Three Tips for Cleaning Easter Chocolate Stains & Mess

Easter is here! The supermarket shelves are stocked with all your favourite treats, from chocolate Easter eggs and bunnies, to the delicious and loved hot cross buns. Undoubtedly, Easter is one of the most exciting times of year, and if you’ve got kids you also know you’re about to get hit with an onslaught of wrinkled foil wrappers and sticky chocolate fingerprints left throughout the house.

Don’t panic – we’ve got three great tips that’ll help you keep your brand-new couch upholstery spick and span, and have you prepared for when a chocolate-filled disaster strikes.

Easter Sunday is on the way – Prepare for the Day

When you have children at home over the holidays, you already know that there’s likely to be trail of grubby mess and stains left behind after Easter morning, but with this knowledge already in mind, there’s also plenty of time to prepare. Think of it this way – you wouldn’t go out to battle without a game plan and the right equipment - so why fight the war on chocolate unprepared?

Keep your couch protected with a cover. There are plenty available from your nearest retailers, or if you don’t have the time in your day to grab one, shop for them online! That way, when it comes to Easter, if your kids decide to jump all over the couch in all their sticky chocolate round the mouth glory, you won’t have a fear in sight. Simply let the kids get grubby and throw the cover in the washing machine after the chocolate ship has sailed. Your couch will be left looking as good as new.

Tackle the Aftermath One Spot at a Time

There are only so many times you can cover up a stain with a couch cushion or throw before your living room seating becomes more cushion that couch. If your preparation hasn’t worked and your finding your furniture has a few chocolatey stains - never fear. When this situation strikes, we recommend you tackle the stains with an effective spot removal product, like the  Rug Doctor Spot Remover.

A product like this allows you to pinpoint the exact problem areas, without having to go through the hard work of a full upholstery or carpet clean. This is perfect for those pesky chocolate fingerprints the kids have left behind over the Easter break.

Here are a few things we’d suggest remembering when cleaning a stain:

• Don’t rub the area vigorously as this can spread the stain and damage the carpet fibres.
• Remove as much of the excess stain (especially if Easter egg is the culprit) with a spoon or knife before applying any spot remover.
• Always clean from the outside of the stain towards the centre to prevent spreading the stain.
• Check the instructions on the label – you’d be surprised how many people over-look this one!
• ALWAYS TEST FIRST – test an inconspicuous area of your carpet or upholstery before you go straight for the stain in the centre of the room.

If you follow these handy tips and use a quality spot remover or cleaner, you’ll be readily equipped to deal with anything that the Easter holidays send your way.

If All Else Fails – Bring out the Big Guns

You’ve prepared for Easter morning, you’ve tackled all of the ominous stains with the Rug Doctor Spot Remover, you’ve followed all of the helpful cleaning tips and yet there’s still a trail of chocolate foot prints making their way down your hallway. If this is the case, it’s time to bring out the big guns.

If all else fails, you can always opt for a professional standard clean and hire a Rug Doctor carpet cleaner. This will get right into your carpets for a deep-down clean and lift out any persistent stains that are proving hard to get rid of.  Best of all, you can use this on almost any material, so if your upholstery has taken a hit over Easter, you can grab the Hand Tool attachment and deep-clean your couches while you’re at it. By the time the kids are back to school, your carpet and furniture will be chocolate-free again. If you’re not sure what tools to use to get rid of other various stains over Easter or want a few tips on how best to tackle the mess of the school holidays, we’ve got you covered. Sign up here and download our free Stain Removal Guide. You’ll be a cleaning expert in no time.