Getting red wine out of carpet

5 Tried & True Ways To Get Red Wine Out Of A Carpet

Have you tried white wine? No, I mean, like, to treat the stain.

Getting red wine out of carpet is, like, the most stereotypical cleaning trope ever—except maybe scrubbing crayon off the walls. The kids, they color on the walls. And the adults, well, they spill wine on the carpet. Classic.

So, let’s assess your red wine stain. It’s got subtle notes of carelessness. Ah, yes, do we detect a faceplant-forward aroma? What’s that sixth “S” of wine tasting? See, swirl, sniff, sip, savor … and spill? Which red pairs best with carpet again? Was it the pinot noir or the Malbec?

Luckily we’re connoisseurs when it comes to carpet stain removal. Not only do we have a solution for you, but we’ve got 5 options. One for each glass of wine you consumed last night. (Hey, that’s barely a bottle. Whatever.)

Important Note: Don’t use warm water on red wine! Cold water only. The warm water will just make the wine set, and it’ll be way harder to get out of the carpet.

1. Baking soda

Blot the red wine stain with a clean, dry rag to absorb any excess liquid.
Pour a bit of cold water onto the red wine stain to saturate it. We recommend ¼ cup or so, depending how big the stain is. The water will dilute the red wine and help with your blotting.
Keep blotting at the wet stain until it appears to reasonably dissolve.
Make a baking soda paste by mixing together 1 part water to 3 parts baking soda. It should be thick, like cake batter.
Generously apply the baking soda paste to the red-wine-stained carpet.
Let the paste sit for about 20 minutes until it dries out.
Vacuum the baking soda residue from the carpet.

2. Club soda & salt

Blot out excess wine from the stain with a clean, dry rag.
Pour the (cold!) club soda directly onto the red wine stain. The soda’s carbonation should lift the stain out of the carpet fibers.
Dump some salt on top of the club-soda-saturated stain. The salt actually serves as a buffer that prevents the stain from setting.
Let the salty soda solution dry out for about 20 minutes.
Vacuum up the dried salt.

3. Vinegar

Blot the red wine stain with a clean, dry rag to absorb any excess liquid.
Mix 2 cups of warm water with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Yes, we know we said not to use warm water, but when diluting vinegar (or anything, really), it’s best to use warm water. The acidic vinegar will negate the water’s temperature, trust us. Vinegar effectively neutralizes red wine’s pigments.
Dip your rag into the water/vinegar solution and get to blotting.
Continue blotting until the red wine stain has dissolved.
Once the stain is gone, finish by blotting the spot with a rag soaked with dish soap such as Dawn and water to get rid of any residual vinegar or funky vinegar odor.
Finish by dabbing the spot with a clean, damp rag to get rid of soapy residue.
Blot with a dry rag, and let the spot air dry completely.
Still smelling that vinegar? Hit the spot with a spritz of Febreze Fabric to clean away the odor and get your carpet smelling fresh.

4. Hydrogen peroxide & baking soda

Disclaimer: Hydrogen peroxide has the potential to majorly discolor your carpet. Test it out first on a discreet section of the carpet before applying to the stain, or you might just make it way, way worse.
Blot out excess wine from the stain with a clean, dry rag.
Spray or carefully pour hydrogen peroxide onto the red-wine-stained carpet.
Dollop a spoonful of baking soda on top of the hydrogen-peroxide-soaked stain.
Let the whole mixture sit for about 5 minutes.
Vacuum up dried-out baking soda residue.
Blot the spot with a clean, damp rag to finish.
Let the spot air dry.

5. White wine

You obviously prefer red wine, but hopefully you keep a bottle of white on hand, too. White wine actually neutralizes the pigment in red wine! It’s true.
Pour some white wine directly onto the red-wine-stained carpet. Don’t get crazy with it—just use enough white wine to completely cover the red wine stain. (Save the rest for a celebratory glass once you’ve successfully removed the stain.)
Get to blotting. Using a clean, damp rag, blot the stain until the red fades away.
If the red wine stain is particularly stubborn, try adding some salt or baking soda on top of the white wine, and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
Vacuum up salt or baking soda residue and continue blotting until the stain is gone.
Once the stain is gone, finish by blotting the spot with a rag soaked with dish soap like Dawn and water.
Finish by dabbing the spot with a clean, damp rag to get rid of soapy residue.
Blot with a dry rag or let the spot air dry completely.
Does your carpet still smell drunk? Hit the spot with a spritz of Febreze Fabric to freshen it up.

