How to Remove Wine Stains from Different Surfaces
Whether you are hosting a dinner party or simply enjoying a glass of fine red after work, accidental spills inevitably happen.
But, when these spills happen, it is more common than not that the red wine will spill on your favourite white shirt, carpet or sofa leaving behind a tragic imprint of your mistake.
Before you run for a brush and try to scrub out the evidence of your mistake, stop and take a deep breath. We will help to get you through this until you are stain-free!
Start by reading our guide to learn how to remove wine stains from different surfaces.
Removing Wine Stains from Carpet
Light-coloured carpets are the most tragic to have red wine spilt on but there is an easy way to remove the stain if you act quickly and carefully.
- Dab the wine stain with a paper towel or a clean cloth. Be careful not to wipe or rub the stain as this will cause the stain to spread and deepen making your mission all the more difficult.
- Shake some table salt onto the stain to soak up any excess liquid.
- Now pour some cool water onto the stained area to further dilute the stain. Keep dapping the area with paper towels. If the stain is a few hours old use hot water instead of cool water.
- Once no more colour is coming out of the carpet, create a paste with water and baking soda in a 3:1 ratio. Apply this directly to the stain and allow it to dry completely before vacuuming the dried paste.
- If there is still some remnants of the stain, apply a carpet stain remover and allow to sit until dry and vacuum over it.
After following the above steps your carpet should be clean and stain-free. If any spills should happen in the future, you now have the tools to deal with the situation panic-free!
Removing Wine Stains from Clothing
There is nothing more embarrassing than messing red wine on your clothing at a fancy restaurant except worrying that you have ruined your favourite going-out garment!
Do not fret, just follow these steps:
- Pull the clothing tight before attempting to remove the stain.
- If the stain is fresh, pour some table salt onto the stain. This will help to soak up the liquid.
- Pour on some boiling hot water and blot with a clean cloth.
- If the stain is still there, pour on some club soda to remove the excess of the stain.
- For stubborn stains, create hydrogen peroxide and dishwashing soap mixture and allow the stain to soak for 20 minutes. Blot the area and then set the clothes through a washing cycle.
- If all else fails, use bleach to remove the stain from white clothing.
Removing Wine Stains from Other Surfaces
While carpets and clothing are the most common materials to bear the brunt of red wine stains, there are other surfaces that come into the mix.
Stainless Steel
If you’ve spilt your wine while preparing dinner in the kitchen, there is a high chance that the spill occurred on one of your stainless steel appliances. If this is the case, follow these simple steps:
- Wipe the stain with white vinegar, rinse off with water and allow to dry.
- If the stain is still there, apply a paste of baking soda and dish soap to the area and wipe away.
Painted Walls
While this may seem like an unlikely scenario, it is best to have this information on hand in case of an emergency.
- Using a sponge or damp cloth, dab the stain on the wall until dry.
- If there is still some remnants of the stain, apply some dish detergent to the sponge or cloth and dap the area. Now dab the area again with a dry cloth or sponge.
- For a stubborn stain, apply some all-purpose cleaner to the area and blot with clear water and dry cloth.
Concrete or Brick
This is the one time that you can get the scrubbing brush out to tackle those wine stains. With brush in hand, here’s what to do:
- Scrub the stained area with warm, soapy water and a scrubbing brush. After scrubbing, rinse the area with some cool water.
- If the stain persists, pour some diluted bleach on the area and allow to sit for five minutes and then rinse off with some water.
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When it comes to wine stains you can never be too prepared. The most important thing to remember is to act quickly and to dap the area!
Have any other wine cleaning tips you would like to share? You can do so in the comments on our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages.
