HOW TO GET RED WINE STAINS OUT

The most important thing here is time. What does that mean? The faster you get to it, the greater your chances to getting the stain out completely. Try not to let it dry! If it has, though, don’t worry! We’ll also look at options to get rid of a dried red wine stain.

Milk can be a great option and something everyone has on hand at home. It has to be animal milk though; plant-based milks won’t have the same effect because they have less fat and other ingredients. Milk is great at getting rid of red wine stains, or ink stains, among other things.

How do you apply it?

First, get a clean cloth. Dip it in the milk and dab it onto the stain. Try not to rub it. You could just end up spreading the stain. Then, as soon as possible, put the stained item in the washing machine and wash it as you normally would. No need for hot water.

Perfect trick for...

Clothing that isn’t too delicate and can be machine washed.

Bicarb isn’t as common as milk, but if you have some around the house it’s another good option for getting rid of a red wine stain.

The sodium in bicarb attracts and traps wine particles when they are still wet. So, as we said before, it’s best to apply it as quickly as possible.

How do you apply it?

Put a glass of water and half a glass of bicarb into a container. Stir well and pour it onto the stain. Let it sit until it dries on the stain. Then brush it off, or hoover it up off a carpet, and wash with soap and water.

Put a glass of water and half a glass of bicarb into a container. Stir well and pour it onto the stain. Let it sit until it dries on the stain. Then brush it off, or hoover it up off a carpet, and wash with soap and water.

Perfect trick for...

Any item: sofa, carpet, tablecloth or even less delicate garments.

Salt is one of the tricks most people already know, since it is highly absorbent. On its own, it probably won’t solve your wine stain issue 100%. But it could help considerably reduce it and keep it from spreading in the beginning.

How do you apply it?

Get rid of as much wine as you can with kitchen roll (no rubbing!) and pour the salt right onto the stain. Then leave it for 3-5 minutes. Don’t leave it any longer because you could end up with the opposite effect, helping set the stain! Then brush it off and you’ll see most, if not all, of the stain has disappeared. Finish washing with soap and water.

Perfect trick for...

Tablecloths and carpets.

This is a quick, effective solution that most of us have at home to easily get rid of wine stains.

How do you apply it?

In a container, mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide and liquid detergent. Put the mixture onto the stain and rub gently. Then let it sit. Afterwards, wash normally.

Perfect trick for...

All sorts of clothing, but only light colours. The hydrogen peroxide can bleach darks.

-White wine

Did you know white wine can help you get out a red wine stain? Get a cloth, dip it in white wine and dab at the red wine stain. Leave it for a few minutes and then wash with soap and water.

- Boiling water

This is perfect if the red wine ended up on the tablecloth. Stretch it out as much as possible, with the stain visible. Then pour on boiling water. Watch the stain disappear!

- Stain removers

You can also use special stain removers, but you have to be careful when you apply them. Read the instructions carefully, and the tags on the clothing, sofa, carpet or other fabric, too.

If you didn’t make it in time to get out the damp red wine stain and now it’s completely dried, don’t worry! You still have options, but it might not look as good. Or it may take a bit more effort to get rid of it completely. Some of the tricks above also work on dried red wine stains, like bicarb and liquid detergent with hydrogen peroxide.

If you’ve already washed the piece of clothing and the stain didn’t come out, an easy household solution is to put the fabric in milk that has just started boiling. Move the fabric around once in a while but don’t scrub the stain until you see it starting to disappear. Then rub it gently, even with your hands.

You can always use traditional stain removers, which may work. As we said, remember to read the labels on the fabrics and products.

We hope these tips have been helpful!

Want more wine content? Don’t miss these two articles on our blog!