No harm, no foul. But next time, try to keep the wine in your glass, will ya? And getting red wine out of your carpet with white wine is a really fun party trick to have up your sleeve. After all, who hasn’t had to order a club soda at the bar to address an embarrassing red wine stain on their shirt?

While we’ve got your attention, did you spill wine anyplace else in your house? Maybe on the kitchen floor —or perhaps even on the wall or your countertops or kitchen cabinets? Hey, spills happen. And when they do, we’ve got you covered.

Oh, and real quick before you go: those wineglasses may be dishwasher safe, so double-check, pop them in the machine and have one less cleanup to worry about.

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How To Remove Red Wine Stains (From Anything)

Spilled red wine? Don’t panic—we have 7 tips for how to remove red wine stains from your carpet, furniture and clothes with supplies you have in the house.

The Best Ways to Get Red Wine Stains Out of Carpet

What is the worst thing that can happen at a party? Running out of wine. What is the second-worst thing that can happen? Spilling red wine all over someone’s clean, white, carpeting.

But don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world.

We’ve all been to a party where, after a few hours, people start to loosen up a bit and arm motions tend to become more animated, and there’s always that one person who accidentally spills their drink on the floor.

This wouldn’t be a problem if the spill landed on a hardwood or tile floor. But you know if red wine is going to spill, it’s going to spill on to a spotless white carpet.

Don’t worry though, spilling red wine on to carpet is not the end of the world, even if that carpet is white. There are plenty of ways to remove the wine from the floor before it leaves a permanent stain.

Even if it took you a little bit of time to notice that some red wine had spilled on the carpet, and now the stain has started to set and dry, there are still things you can do to clean up the spot.

Red wine doesn’t have to be a death sentence for your carpeting, and it certainly doesn’t have to ruin the party.

Unfortunately, if you are having a party with red wine, there is bound to be an accident. But no matter whose fault it is, it’s not the end of the world.

Regardless of the methods you choose to use to help remove red wine stains from carpet, there is one important thing you must do as soon as possible…

Blot the Area with Dry Paper Towels or Cloth

The first thing you want to do is to blot the red wine spill with paper towels to absorb as much of the liquid as possible and to prevent the stain from setting.

Do not want to scrub the carpet, as this will just rub the liquid further into the fibers of the carpet. Dabbing, or blotting is the best way to absorb as much of the liquid as you possibly can while ensuring you don’t make the situation worse than it already is.

Once you have as much liquid removed from the carpet as possible, you can begin to clean the remaining stain from the area.

Traditional Carpet Cleaners

If you have a carpet cleaner in your home, you can try this method before relying on other household chemicals or liquids.

The first thing you want to do is spray enough carpet cleaner on to the stain so that it is fully covered and damp. Wait a couple of minutes for the cleaner to soak into the carpet and then proceed to blot the stain with a clean, dry towel (or paper towels).

Over the counter carpet cleaners tend to do a pretty good job at cleaning up red wine stains, but not everyone always has those in their homes, or you may not have a carpet that works well with carpet cleaners.

Be sure to always test your carpet cleaner in an inconspicuous area of your carpet before spraying a heavily traveled area. Some carpet cleaners can cause discoloration.

If you don’t have carpet cleaner in the house, or you don’t want to use the carpet cleaner in the area of the spill, there are also a few ways to clean up the spill using common household chemicals and cleaners that you may not necessarily think of when it comes to cleaning up red wine stains.

Using Club Soda to Clean Up Red Wine Stains

Club soda is a great way to help rid your carpet of red wine stains without the use of chemicals and without having to worry about the chemicals harming your carpet.

After you have blotted the spill to absorb as much of the liquid as possible, pour some club soda over the stain and wait a few seconds, then begin to blot the area again.

Once the spot is dry, repeat the process by adding more club soda and blotting until the stain is completely removed.

While there is no chemical reason why club soda helps to remove wine stains from carpet, some believe that the bubbles within the liquid help release the stain from the fibers of the carpet, making it easier to lift the stain out.

And while this method tends to work on carpet, it may not work on other materials such as a tablecloth or clothing.

Using Milk to Remove Red Wine Stains

Did you know that milk may be able to help lift those red wine stains out of your carpet, and your clothing?

If you don’t have any carpet cleaner around, and you’re fresh out of club soda, milk may be your next best bet.

Milk works as an excellent solvent because it is both an acid and a base. Due to the fat content in the milk, it absorbs the red wine into it, instead of letting it be absorbed by your fabric.

