Let's face it - even the most graceful, dexterous and poised among us have had a few embarrassing moments in their life. No matter who you are and how good your dinner etiquette is, none of us are immune against those oh-so-annoying spills, stains and spots. And, with a little bit of bad luck, some of those accidents are bound to happen in public, at important events, with people around. Embarrassing? Yes, but you cannot go sprinting to the laundramat in this situation. But do not despair - there are some things you most certainly can do - a few quick fixes for various types of spots and spills. Think of it like emergency care for your clothes - not only do you get to patch things up for the moment, but it also might save your clothes from getting a permanent stain. So here's how to do this.

1.    Wine stains are a particular party favorite. There is a lot of wine to go around at social functions and, incidentally, the more wine the more wine there is, the higher the possibility that something is going to be stained. The trouble with wine stains is that they are notoriously hard to remove, particularly red wine stains. Luckily, there is something you can do about this. Pouring white wine on the red stain will help loosen and dissolve it a bit. This is just what you will need to make it easier to remove the stain entirely later on. If you wish, you could also make a quick dash to the restroom and wash off the rest of the spot with soap and water. This will only take out the color of the stain, as most hand soaps contain ingredients which can stain clothing anyway, but it will help until you can get your clothes into a washing machine.

2.    Then there is the notorious grease stain. This one isn't as tough as wine to remove, but in a social situation you cannot just take off your clothes and throw them into the washer. Luckily, you will not need to. Simple items you probably have at hand will also help you with this predicament. Simply find a salt shaker and put a bit of salt on the spot. There should be enough salt to completely cover the spot and absorb the moisture. Then, wait for two to three minutes, depending on the size of the stain. Afterwards, simply wipe off the salt with a dry napkin or cloth. Again, this is a temporary solution and it will not work in place of a wash, but it will tide you over.

3.    Paint and dye stains are a bit trickier. They can be removed and washed out though. What you will need is hydrogen peroxide. Simply place a bit on the dye stain, wait a few seconds and wash it off. Use soap to neutralize the peroxide. You should know, however, that peroxide can be very damaging to certain fabrics and it can also wash out bright colours, so it is not to be used on all types of clothing.

These are just some ideas that you can use when stuck in a potentially embarrassing situation. There are, of course, a number of other stains that can be fixed quickly but temporarily, using household items, just like these three offenders.

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