The party is going well, everyone is having fun, and disaster strikes. A full glass of red wine splashes and eases itself on your fabulous white carpet. Removing red wine stains from carpets and clothing can be tricky business but there’s a host of tried and true methods that can help yo solve your problem.
Before everything else here’s what you should do immediately after this catastrophe takes place. Grab a clean cloth and dab the spill. You’re trying to suck up as much as you can before your whole carpet/cloth turns from white to happy, cherry red. Try not to push the cloth too hard on the carpet as this will encourage the stain to settle deeper in the carpet, making it harder to get rid of.
Now that most of the excess spill is taken care of you can take your chances by grabbing your carpet shampoo or cloth stain remover respectively and go at it as you would a bit of dirt. Alternatively you can go with one of the unconventional but more effective methods.
So what are your options when it comes to red wine stain removal?
Thankfully there’s a bunch of things you should have lying around that can do an apt job in cleaning your favorite carpet or cloth. You don’t have to use every one of them, but here’s a list of the most common items you can use.
First come hydrogen peroxide and baking soda
When the push hits the shove this is what you go for. Provided the receiver of the spill is either a white clothing or a lightly colored carpet, after blotting up the excess wine, spray hidrogen peroxide directly on the stain, following up with a healthy blotch of baking soda.
Let it sit just like that for a couple of minutes. Next rinse with water and shove it in the laundry as usual. This is a good, quick, silver bullet when it comes to completely removing red wine stains.
White wine for red wine stains, I told you it’s unconventional
White wine is like the big brother of red wine. By purposefully spilling white wine on the red wine stain you will neutralize the red wine and it will be much easier to lift the color off the carpet or cloth.
The technique is simple, simply spill some white wine on the red stain and then gently use a clean cloth or towel to suck up the wine. Don’t rub or push the towel as you will force the stain into the inner fibers of the victim. If you’re still seeing the stain try salt or baking soda to further lift the color.
Another interesting idea is using club soda and salt
Who knew that salt can be used to stop the stain from setting while you figure out what to do next. Club soda will help lift the stain due to carbonation. Meanwhile, the salt will act as a protective shield and will stop the stain from settling deeper in the carpet.
An interesting duo is vinegar and either soap or soda
What a brilliant idea. Vinegar is happy to oblige and neutralize purple pigments and either soap or soda will fight the stain in their own right. Laundry soap and washing soda are great choices. Pour it over the vinegar and give it a few minutes to soak in. Then rinse with water and wash. Voila.
The must-have all purpose wine stain remover – Wine Away
This product has been tested true and recommended by both the Gourmet Magazine and the Good Housekeeping Institute. Quite an efficient clean-up tool. This is a must-have for your cleaning cabinet.
Whichever method you prefer the most important thing is to act quickly. Giving the stain time to settle in the carpet or cloth will make it that much harder to get rid of. Use salt to prevent setting in while you figure out which method you like best for red wine stain removal.
Further reading:
- Wine Cellaring Tips And Tricks - Wine starts out as a living organism in the form of a grape, and like all living things it cannot stand the test of time. No matter how many external influences you will withdraw an organic substance will still be...
- Tips And Tricks On Wine And Cheese Pairing - We’re all here because we love how well food and wine compliment each other. The chemistry between them is wonderful. Of all the types of food we all live to enjoy, it’s safe to say there are not many dishes...
- Argentina Wines – Tips And Tricks - Argentina’s culinary and winemaking culture has heavy Spanish influences. The first vines were brought into Argentina by the Spanish man Juan Cedron in the year 1557. Since then, like in many other countries, the production of wine has only grown....