In order to use this method, you’ll want to blot the stain completely dry, as we’ve mentioned previously, and then pour your milk on to the stain. Let the milk sit on the wine for a minute or so, and then blot up the liquid. Repeat the steps as necessary until the stain has been removed.

This method can work on carpet but is usually used on clothing and other fabrics that you can throw in the washing machine after treating it. Because you are using milk, there can be an odor left behind after the stain has been removed. So if you do plan to use this method on carpet, make sure to clean or deodorize the affected area after the stain has been removed so you ensure that all of the milk has been cleaned up.

These three methods listed above are great for cleaning up spills if you notice them immediately, but what about stains that have already set and dried?

How to Remove Dry Red Wine Stains

The party is over and you recently learned how wine helps you fall asleep, so you decide to tackle the mess in the morning.

Little did you know that someone spilled a little bit of red wine on the carpet and nobody noticed it until it was too late. Now you’re stuck with a completely dry stain that seems impossible to clean up.

Don’t worry, the methods we listed above can still work even if the stain has already set and is completely dry. It just may take a little bit more effort, and possibly a combination of methods to fully remove the stain.

Since each of the previous methods involves some sort of dampening liquid, you’re going to want to let that liquid sit on the stain a little longer than you may have if the stain was fresh.

This will give the chemicals, or liquids, time to soak up as much of the stain as possible before you begin to blot and dab the affected area with a dry paper towel or cloth.

Remember, no matter how much you want to, do not scrub at the stain unless you have run out of options. Scrubbing forces the stain deeper into the fibers of the carpet and will make things much harder for you.

Things to Remember When Cleaning Red Wine Stains

Spilling red wine on your carpet is not the end of the world. The methods and techniques we listed in this post are great ways to tackle these types of stains, as well as other types of spills that may seem like a death sentence to your carpet.

As long as you act as quickly as possible, blot (not scrub) the area to soak up as much liquid as possible, and then treat the carpet using these tips, you should have no problem cleaning up the mess and the party will not be ruined.

Do you have a technique or method that you have used to clean up red wine stains that you think people should know? Let us know on Facebook or Instagram!

We would love to hear the creative ways that our readers have found to clean up after wine-tasting party mishap.

How to remove a wine stain from a carpet: 5 proven methods

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Content

General recommendations
How to remove fresh stains
1. Salt or soda
2. Hydrogen peroxide
3. Vinegar
4. Citric acid (juice)
5. White wine and soda
What to do with a dried stain?
1. When to contact the dry cleaner immediately

Removing a wine stain from a carpet is not easy, but it is possible in some cases. In this article, we will tell you how to deal with this pollution at home.

If wine is spilled, you need to act quickly. Take a paper towel, cotton swab, or white cotton cloth and blot the stain, working from the edges to the center. nine0003

Moving from the center to the edges or blotting only the center will cause the wine to spread over a larger area.

After collecting the non-absorbed liquid, you need to immediately start cleaning. But first, you should know what not to do when removing a wine stain:

Use dishwashing detergent. There will be stains on the carpet that cannot be removed at home.
Pour the liquid liberally onto the stain - it is better to use a cloth or cotton pad dampened with the cleaning solution. nine0008
Wipe off dirt by pressing the pile firmly. This promotes deep penetration of the coloring matter.
Reapply the selected remedy if it didn't work the first time. Traces of wine will remain, and the carpet may shed.
Use different stain removal methods at the same time.
Attempt to remove the stain without first testing the product in an inconspicuous area. The pile may be deformed or change color. nine0008

Now you know what not to do, and we will move on to methods to help wash fresh wine stains.

The methods proposed below involve the use of improvised means, but you need to act quickly and according to the instructions.

Salt or soda

If the wine has not had time to soak into the pile, sprinkle it with table salt or baking soda. These substances absorb liquid that could not be collected with a napkin or cotton pad. Leave the salt or soda on for 10-15 minutes and then vacuum up. nine0003

This method works for all carpets, but very light carpets may leave a reddish wine stain. It will disappear after treatment with peroxide or vinegar.

Hydrogen peroxide

Pour the prepared medical solution into a spray bottle, spray on the stain. You can use a cotton sponge moistened with peroxide - put it on the contaminated area. In both cases, it is important not to overmoisten the pile.

Leave the peroxide on the carpet for half an hour - during this time it will discolor the pigment contained in the wine. Blot the pile with a dry cloth, collecting excess liquid. nine0003

Hydrogen peroxide should not be used on dark or brightly colored carpets as it has a bleaching effect.

