Tips To Remove Wine Stains

While some science suggests that a nice glass of red wine is great for the health, for many of us it’s simply an enjoyable way to wind down after a busy day of life and work. At least, that is until the dog knocks our glass over onto our brand new, white fluffy rug ...

Red wine stains happen to all of us, and we can mull over it and try to figure out what table will hide it best, or we can get stuck into cleaning it up. If you want great tips on how to remove red wine stains from your carpet or clothes, keep reading.

Before You Start

You want to clean up a red wine stain as soon as possible. The longer you leave it, the harder it will be to remove it. Straight after the spill, get yourself some paper towels or a multipurpose cleaning cloth and start blotting the area to try to absorb as much of the wine as possible. Don’t scrub it or you might end up creating a bigger stain.

Red Wine Removal Tricks

Now it’s time to start the removal process. Here are a few tips you might want to try after you have absorbed as much as possible with your cloth or towels:

Salt: If your spill is on the floor, get some table salt and pour it over the spill. There’s no limit – the more salt you can use, the more likely it will be to soak up the wine. Wait and let the salt soak into the wet stain, then wait for the salt to dry and vacuum it up.

Boiling Water: For spills on tablecloth or other material, boil water in a kettle. While you’re doing this, get a glass bowl. Stretch the fabric over the top of the bowl, and secure it in place with a rubber band, or another option. Make sure the fabric has been pulled tight. Get your boiled water and pour it over the fabric, so the water goes through into the bowl. Watch the stain dissolve.

Baking Soda and Vinegar: Similar to using salt, apply a good amount of baking soda directly to the affected area and wait for it to soak up the liquid, then vacuum it up. Another option is to create a solution that is ¼ cup baking soda and 1 tablespoon white vinegar and use it as a paste over the stain and let it dry before removing.

Dishwashing Liquid and Hydrogen Peroxide: Mix together equal parts of both, then pour the mixture over the stain, and allow it to soak. The stain should start to fade right away. Be wary using this option on colours though, as the peroxide may bleach the colours.

Soda Water: This is actually one of the fastest ways to remove stains of red wine. Once you’ve blotted away as much as possible with your cloth or paper towels, simply pour some soda water over the spill, let it fizz, soak it for 10 minutes and then blot again. Continue until you are certain the stain is as removed as possible. The carbonation in the soda water dissolves the red pigments of the wine.

If you’ve simply spilled your wine on the tiles or wooden floors, you can clean this up easy enough with a quality cloth, mop and some disinfectant. Check out the range of products available on our website to assist.