9 Ways to Tackle Table Linen Stains

Did your Thanksgiving cornucopia spill a rainbow assortment of stains on your tablecloth, runner, and napkins? Here are our expert cleaning tips.

It’s bound to happen. Tablecloths get dirty. It’s one of their functions, to heroically spare your fine wooden tabletop from the stuff that might damage it. And yet, we all seem to have those linens that we want to use year after year. Thanksgiving is a season when you bust out those beauties and then sigh as you see the ghosts of dinners past, i.e. stains.

This year, we want to help you recover your linens as best as possible and cut down on the chances of tablecloths and napkins looking more life faded Rorschach tests than attractive table dressing. How? Here’s a list of professional cleaning tips that you should use ASAP if yesterday’s meals did a number on the linens:

• Consider the source – You need to address stains FIRST by what caused them. Is it wax? Is it a red-colored sauce or food, is it greasy gravy? After that, you can better remedy the situation.

• Consider the material – Is it cotton? Linen? A boldly printed synthetic? Each of these materials also has a specific set of protocols for effectively cleaning them, and removing stains.

• Tannin stains – Wine, coffee, tea, fruit juices (i.e. cranberries), sodas, tomato, chocolate…these are common tannin stains and have to be treated first removing any excess food material with a spoon or blunt knife. Then you will want to apply a commercial stain solution and use a finger to work it into the stain. We’d also suggest the use of an oxygen-based booster that is color-safe. Add a few drops of water and make a paste that you work into the stain. Then, soak it for at least half an hour in a tub of hot water. The stains should be almost entirely gone, and if not, repeat until they are. Then go ahead and launder the linens.

• Oil or grease stains – Gravy, salad dressings, mayo, butter, fried food, cheese…these are grease-based stains that can be treated just as easily. You begin by using prewash stain remover or liquid laundry detergent. Then, use the hottest water safest for the fabric. Don’t dry it without checking that the stain is gone. If not, repeat until it is and only then launder and dry them.

• Wax stains – Candles are wonderful for adding warmth and appeal to a table, but if a candle drips, it allows the wax (and sometimes the coloring) to harm the table or linens. To eliminate a stain, use a dull knife to GENTLY scrape away and remaining wax. Placef a lint-free cloth (plain cotton muslin is great) on top of the stain. The method you will use involves heating the wax stuck in the fibers and allowing them to transfer into the clean cotton. You do this by setting your iron to the lowest heat level (no steam) and then using circular movements, run the end of the iron over the area of the stain. Lift the cotton cloth and you should see most or all of the wax transferred. Repeat as needed using a clean area of the cotton. The stains should be almost entirely gone, and if not, repeat until they are. Then go ahead and launder the linens.

• Wash with baking soda – A good trick for getting older stains out of linens is to add around two teaspoons of baking soda to the wash cycle as well as applying baking soda to the stain and brushing it away once it has started to lift the stain.

• NEVER dry in the dryer if stained – As one expert wrote, drying linens on a high-heat setting…can set the food and grease stains, making them harder to remove.”

• Call the experts – If your best efforts at stain removal are not working, or you want an effective and deep cleaning as well as a good pressing for the next use of the linens (i.e. Christmas), you may want to turn to experts. We handle every kind of table linen, including offering intense stain removal services, and are happy to come and get your items through our FREE home pickup and delivery services.

• Time is of the essence - Stains become more difficult to eras over time, so you’ll want to take action ASAP. Attempting the methods here right after Thanksgiving will boost your chances of the stains being removed. If your tablecloth has embellishments and beading, don’t worry! We routinely deal with delicate items that come with extra additions and we can handle any embellishments your beautiful tablecloth may have without damaging them.

And if the stains migrated from the table to your clothes? Many of the same remedies will work, but you never want to expose finer materials like cashmere, silk, and some linens to water or untested compounds. Instead, let Travis help you redeem your favorite items to wear or use again and again.

Christmas will arrive faster than you think, so get in touch today to get your seasonal table linens, curtains, bedding, and your finest duds looking their best for the season.