We’ve all been there with the inevitable red wine spills that turns into red wine stains. We watch it happen in slow motion as it unfolds in front of us with our eyes bulging in horror. It doesn’t matter when or where it occurs – you may have been a bit too comfortable and lethargic on the couch with a glass in-hand, or were a little too vigorous with the hand gestures while explaining a story. At the end of the day, it happens, but it doesn’t have to be a colossal tragedy.
There are a couple of things you could do when you realize your red wine is everywhere except in your glass. First, of course, is to panic. Don’t panic! Even if red wine is all over your favorite shirt, it can be saved!
The second thing you might do is to start trying to scrub the stain off, fail miserably, and walk off frustrated, leaving the stain for tomorrow. Don’t scrub and don’t procrastinate! We know, red wine stains often occur when we’re far too tired or distracted to worry about how to clean them up properly or immediately. But, it’s in your best interest to face the stain head on without delay, which brings us to our third point:
Employ a tried and true method to beat the stain before it gets you down. So instead of fretting over those red wine stains staring at you, take a few deep breaths and walk with us as we help you through the cleaning process.
Use a clean white cloth or paper towel to blot the wine, then dip another clean cloth/towel in soap and water and blot. Act fast to prevent red-wine stains. Your last step is to blot the area with another clean cloth/towel and a capful of hydrogen peroxide until the stain is lifted.
Proper Steps to Remove Stains from Carpets and Couches
So you’ve got a red wine stained carpet and a nice splash of red wine on the couch. You’re taking care of it right now, and you didn’t start scrubbing away like a mad man (or woman). Now what?
Tip #4: Apply a dry material that will “lift” the red wine out
Like any liquid, red wine will move toward anything dry that it comes into contact with. Your best move right after you get a red wine stain is to grab a dry, powdery material and apply it generously on the red wine stain. These include:
Table salt Baking soda Sodium percarbonate, a.k.a. a granulated form of hydrogen peroxide Dry soap powder Talcum powder, which is used for baby powder Kitty litter
These dry materials will “pull” the red wine out of the carpet, but don’t just start rubbing them in. Remember, you never want to rub (or scrub) the stain, regardless of what you’ve applied to it. Always apply the blotting method, even when it comes to cleaning up the salt or powder.
Let the salt (your best option), or any other dry, powdery material you use, settle for a few minutes. In some cases, this may be enough to actually remove the stain completely, especially if you acted fast enough. Otherwise, you may need to apply additional methods.
Tips on Getting Out Red Wine Stains
The science behind why and how red wine absorbs into fabrics leads us to our first set of pro tips for cleaning red wine stains:
Tip #1: Do NOT scrub the stain! Scrubbing will help pull some of the red wine out, but actually negatively impacts the stain as it causes it to spread outward even more. And, if you’re applying too much pressure, you’re actually pushing more red wine down into the fabric. This is especially true if you’re dealing with a red wine stain on the couch or on the carpet.
Tip #2: Don’t wait too long
While it’s tedious to deal with a red wine stain immediately, we wouldn’t recommend waiting until the next day to take care of it. Red wine will sink and settle into those fibers the longer they’re there. Eventually, they’ll “set” and become more difficult to remove. Not forgetting, of course, that red wine is basically a dye waiting to happen.
Tip #3: Do NOT apply heat The last thing you want is for the stain to dry, but even worse is if the stain dries when hot air is applied. Heat will actually change the chemical process the stain undergoes when it dries. If you apply heat, you can expect a permanent or nearly permanent stain. So, put the hair dryer down, and for goodness sake, don’t put any stained clothes in the dryer before you apply any pre-wash cleaning methods.
How to Remove Stains from Wool Clothes – Fruit, Fruit Juice and Red Wine
FAQ
Will red wine come out of wool?
How do you get red wine out of a wool blanket?
How do you remove wine stains from wool?
Rinse with clear water, then dry. Blot to remove as much excess wine on the wool surface as possible. Blot with a consumer dry-cleaning solvent to remove grease. Blot with water, then blot dry. If stain remains, mix a solution of 1 teaspoon neutral detergent and 1 teaspoon white vinegar in 1 quart warm water.
Can red wine stains be removed?
White wine is one of the most common discrepancies in red wine stain removal. Though many swear it dilutes the stain’s color, others say mixing fire with fire only aggravates the stain. Tap water can be used as a replacement if you are weary of this particular option.
How do you remove wine stains?
Work as quickly as possible. The longer the stain sits, the harder it is to remove. Always blot, never rub. Rubbing will work the wine deeper into the fibers, making the stain more likely to set. Don’t apply heat (dryer, iron) to the stained area until the stain is gone.
Does red wine come out of clothes?
Red wine does come out of clothes but the stains are notoriously difficult to remove. If possible, treat a wine stain immediately—the older it is, the more stubborn it will be. The good news is that most wine stains can be completely removed, or at least reduced, with common household cleaning solutions.