Maybe the holidays bring extra guests to your dinner table – and with them, extra stains – everything from gravy to chocolate to wine. And while the internet is full of laundry hacks, some of that so-called helpful advice might do more harm than good. Consumer Reports separates fact from fiction with the best ways to handle a gamut of holiday stains.

CR's laundry experts know the key to saving your tablecloth from buttery sauces, sticky desserts, and wine spills is to pre-treat stains. The good, money-saving news is that you don’t need a special product; laundry detergent will work just fine. In CR’s tests, Tide Ultra Plus Stain Release earned excellent pre-treating stain scores. 

When you’re ready, toss it in the wash as usual, but make sure the stain is gone before putting it in the dryer. The heat of a dryer can set the stain forever. So, if after washing you still see the gravy, dab it with 3-percent strength hydrogen peroxide and line-dry the item in the sun. The sun can actually bleach the remainder out.

Blotting is key when it comes to wine. For red wine, do it as soon as possible. Mix warm water and liquid dish detergent and work the soap into the stain. Then, apply plenty of hydrogen peroxide and set the fabric in the sun for several hours.

The sugars in white wine will cause an ugly brown stain over time. To prevent that, blot out the liquid, then blot it again with liquid detergent and warm water. Then, blot once more with a dry towel.

Another stain that responds to that detergent and warm water mixture is chocolate. If it’s on your tablecloth or napkins, blot it so you can get out as much of it as possible. Then, put them in the soak cycle of your washing machine before laundering.

And no matter what you’ve heard, never use anything other than a dedicated laundry detergent in your washing machine. That’s especially true for vinegar, which can damage some washing machines' rubber seals and hoses.

Another tip CR says is to save money by skipping the fabric softener. It can leave a layer of residue on your fabrics, irritate sensitive skin, and reduce the absorption of your towels. 

Your holiday memories won’t fade, but with these tips, those stains sure can!