Removing Red Wine Stains
Spilling red wine on the sofa or carpet leads to a special kind of gasp. There are a slew of remedies for the situation, but take a second and first let your rapidly beating heart calm down; but don’t wait too long, because speed is of the essence. Red wine is a difficult stain to remove, but with tried and true methods, anything is possible! Before trying any of these methods, first know that we cannot assess every stain or every material, so tread at your own risk!
1. Soapy mix: A common method goes like this: Mix one part dish washing soap with three parts hydrogen peroxide – apply to the stain and let it sit for a while, maybe even as long as an hour.
2. Salt the wound: Literally cover the entire stain heavily with salt. Let the salt soak up the red wine and then just vacuum it up.
3. Laundry detergent: it works on clothes, and it can possibly help tackle the stain directly. However, add-on laundry sprays like Shout are even better.
4. Goof Off: this is one of the best all around stain removers, and can even be used with Shout
5. Bleach? Well, let’s be real; bleach turns things white, so be careful, and used it only as the last resort, or not at all!
Should I use cold or hot water?
Hot water is the best choice for this type of stain. Soaking and agitating stained clothing in a warm sink of water can be really helpful as well.
With any difficult heavy stain, it can require persistence and varied techniques, like pressing, pinching, scrubbing, or agitating in a fluid. A clean stain can also be deceiving, and reveal a phantom stain days later when the carpet has dried. Another issue that happens is the stained area becomes so clean, it reveals a lighter spot than the surrounding carpet or sofa – that means it’s time to steam clean the whole carpet.
The best method is avoidance, so heavy staining liquids are best enjoyed in areas with hard surfaces, like the kitchen. Coffee and red wine may be the biggest offenders, so pouring less than a full cup can help. Walking up stairs with a full beverage is almost guaranteed to lead to an emergency stain clean eventually, even if your balance is excellent.