How to Remove Cranberry Sauce Stains From Fabric and Carpet

Before you start

• Read the care label. Take dry-clean-only items to a professional.
• Test any stain remover on a hidden spot, such as an inside seam, before you use it on the stain.
• Act quickly. A fresh stain comes out far more easily than one that has dried.
• Use cold water. Hot water and the dryer can set the color.

On tablecloths, napkins and clothes

1. Lift off the extra sauce with a spoon or a dull knife. Do not press it into the fabric.
2. Hold the stain face down under cold running water so the water pushes the color back out the way it came in.
3. Work a laundry stain remover gel into the stain and let it sit for the time on the label.
4. Wash with your usual detergent, using the settings the care label allows.
5. Check the stain while the fabric is still wet. If any pink remains, treat it again and rewash. Do not machine-dry the item.
6. For a stubborn mark on white or colorfast fabric, soak the item in an oxygen stain remover solution mixed to the label's directions, then wash again.

On carpet and upholstery

1. Scoop up the sauce from the edges toward the center with a spoon.
2. Mix 1 teaspoon of mild, bleach-free dish soap into 1 cup of warm water.
3. Blot the stain with a white cloth dampened with the solution, working from the outside in. Do not rub.
4. Blot with a cloth dampened with plain water, then press a dry white cloth on the spot until it stops picking up color.
5. If a mark remains, spray a carpet spot remover on a white cloth, blot and follow the label. Let the spot dry flat.

Supplies for this job

1. Shout Advanced Gel Laundry Stain Remover Spray, 22 oz

   Use it for: Pretreating tablecloths, napkins and clothes before they go in the wash.

   The listing describes a thick gel for food and drink stains on machine-washable fabric, in a 22 oz spray bottle.

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2. Shout Advanced Set-In Stain Scrubber Laundry Stain Remover, 8.7 oz

   Use it for: A smaller gel to keep in the laundry room and work into a stain.

   The listing describes an enzyme gel with a built-in brush, for machine-washable whites and colors.

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3. OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover Powder, 5 lb

   Use it for: Soaking white or colorfast linens when a mark is left after the first wash.

   The listing says the oxygen-powered powder is color safe and chlorine free, and that it can be used as a presoak.

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4. Dawn Dishwashing Liquid, Original Scent, 38 fl oz

   Use it for: Pretreating grease and making the soap-and-water solution for carpet.

   A liquid dish soap in a 38 fl oz bottle. Use a small amount, as the steps above describe.

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5. FOLEX Instant Carpet Spot Remover, 32 oz

   Use it for: Carpet, rugs and upholstery when blotting leaves a mark.

   The listing says it is for water-safe, colorfast carpets, upholstery and rugs, and that a reusable cleaning cloth is included.

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6. Amazon Basics 100% Cotton Washcloths, White, 12 x 12 in, 60-Pack

   Use it for: Blotting with a white cloth, so no dye transfers onto the stain.

   The listing describes plain white terry cloths that are machine washable.

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How we chose

This guide is desk research. The steps follow care guidance from stain-remover and cleaning brands and from Consumer Reports, and the supplies are the products those steps name. We did not test any of these products or methods; the notes come from brand pages, retailer listings and published care guidance, and they describe what the listing says rather than how a product performs. Always follow the care label on the item and test any cleaner on a hidden spot first.

Listings, sellers and sizes change quickly. At time of writing (October 19, 2026), every "Check price on Amazon" button below went to an exact Amazon listing that was new and in stock. Confirm the size and seller on the listing before you buy.

Related guides

• red wine on carpet: another holiday spill, with its own steps.
• tomato sauce on carpet: a similar red-dye stain.
• gravy and grease stains: the other dinner-table stain.
• holiday hosting cleaning checklist: where stain prep fits in your hosting plan.