If you’re a big fan of red wine, then at some point or another, you’ve almost definitely experienced a spillage. It’s just the risk we have to take for our enthusiasm… and it’s hardly something that’s going to put us off for good!
It happens all the time. You’re chatting to your friends, a glass of vin rouge in hand, and then somebody suddenly knocks into you, or you stumble on a creased rug, or you simply lose concentration for a moment. You see the deep red fluid rise from your glass as time slows down for a second or two… then splash! There’s a red wine stain blossoming on your sofa, tablecloth, or favorite white shirt.
If you don’t know what to do with a red wine stain, you’d probably think that a disaster had just occurred. People will gather round you, throwing pieces of advice at you as if a genuine tragedy had taken place, and there were mere seconds in which to avert an emergency. Our advice? Slow down. Take a breath. Finish whatever wine’s still left in your glass, and follow our suggestions for red wine stain removal. Trust us – it’s going to be OK.
Wine removal for carpets or rugs
This one’s pretty basic, and works well with rugs, carpets, and other similar surfaces. However, in order to be effective, you’ve got to move pretty quickly. As soon as you can, blot up the fluid with some paper towels. Then, completely cover the stain with as much salt as you can get hold of – the salt crystals will soak up the wine, removing it from the carpet. After an hour or so, get your vacuum cleaner out, and suck all that rosy-red salt, before using normal stain-removal products on your surface to get it back to how it was before.
Wine removal for clothes
First of all, get changed – you don’t want your guests to see you trying to deal with a stain while in your boxers. Mix together equal quantities of dishwashing detergent and hydrogen peroxide, and then soak the affected item of clothing in the liquid. You should be able to see the stain coming out immediately, so you’ll be breathing a big sigh of relief (although be careful not to inhale the fumes as you’re doing so). After the item of clothing has had a good soak, simply wash it as you normally would – and presto! The stain has gone!
If your clothes are colored, you might not want to use hydrogen peroxide, as this can have a bleaching effect. Another great method for getting wine stains out of clothes is to use plenty of white vinegar, and then immediately rubbing laundry detergent into the stain. Following this, wash as normal.
Wine removal for tablecloths
This is probably the most common wine stain calamity you’re going to come across in your house – there’s always someone who knocks their glass on the table, or drips the bottle all over your nice clean tablecloth. However, it’s pretty easy to deal with this, using the following method.
Boil plenty of water in a kettle. While you’re waiting for it to get to the right temperature, stretch the affected part of the tablecloth over a large glass bowl, and secure with an elastic band – you want the fabric to be stretched taut over the surface. Place the bowl in the sink, and pour boiling water from a height of about a foot directly onto the stain. It should quickly wash out, and then you can launder as usual.
Wine removal for your best white shirt
The classic wedding mishap! Luckily, white fabrics are pretty easy to clean; all you need is a good soak in a bucket of bleach for about ten minutes, followed by a regular wash.
There you have it – top tips for removing wine stains. Be careful in the future… as we’ve seen, wine stains might not be difficult to remove, but they’re a dreadful waste of wine!
