The one carry-on staple that will keep you stain-free during travel

In order to travel stress-free during the holidays, you need a little foresight and some careful planning. With the right carry-on suitcase, a Kondo-inspired packing plan, and TSA-friendly makeup, you won’t be left at the luggage carousel wondering if your holiday outfit is headed to a different party in a different city. But packing light does create some space limitations: For one thing, you can’t bring your entire arsenal of emergency stain removers.

When pressed for space and abiding by max-liquid-amount allowances, the one thing you should keep with you to fight stains, spills, and accidents is…hand sanitizer, according to cleaning expert and columnist Jolie Kerr.

“[Hand sanitizer] has a high concentration of alcohol in it, which is a very good stain remover and will work on everything from pen to food spills to blood.” —cleaning expert Jolie Kerr

“If I had to tell people to carry just one thing with them to handle stains on the fly, it would be hand sanitizer,” Kerr told The New York Times. “It has a high concentration of alcohol in it, which is a very good stain remover and will work on everything from pen to food spills to blood.” (And maybe even those pesky lipstick smudges, too.)

And for wine stains? Pass the salt. “Pouring an anthill-style mound of table salt on the spill will help to pull it out,” Kerr instructed. And if wine spills on your clothing is something you anticipate (#same), another TSA-friendly hack is a pack of Shout Wipes, Kerr said. Time to stock up.

So, basically, if you a pack wipes and a travel-size bottle of hand sanitizer, you might well become the savior of your own suitcase and many a holiday party. But, for keeping your actual hands germ-free, consider whipping up a batch of healthier-for-you natural sanitizer.

Getting ready for the holidays? Here’s how to nail a bold holiday look and here are some healthier dessert options to whip up.