Cleaning For Advent and Christmas

I'm fully aware that Advent is right around the corner because  I personally look forward to seasons of preparation and our Advent ministry stole stock is turning over at a brisker pace than usual (thank you!) Because of the nature of this business I live by the church year calendar. Despite this I must confess that my pulse raced when my daughter pointed out the count down to Christmas calendar on eBay. This made me realize I could no longer ignore the Christmas banners that were sitting in my workroom. This poor set of white and gold textile art from my home church suffered from a water leak dispersing some nasty rustiness upon them. Carrot Top Studio typically recommends clear baby shampoo as a gentle spot remover but this seemed to require a more creative cleaning solution . After some experimentation, I can share a new "insider tip" that a combination of hydrogen peroxide and cream of tartar appears to be the answer to removing rusty water stains. Cleaning is not one of my natural gifts so this kind of thing amazes me.

But here's another tidbit....white stoles need to be replaced more often than any other. What can I say--white just shows the dirt! So maybe in the next week before life spins at a different pace you can look at your stoles, paraments, banners and vestments and see if you're in good shape for Christ the King, Advent and Christmas. These special days and seasons should be about preparing our hearts, caring for others, and worshiping the Lord--not wondering if the stain  on your white stole will show while you're leading worship! Blessings for your ministry.