You’ve just spilled red wine on your favorite shirt, couch, or carpet, now what do you do. You might think there is no way to get that stain out. Thankfully, there are several simple ways to remove a red wine stain.
Removing red wine stain tips
Not all of these tips will work for all types of materials. You should keep the following in mind when removing red wine stains.
- Act quickly. It is best to remove the stain as soon as possible. The longer the stain remains, the harder it will be to get out.
- Blot completely. Blot up as much of the wine as possible, starting from the outside of the spill. Don’t rub the spilled wine or it can spread the stain.
- Is the material color safe? Before you try any of these stain removing tips, make sure the material is color-safe and washable. Dry-cleaning only materials should only be blotted and then taken to the cleaners as soon as possible.
Use salt for carpets
Salt can work well to remove red wine stains, especially on carpets. This trick works best if you clean the wine as soon as it’s spilled. Use a paper towel or a clean cloth to blot as much of the red wine as you can. Don’t rub or scrub it, just blot it up with the paper towel or cloth.
Then pour salt onto the stain, completely covering the stain until you can’t see it anymore. The salt will soak up the remaining wine. Once it has dried, use a vacuum cleaner to pick up the salt.
Salt or baking soda for clothing
Flush the stain with cold water and then blot the stain with a clean cloth. A white cloth works best so you can see if you’re soaking up the wine. Sprinkle salt or baking soda onto the stain, wait three minutes and rinse with cold water. Repeat this step as needed.
Dish soap and hydrogen peroxide
This little trick will work for clothes. Mix equal parts of Dawn dish soap and hydrogen peroxide and pour over the wine stain. Allow it to soak in for several minutes. The stain should start to diminish almost immediately. After the mixture has thoroughly soaked in, wash the clothing. This should only be done on light-colored clothing since hydrogen peroxide has a tendency to act like bleach.
Laundry detergent and white vinegar
White vinegar will neutralize red and pink pigments. First, cover the stain with white vinegar, and then immediately rub in liquid laundry detergent. You should then launder the stained item in hot water. This should cause the stain to lift out.
Boiling water for tablecloths
Tablecloths seem to be a magnet for red wine spills, but that doesn’t mean the tablecloth is ruined. Boil water in a tea kettle or pan. While the water is boiling, find a large bowl or a large pan. Stretch the stained portion of the tablecloth tightly over the bowl and secure it with a rubber band.
Make sure the tablecloth remains taut over the bowl. From a height of about one foot above the tablecloth, carefully pour the hot water over the stained tablecloth. The stain should then come out.
Baking soda for furniture and carpet
Using a cloth, paper towel, or a good quality sponge, and dab the wine to soak it up. Add a little water and continue dabbing it until you can’t get any more wine up. Make a paste of three parts water to one-part baking soda. Apply this paste to the stain and allow it to dry. After drying, you can vacuum the dried paste.
