Red Wine Stains

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Anyone who loves wine knows that the occasional stain is inevitable. Once you and your guests are a few glasses in, someone may spill a few drops or a whole glass on your nice carpet, couch, tablecloth, or shirt. When this happens, there is no need to panic. Today we are rounding up our favorite fixes for those pesky wine stains.

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First, be sure to address the spill as soon as possible before it dries. Red wine is basically a dye (you can use grapes/grape juice to dye fabric) and will change the color of any fiber quickly. Do not wait until the following day to clean as it may be too late. Once the fabric has had the opportunity to dry, the stain will be nearly permanent. That being said, do not attempt to dry the stain with a hair dryer as this will just speed up the process of the spill becoming a stain.

• Lift the spill out with table salt, kitty litter, or a dry soap powder. The best option is actually salt, but in a pinch try any of the others. Let it settle into the stain for a few minutes. If you decide to use kitty litter, make sure you have removed all the litter before placing any fabric into the washing machine as the litter can clog pipes. Some may recommend baking soda, however, baking soda is an alkaline substance and when mixed with red wine, may result in the stain turning blue.

• Blot, blot, blot. Avoid rubbing the spill.

• Try pouring boiling water over the spill and then blotting with a towel.

• You can also try the same method above with cold milk.

• Mix white vinegar with club soda, pour over the spill, and blot.

• Dilute the stain with vodka and then soak up the liquid with a towel.

• Apply an oxi cleaner, allow it to settle, add water, and then blot.

• Mix Dawn dishwashing soap with hydrogen peroxide, apply over the wine stain, and allow it to saturate. Then blot the area or put the garment into the washer. Note that the hydrogen peroxide will act as a bleaching agent, so it is important to clean up the mixture before it changes the color of the fabric.

• Have Wine Away on hand for an easy fix.

• If it is just a few drops of wine, using a stain remover pen or stick may do the trick.

• Whether applying any of these methods to carpet, couch, or your shirt, hold the fabric as taut as possible while trying to clean up the stain.

• If you are attempting to remove a stubborn red wine stain or get red wine out of clothes the next day the truth is it is probably too late.

Red wine stains are a pain, but they do not have to be permanent. With the tips provided above, you will not have to panic when a spill happens. Have you tried any of the methods above? Leave us a comment and let us know what has worked for you.