It’s not a holiday party until someone spills something on your carpet or upholstery.

Every year my daughter asks if she can have friends over for a holiday party. Every year I say “Sure,” and then lay down some pretty tough rules about drinking. First, I screech “No grape soda!” followed by “And no alcohol!” now that she’s in high school.

You’d do the same if you’d seen what happened when a grape beverage met a white shag rug at my friend Pat’s house a few years back.

But this year is going to be different, and it’s all thanks to Rug Doctor. The carpet cleaning company just opened a telephone hotline to deal with holiday spill-mergencies.

Whether the spill hits your rug or your sofa, the company’s trained cleaning experts will be available seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT at 1-800-Rug Doctor to tell you how to get it out.

Grape soda for everyone!

Meanwhile, if you’re going to use a rug shampoo machine to clean the carpet or upholstery before your holiday parties, handle the waste water properly by using these tips from Washington State’s Ecology Department:

  • Vacuum before you wash carpets to minimize debris in the water.
  • Empty wash water down a sink, toilet, bathtub, or shower drain, and never pour it down a storm drain.
  • Strain the waste water before pouring it down the drain to help prevent clogs.
  • Raleigh, N.C., environmental officials suggest using undiluted vinegar in your steam cleaner instead of soap and the Portland, Ore., metro government offers recipes for green carpet cleaning solutions.