denture tablet at the bottom of the glass, fill it with water and let the tablet do the work for you.
Remove coffee cup stains
Create a mixture of one part peroxide to three parts water inside the coffee cup. Let it sit for a few minutes and then rinse.
Fix scratches on fine china
Take a small amount of white toothpaste (not gel) and gently rub on the china with a soft cloth. To maintain that clean look, make sure to put a soft gel mat in the bottom of your sink and use cold water when washing your china.
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Remove lipstick from cloth napkins
Scrape off the excess lipstick with a knife, use a dropper with mineral spirits on the stain and then rinse with rubbing alcohol. Repeat the process until the stain is gone.
Remove melted wax from candle holders
Candles create a nice atmosphere when entertaining, but melted wax can be stubborn in a candle holder or votive. Place the votive in the freezer and after an hour the candle will pop right out.
Erase scuff marks on wood floors
Rub the scuff marks with a tennis ball, a simple pencil eraser or a magic eraser. Any of these should do the trick.