With a meal. After dinner. During social events. Red wine has the ability to go practically anywhere — but you don’t want it going on your carpeting or furniture.
Red wine spills are bound to happen, and you don’t have to be careless for a bit of red wine to slosh out of your glass and drip onto the floor. You also don’t have to panic. Although red wine contains natural dyes, wine stains aren’t inevitable. Just take a deep breath and follow some tried-and-true red wine removal tips to restore your home — and your peace of mind.
6 Steps to Remove Red Wine From Carpets
It’s natural to want to grab a cloth and start wiping up red wine from your carpet. Resist that temptation. The last thing you want to do is start rubbing or scrubbing at the stain.
The more pressure and force you put onto the liquid, the faster it will soak into the fibers of the carpet pile. With every push, you’ll drive the red wine deeper into your floor or furnishings. The wine might even make it to the carpet backing, where the stain will be tougher to lift up without a professional cleaning.
What’s the right way to approach a fresh red wine carpet stain, then? Follow these steps:
- Lay a paper towel lightly on top of it. Don’t push down on the towel. Just let it absorb any liquid on the surface. After a minute or two, remove the towel and throw it away.
- Look through your pantry for some table salt. No, you’re not going to whip up a side dish. You’re about to use some of the science you may have forgotten from your school days. If you don’t have salt, talcum powder, baking soda or even some kitty litter will suffice.
- Sprinkle a generous amount of salt on the fresh red wine stain. You don’t have to be exact, because this process isn’t about precision. It’s about coverage. Make sure that the salt fully covers the entire visible red wine carpet stain.
- Wait about 10-20 minutes. This might be the hardest of all steps for removing red wine stains. Maybe you need to grab a second glass of wine to distract you?
- Return to the scene of the stain. At this point, the salt has done its job as much as it will. Use a vacuum to suction up the salt particles.
- Evaluate the stain. Did the salt do the trick? Many times, it’s the only tip you’ll need to remove red wine from carpets. However, if your red wine stain is stubborn, you may have to move to a few secondary measures.
Tackling a Resistant or Older Red Wine Carpet Stain
Usually, salt will lift red wine from your carpet. But what if you’re dealing with a trickier stain or a spill that has dried up from last night’s party? In that case, try the following additional red wine removal tips:
- Apply hot water. If a bit of red dye hangs around, toss a kettle with water on the stove. Boil the water, and then apply some of it to the red wine stain. Don’t saturate the carpet, but put enough boiling water on the splotch to dilute any leftover wine. Then, use a towel to blot the area lightly.
- Mix equal parts club soda and vinegar. Pour this mixture onto the stain, let it settle and blot up any remaining red stuff.
- Put a little milk on the stain. Sometimes, milk’s natural properties can help break down a lingering red wine stain. Let the milk settle onto the carpet and into the stain about 15-30 minutes before blotting up. You may have to go back to hot water, then, to remove any milky residue so the carpet smells fresh and doesn’t get sticky.
Steps to Remove Red Wine From Upholstered Furniture
At this point, you’ve mastered red wine stains on carpets. The tips to remove red wine stains from upholstered furniture follow the same basic guidelines. Nevertheless, you will want to modify your stain-fighting tricks just a bit if you’re working with upholstery on a sofa, loveseat, chair or other similar fabric:
- Go for salt right away. Unless some of the red wine is beading on the upholstery, head right to salt and bypass putting a towel on the spot. Follow the salt directions above.
- Combine laundry detergent and vinegar. Make a cleansing paste of any commercial laundry detergent and an equal amount of white vinegar. Apply the paste to the red wine spot. Give it a few minutes to settle in. Then, start putting tablespoons of boiling water on the stain. Saturate the area and use a clean towel to blot up excess moisture and dyes.
Remember — the faster you attack a red wine stain, the faster you can show it the door.
Have Other Liquid Stains To Remove?
For instructions on how to remove specific liquids see our guides below:
Had a party and need to give your house a thorough deep clean to freshen up your high-trafficked spaces? Contact Cyclone Professional Cleaners at 972-390-8700 for fast, courteous service.
