12 Days Of Christmas - Christmas Punch - How To Clean A Spilled Mess?

What's Christmas without a bit of drama? It's one of those things that come hand in hand with one of the most intoxicating holidays there is. 

One of the most regular dramas you will see during the Christmas period will usually involve some excessive intake of happy juice - and when this happens, all sorts of spillage happen in the car - yuck!

To be fair, during this period, it could be any spillage really. It could be kids spilling their drinks in the car, food being tipped over or just simply spilt mess from adults. It is, after all, a holiday period where we let loose. 

Fortunately, there are ways to clean it up, but it does require you to be prepared for the incoming mess.

Be prepared with kitchen towels

The first line of defence against spilt mess is acting fast, which is why we recommend keeping some paper towels in the car during this period. As soon as the incident happens scoop as much as you can and soak it up with paper towels. Do not scrub the mess away, but instead blot it. This should help minimise the damage and keep stains from setting in and becoming more difficult to remove.

Get that white powder ready

Now that you have done as much as you can to clean up the mess while on the go, it's time to call in some reinforcements when you get home. Cover the affected area with a thick layer of baking soda. Let it sit for awhile and let it work its magic for as long as possible- we're talking a day or two here. The same principle that makes baking soda great for soaking up unwanted odours in the fridge or stains on clothes means it will work in your car. 

After a couple of days, use a high powered vacuum to suck up all that magic powder that has soaked up the crud. You may need to repeat the process a few times to get rid of really tough stains.

Stubborn stains go away

If the stains still do not go away after a few treatments of baking soda then perhaps its time to try some specific cleaning products made for those stubborn stains. Products such as 3M's SCOTCHGARD Fabric and Carpet cleaner should help clean the mess even further. 

Lingering Smell Be Gone

If you find that the stains have gone away, but the smell is still lingering around, then a natural way to absorb this unwanted odour would be to use some charcoal. Charcoal is a natural absorber, so leave a bag of charcoal open in your car overnight to help remove those unwanted smells. If this doesn't work then maybe a specific car air freshener will do the trick but be careful not to pick something too strong as it will only mask the smell and create a weird combination of unpleasant smells.