Vinegar

In 1 liter of water, add 1 teaspoon of 9% table vinegar. Apply the liquid to the pile with a sponge or a spray bottle, being careful not to over-moisten the carpet, leave for 1-2 hours. If at the end of this time the carpet remains wet, collect the remaining solution with a napkin.

Balsamic or apple cider vinegar is not suitable for removing stains - traces will remain. Cleaning natural carpets with vinegar is undesirable. nine0003

Citric acid (juice)

Dilute 0.5 teaspoon of citric acid or 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in 1 liter of water, apply the solution to the contaminated area with a cotton sponge or sponge. Wait 15-20 minutes, blot the pile.

This product is suitable for cleaning wool and cotton carpets, but beware of excessive wetting. It is better not to use lemon juice on dark and bright carpets - the product has a moderate lightening effect. nine0003

White wine and soda

An unexpected but effective way to remove a red wine stain is to treat it with white wine. Add some water to it, pour it into a spray bottle, spray over the contaminated area, and then sprinkle baking soda on top. Wait for the pile to dry (3-4 hours) and vacuum the carpet.

If red wine has soaked the pile to the base, lay a napkin over the spilled soda and put something heavy. The rest of the steps are as described above. nine0003

You can’t clean a white carpet like that, yellow spots will remain.

Old stains are more difficult to remove than fresh ones. Moreover, a stain is considered old if more than a day has passed since the occurrence.

Dried traces of wine must be soaked before removal, which implies abundant moisturizing and rubbing. This is fraught with damage to the pile, deformation of the base due to wetting, deeper penetration of dyes, as well as the spread of the stain over a larger area. Therefore, soaking traces of wine with water, alcohol or glycerin at home entails the risk of irreversibly ruining the carpet. nine0003

In this case, it is better to take the dirty carpet to a dry cleaner, where it will be cleaned with professional detergents.

But if there is no opportunity to go to dry cleaning, you can take a chance and do this:

Carefully moisten soiled pile with cool water - slightly colder than room temperature. It is important to monitor the moisture content of the pile - water should not spread over it. An alternative is an alcohol-based wet wipe. You need to put it on the stain and gently press it, but this solution is only for light carpets. nine0008
Remove wet soil using any of the above methods to remove fresh stains.
If less aggressive remedies do not help, add 1 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia to 1 glass of water. Carefully moisten the stain with a cotton pad, dry thoroughly.

Keep in mind that such an attempt does not guarantee the traceless removal of traces, but the work of specialists when contacting dry cleaning can seriously complicate. nine0003

When to contact the dry cleaner immediately

Viscose or natural silk carpets should not be cleaned at home. These delicate materials are sensitive to products that are safe for other fibers. After spilling the wine, blot the stain, sprinkle with salt or soda. Take the rug to a dry cleaner or call a specialist at home during the day. The more time passes, the less likely it is to remove pollution without a trace.

A fresh stain on a cotton carpet can be removed by yourself, but you need to act immediately - the hygroscopic fiber quickly stains. Woolen and synthetic products lend themselves well to household cleaning with the right sequence of actions. nine0003

We hope these tips will help you save your carpet from stains!

06/20/2022

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How to remove a wine stain from a carpet - 5 ways from Pro Carpet

Alexey Rusakov

Pro Carpet technologist
Over 20 years of experience

spoil both your mood and the carpet. The main thing in such a situation is not to take rash actions! Do not rub the stain and do not try to wash the wine with dishwashing detergents. This will only increase the wine trail and lead to damage to the carpet. Find out how to react to the situation and remove the wine stain from the carpet from our material! nine0003

General recommendations for removing wine stains

If you have just spilled wine on the carpet, the first thing to do is immediately remove the excess liquid, preventing it from spreading further and penetrating deep into the carpet. Use a cotton pad or a clean, soft cloth to soak up any spilled liquid. At the same time, it is necessary to soak the stain, moving from the edges to the center .

After the liquid has been collected, you can move on to cleaning the carpet. But in order to avoid damage to the coating, follow our recommendations. nine0147

Do not use dishwashing liquid! Removing wine stains using such products will inevitably lead to stains that will remain forever.

Do not pour too much liquid on the carpet! Not all types of carpet products tolerate abundant wetting. When cleaning, it is best to use a cotton pad or a clean sponge moistened with warm water.

Never rub or apply pressure to the wine stain!

Do not clean again! If the method you chose did not lead to a result, do not try to repeat it again. Otherwise, you will only wipe out the carpet, and the dirty mark will remain in place. nine0003

Do not try all wine removal methods at the same time. If one of the options did not help, there is no need to pour and pour everything on the carpet in the hope that some method will work.

