How To Get Rid Of Red Wine Stains?
Of course the best way to get rid of red wine stains is not to spill the wine in the first place! At least that’s what some smart alecks would say. But no matter how careful you and your guests are there will probably be some red wine stains on clothing, carpet or furniture. The key is to know how to get rid of red wine stains.
Through the decades people have come up with a number of different methods for removing wine stains. Some of them work rather well but others only reduce the color intensity, leaving long-term evidence of the accidental spill.
Two Household Items
Make sure you blot the spilled wine with paper towels immediately after the spill. Get as much of the wine off the carpet or fabric as you can, right away! This will help prevent an unmanageable spill. Use a teaspoon of dish washing liquid and 8 ounces of hydrogen peroxide, mixed in bowl or other container.
Use a soft sponge that has been soaked in the mixture then squeezed to remove excess liquid. Blot the stain with this and you should see the dark red color disappear. If possible, place a soft dry cloth on both sides of the stained fabric to keep wine from soaking in even more. Wash clothing items in cool water. Be careful not to bleach away color with too much peroxide.
Commercial Product
Try the commercially available product called Wine Away. It will even take out many stains that have already set. With this product or any other wine-stain removal it is best not to scrub the area. This might spread the stain rather than help get it out!
Another retail product that works on many dark stains is Resolve, designed for cleaning carpets. It’s best to be very careful with commercial products when the stain is on clothing or other sensitive fabrics.
In some cases you may have to substitute one wine stain for another. That’s right. Some experienced wine fanatics soak a red wine stain with white wine. This usually removes all the color and makes a stain of a lighter color. Then you can work with this more manageable stain.
Salt is one of the common products used in the absence of Wine Away. When the fabric will stand up to a bit “rougher” treatment you can cover the stain with salt and let it stand for several minutes. Stretch out the item if possible and pour hot water through the stained area. It’s also possible to remove a stain from an item you can’t put under the faucet by blotting the spot with a cloth soaked in hot water.
Many people still swear by soda water, a clear liquid that is commonly used to remove stains. Blot the wine-stain first, using a dry paper towel. After that you can pour soda water on the stain and let it stand for half a minute. Repeat this process two or three times for best results.
Category: Cleaning