Tip of the week: How to handle common Halloween messes

Chocolate stains. Scrape off excess chocolate before soaking the garment in cool water. Apply a stain remover and launder, but don’t put the garment in the dryer if the stain remains, or you could “cook it in permanently.” Instead, dab it with 3 percent hydrogen peroxide before washing again.

Candle wax. Scrape away what you can and then lay the soiled fabric facedown between two white paper towels. Press the stain with a warm iron and keep changing the towels until they absorb no more stain. Use a citrus-based solvent to remove any remaining wax residue, then launder.

Egg stains. If you get yolk on your clothes after an egg attack on your house, dab the stain with a solution of one cup water to one teaspoon clear dishwashing liquid. Rinse in cold water. “Don’t use warm water; it can set the egg.”

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Source: ShopSmart