Before using any carpet stain remover, first test it on an inconspicuous area and see how the dye and pile behave. Only after making sure that the carpet does not discolor and does not deform, you can take on the removal of the wine stain.

5 ways to remove wine stains from carpet

You can clean synthetic, cotton or wool carpets from fresh wine stains yourself. Consider different recipes using products that can be found in the kitchen and in the first aid kit. Choose the one for which you have everything you need at hand. Note! None of the methods below guarantees a 100% result!

Removing wine from carpets with salt or baking soda

Using salt or baking soda is the easiest way to treat a fresh wine stain. They absorb liquid well, preventing it from penetrating deep into the carpet and drying out. nine0147

Remove excess liquid from the carpet and sprinkle salt or soda on the stain.

After 10-15 minutes, vacuum up the salt/soda.

Removing Red Wine from Carpets with White

The most extravagant and seemingly unexpected way to remove traces of red wine is to treat the stain with white wine.

Premix the wine with a little water.

Pour the resulting solution into a spray bottle. nine0003

Apply the wine mixture to the stain and sprinkle baking soda on top.

To remove the stain from the depth, put a napkin on it and put something heavy on top.

Vacuum the carpet 3-4 hours after drying.

Attention! Do not use this method to remove wine stains from white carpets - yellow stains may appear!

Carpet Removal of Wine with Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide diluted with water is just right for cleaning white carpets. It has bleaching properties and decolorizes the red pigment of the wine. nine0147

Spray the hydrogen peroxide solution onto the stain. Or moisten clean cotton pads with the solution and place them on the stain for 30 minutes. Don't rub the stain!

Apply a dry, clean cloth to the stain to absorb excess moisture.

Attention! Avoid getting peroxide on colored items and do not treat colored carpets with it - the dye will discolor and a white bald spot will appear!

Carpet Wine Removal with Vinegar

Vinegar can help fight wine stains on light and dark carpets. This method is quite aggressive, so it is best to use it only for synthetic products. nine0147

Mix 1 teaspoon of vinegar with 1 liter of water.

Apply the prepared liquid in a thin layer (do not pour heavily!) on the stain and leave for 1-2 hours.

Attention! Do not take apple and balsamic vinegar for these purposes - they contain a coloring pigment, the carpet will be damaged!

Lemon juice or citric acid stain removal

Lemon juice or citric acid can be used in the same way. This recipe is suitable for cleaning wool and cotton carpets. The main thing is not to pour a lot of moisture on the carpet. nine0147

Dilute 1 teaspoon of lemon juice in 1 liter of water.

Use a clean sponge or cotton pad to apply the solution to the stain.

Leave on for 15-20 minutes.

What if the wine stain is already dry?

The older the stain, the more difficult it is to remove. This applies not only to wine traces, but also to any other pollution. At the same time, the stain that was not removed within the first day after the appearance is considered old. In the case of wine, in order to remove the stain, it must first be soaked. nine0147

Often you will find tips on how to soak the stain with a solution of alcohol or glycerine. But we strongly recommend avoiding such actions! After all, soaking a stain involves its abundant wetting and rubbing. This means that there is a great risk that the carpet will suffer either from an abundance of moisture, or pellets form on the pile, or dirt will only push deeper. It is also dangerous to rub stains with household cleaners - after them, such stains may appear that cannot be removed even by professional dry cleaning. Therefore, it’s better not to take risks and turn to specialists right away! nine0147

Professional carpet cleaning from wine

A really effective way to get rid of a wine stain on the carpet is to cover it with salt or soda and contact our company for help within a day. As long as the stain is fresh, there is every chance to remove it completely and without the risk of damaging the coating. Depending on the age of contamination and the composition of the carpet, professional dry cleaning can be carried out both at home and in factory conditions. With the help of the table below, you can now preliminarily determine which cleaning method suits your product and what is the probability of complete removal of the wine stain. nine0147

Please note! The result of cleaning is largely influenced by the age of the stain. And its complete removal can be guaranteed only on the condition that the carpet has not been self-cleaned using household detergents. But we will do our best to remove the wine trace as much as possible and give the carpet a fresh, neat look.

Red wine removal by extractor - watch the video!

The result of the work of our specialists! nine0147

Wine spilled on carpet during New Year's Eve party

Clean carpet after calling Pro Carpet the next day

Red wine stain on carpet

Carpet cleaned of wine stain

Carpet glass of red wine knocked over 9002 after cleaning from red wine stain

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