Super Bowl parties are as American as the game of football itself. We’ve hosted a few around here and although they are loads of fun (whether you actually watch the game or not) they come with the potential for massive messes and tough after party stains.
Let’s get out the playbook and plan our defense against the most common Super Bowl Party Food Stains:
- It isn’t a party without the wings and barbecue. Buffalo, hot, barbecue & sweet sauce are, in our opinion, the messiest and most common. The evidence of these foods can be found days later on floors and clothing. If you are serving these foods at your party, try to keep them contained in the kitchen but if there is a spill on the carpet or sofa, blot (never rub or wipe) up the excess. These stains (as well as Pizza stains) have grease and oil in them so it’s best to use a dish detergent when cleaning up greasy spills. Mix a dish detergent with cold water and continue to blot until you lift the stain. Rinse by blotting with cold water and then use a towel to soak up the moisture left behind. Use the same dish detergent method on clothing prior to laundering with the rest of your clothing items.
- With all the hooting and hollering; jumping and high fives, you’re likely to have some beverage spills. You could cover all your counters with plastic table clothes or shelf liners. Easy clean up when you just fold it all up, spills and all, and toss. And, of course, encourage your guests to use coasters. (Not enough? Make your own using tiles. You can glue the team logos on for a festive touch. Thank you Pinterest)! If you do get a beverage spill on the carpet or sofa, blot immediately and brush up on Good Housekeeping’s stain buster tips for beverages.
- Who’s up for some yummy Chips & Salsa with Guacamole? And heck, we might as well throw on some Nacho Cheese! There’s a definite recipe for some spills – most likely on your shirt as you lob it all into your mouth with eyes on the game. Here’s great advice from Stainmaster on removing Salsa from the carpet. The same method could be used for cheese spills also. Guacamole is oily and is a combination of many ingredients. Scrape up excess with a dull knife then flush with cool water and blot. Follow the steps noted for sauces and you might want to let the dish detergent & water mixture sit on the stain for about 10 minutes before flushing with cool fresh water. Repeat until the stain has lifted.
- If you’re serving tasty gooey deserts with chocolate and icing and you have a spill, gently scrape off the excess then spray area with a diluted dish-washing-soap solution. Then, you guessed it, let it sit for about 5 minutes and blot with cool fresh water. If you spill on your clothing, treat the stain with water and a laundry detergent solution after scooping up the excess and rinse with water. If the stain is still visible, use an oxygen-based bleach with warm water and let it sit over night. Launder and check before drying that the stain has been removed so as not to set it for good.
Do you have any spill prevention or removal tips? Let us know in the comments below.
– S.O.
