I love a good red wine, but the spills that result from it are tough! From Two Buck Chuck Merlot to Rosenblum Zinfandel to Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon, red wines always find a prominent place in my holiday festivities. When spilled or splashed onto a fabric like tablecloth or, even worse, a shirt or pants, they can put a real damper on the party mood. While tannins help develop complexity to the flavor of the wine, they also add difficulty to stain removal.
Here are some easy tips for saving your tablecloth or T-shirt.

• First and foremost, quickly blot the spot as soon as possible after the stain occurs with a paper towel or cloth to absorb excess red wine. I like using club soda to bubble up the stain and help prevent it from setting. Treating the fabric immediately greatly increases your odds that the stain will be successfully removed.
• Bonus tip: Do NOT rub bar soap on a red wine stain. It may set the stain.
• If the stained item is a white, bleachable fabric, grab a Clorox® Bleach Pen ™Gel and rub the stain gently before laundering. Do not apply to the item while wearing. Wash immediately in hot/warm water with regular detergent and ¾ cup of either Clorox® Regular-Bleach or try our new Clorox® UltimateCare™ Premium Bleach.
• If the stained item has a color or pattern, the stain removal process is a little different. After blotting the excess wine, apply a small amount of Liquid Clorox 2 for Colors to the stain, gently rub and wait 3-5 minutes for it to start working. Then, wash the fabric immediately in the hottest water recommended for that fabric (check the care label) using regular detergent and Clorox 2 for Colors.
• Most importantly, before you toss the item into the dryer, check to ensure that the stain has been fully removed. If the stain remains, repeat the appropriate process above until the stain is gone. If you dry a stained item, the stain may be set into the fiber making subsequent removal much more difficult.

Stay tuned for more stain removal tips, and in the meantime, Cheers!

As the holiday season kicks off, so do the big family dinners and the arrival of important house guests. If you're like me, you love the festivities, but dread the aftermath - stained linens, cranberry and gravy-spotted shirts. Well, once again my holiday hotline is up and running for those of you who could use a little help tackling the post-party messes. You can get quick tips on removing the seasonal stains, from red wine splashes, to pumpkin smears on my toll-free

Holiday Stain Hotline: 1-877-Stain-411
(1 877 782 4641)

Here’s a couple of quick tips to get you rolling....

• Deal with the stain as soon as you can; the sooner you get to it, the greater the chance the stain will come out.


• Blot up as much of the stain as possible; try not to rub and force more stain into the fabric. Removing a little is much easier than trying to remove a lot.


• Pre-soaking or pre-treating the stain for 10-30 minutes before washing will jumpstart stain removal. Make sure you’re using the right product for the type of stain. Check my removal procedures on the hotline.

A couple of our products that should come in handy over the holiday…

• You can also use Clorox® UltimateCare™ Premium Bleach – a unique bleach that can be poured directly on to bleachable fabrics; as a bonus, this powerful stain and soil remover has a terrific fresh Soft Cotton scent.


• I love the Clorox® Bleach Pen Gel. It has 2 tips to help control the bleach and get it exactly where you want it.

Remember every stain is treated differently, so feel free to write in and ask me about your specific questions.

I hope you all enjoy a healthy, happy, stain-free Holiday season!