Top 3 Thanksgiving Food Spills (and How to Clean them!)

American Thanksgiving is tomorrow and there is one thing that we all look forward to: the food! But there is one thing that we don’t look forward to: the food spills on the carpet! We know that it’s bound to happen, but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

IF you are so lucky enough to have purchased our new product, Stain Fu, you don’t have to worry! Just reach for your bottle of Stain Fu, spray, and blot it up with some white towels!

If you don’t have a bottle of Stain Fu, then read below on how you can remove these Top 3 Thanksgiving food spills with common things found in the home.

But first, there are 2 rules to remember when cleaning up spills and stains:

1. First, Don’t Panic! Sure you want to try and be attentive to the spill, but many times the damage has already been done and the chemical reaction has already started to occur. This is where people start grabbing whatever chemical is front of them or mixing things together without really knowing if it’s going to work. Please don’t do this! It is one of the top ways people ruin their carpets.
2. Never rub or scrub! We always see DIY tutorials (Pinterest, we see you!) of spot cleaning and they say to scrub with a deck brush, a sponge, a toothbrush, etc…please don’t do this! Scrubbing/rubbing will scratch or untwist the fibers of your carpeting and will cause it to look even worse. Always blot it out or agitate it gently with white terry towels. Make sure that they are white, otherwise you have the risk of color transfer.

With that being said, let’s get into it!

Food Spill #1: Gravy

Can’t have a Thanksgiving meal without some gravy! Gravy contains both water and oil-based substances; however it can be coaxed out with water-based solutions by carefully following the steps below.

1. Scoop up the excess with your metal spoon and discard.
2. Blot up (never rub or scrub) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel.
3. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release.
4. In an empty spray bottle, mix 1 TB Dawn dish detergent with 32 OZ water. Cold or warm tap water is fine. Shake well. Spray on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill.
5. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels.
6. In an empty spray bottle mix 1 TB regular ammonia with 32 OZ tap water. Shake well. Liberally spray onto the area and let soak for 10-15 minutes. This is to neutralize the proteins.
7. Blot a final time with a clean and dry white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture.
8. If the spot remains, mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide.
9. Since gravy has a thick viscosity, you may encounter wicking so as a last step fold up several white clean and dry towels, place towels on the spot, and weight down with a brick. Check progress in 12 hours or so. If the spot is still wicking, repeat step 6. then fold up several more clean and dry white terry towels, place on the spot, and weight down again. Repeat as necessary util the spot is wicked out.

Food Spill #2: Cranberry Sauce

Even though no one really eats it in our family, it still gets made...100% water-based, but some brands add food coloring to make it look more appetizing.

1. Scoop up the excess with your metal spoon and discard.
2. Blot up (never rub or scrub) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel.
3. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release.
4. In an empty spray bottle, mix 1 TB Dawn dish detergent with 32 OZ water. Cold or warm tap water is fine. Shake well. Spray the mixture onto the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough to completely douse the spill.
5. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels.
6. If the spill contains contains food coloring the stain will probably still show. If it does, mix up a spray bottle of 1 TB regular ammonia with 32 OZ tap water. Shake well. Spray liberally and blot with a clean white towel.
7. Blot a final time with a clean and dry white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture.
8. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide.

Food spill #3: Wine

I saved the best for last! Wine is made of fermented grapes, sugar, yeast, and a few other additives – and it’s always water-based.

1. Blot up (never rub or scrub!) as much of the spill as you can with a clean white cotton towel.
2. Fold up a couple of white cotton towels, place on spot, and step on the towels to transfer as much of the spill into the towels as will release.
3. In an empty spray bottle, mix 1 TB Dawn dish detergent with 32 OZ water. Cold or warm tap water is fine. Shake well. Spray the mixture on the spill and agitate lightly with the smooth metal spoon working from the outside of the spot inward. Use enough spotter to completely douse the spill.
4. Repeat steps 1, 2, and 3, in order, continuing until there is no more spill transferring into the towels.
5. Blot a final time with a dry clean white cotton towel to remove the majority of remaining moisture.
6. If the spot remains mist the top of the fibers lightly with 3% hydrogen peroxide.

Now that you know how to clean up the most common Thanksgiving food spills, feast away in confidence.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Scott Rendall

President at Rendall's Certified Cleaning

When I'm not running the most exciting and extraordinary cleaning company in the universe, you will find me organic farming, practicing Hangul (Korean), and studying history.

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Tags: cranberry spill, gravy spill, spot cleaning, thanksgiving food spill, wine spill