You’re having friends over for some wine and cheese when suddenly, tragedy strikes — red wine is spilled all over your carpet. It can be tough to think of an effective solution for cleaning up wine stains in the heat of the moment, which is why we’ve gathered some effective methods to remove red wine stains, even the ones that have already dried. Check them out.
Salt
Salt is an effective way to remove red wine stains that are still wet, as it can soak up the wine before the liquid is fully absorbed by the fabric. The salt will change from white into the color of the stain, after which you just vacuum up the salt and you’re good to go.
Hydrogen Peroxide And Liquid Dish Soap
A mixture of hydrogen peroxide and liquid dish soap will do heavy duty damage and help remove the wine. The ingredients in both of these liquids are designed to remove stains, making the combination a powerful weapon against even the deepest red wine stains. Be sure to dab the stains with the mixture — scrubbing aggressively can deepen the stain.
Hot Water
If you’re quick on your feet, hot or boiling water can be an effective way to remove stains, as the stain won’t have time to set. Again, it’s important to avoid scrubbing the stain aggressively, as it allows the red wine to set more easily. Dab the stain with the hot water and then clean it up with paper towel. Adding salt to stain before dabbing it with a cloth dipped in hot water can combine the effects of the salt cleaning method with the hot water for an even better chance at removing the stain.
Club Soda
Club soda is chemically different than simple tap water, and these chemicals can be effective against stains. Add a little bit of club soda to the stain and let it sit for a few minutes to allow the bubbles and chemicals to work their magic, then dab the stain dry with some paper towels.
High-Proof, Clear Liquor
Sometimes, you have to fight fire with fire. High-proof white alcohol such as gin, rum or vodka can help combat red wine stains by removing the pigments in the wine that cause the stain. Adding one of these alcohols to the stain will remove most of the damage, and the rest can be cleaned up with some hot water. But it’s important to act fast — the trick only works while the stain is wet.
OxiClean
While the aforementioned methods are specifically targeted to fresh, wet stains, there are other methods you can use to remove red wine stains that have dried. For dry cases, OxiClean might be the best go-to. Prepare the stained area with hot water before applying the OxiClean for best results. Then, let the OxiClean sit on the stain for anywhere between two and 10 hours.
