Miss A Sip? How to Remove Red Wine Stains from Common Surfaces

Miss A Sip? How to Remove Red Wine Stains from Common Surfaces

As National Red Wine Day quickly approaches on August 28th, you must be prepared for unplanned spills and unwanted stains from your favorite merlot or cabernet sauvignon. Here are a few tips for treating and removing red wine stains from surfaces of all sorts – from your favorite shirt to your living room sofa.

How to Remove Wine Stains from Carpet

If someone manages to drop their glass of red or kick someone else’s off the coffee table and onto your carpet, begin with dabbing the stain with a clean paper towel. Do not rub the stain, as this will further spread and deepen the liquid.

1. Shake some salt onto the stain to soak up extra liquid. 
2. Pour a little bit of cool water onto the area to dilute the stain, and keep blotting with fresh paper towels. If the stain is a few hours old or more, use hot water instead of cool for diluting, and skip the salt.
3. Once you can no longer remove any red from the carpet with just water, create a paste with water and baking soda. Use a 3-to-1 ratio of baking soda to water, and apply directly to the stain. 
4. Vacuum up the paste once it’s dry. 
5. Apply a carpet stain remover if red still remains, and wait until that dries to vacuum. 
6. If this method fails to remove the stain entirely, use an Oxi cleaner and soak the stain for 20 minutes before blotting it away.

Removing Wine Stains from Clothing

Try not to panic when you spill wine over your favorite blouse or new, crisp-white jeans. There are several ways to remove red wine stains from your clothes, so try a few of these methods and your styles will be saved one way or another!

1. Pull the cloth tight before applying any methods.
2. If the stain is fresh, use salt to soak up some of the liquid.
3. Apply boiling water and blot the stain before using stain removers or soap.
4. If water doesn’t work, use a combination of club soda and white vinegar to remove the remaining red.
5. If you have an Oxi cleaner, blot this onto the remaining stain and let it sit for 20 minutes before blotting it away. 
6. Dishwashing soap and hydrogen peroxide act as a substitute for Oxi cleaner. Use a 3-to-1 ratio of hydrogen peroxide to dish soap and soak the stain for 20 minutes. Then blot before putting the clothing in the washing machine.
7. As a last resort for white clothing, use bleach to remove the stain.

How to Remove Wine Stains from the Couch

If your couch’s fabric is porous and your red wine seems to seep into it after a spill, you can follow similar procedures as above when removing stains from your clothing. Immediately after a spill, pull your couch fabric taught if possible. Then, use the same salt method to soak up extra liquid. Proceed with either of these methods already explained above:

1. The Oxi-cleaning method
2. The club soda and white vinegar mixture
3. The dishwasher soap and hydrogen peroxide mixture

Removing Wine Stains from the Countertop

Wine glass rims can leave stubborn stains on your granite countertops, and big spills are just as common on these stable surfaces. Using soap and water to scrub out the stain may help with removing any initial layers, but you may realize a need for a stronger solution this time. To remove red wine stains from your countertop, you’ll need baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and plastic wrap.

1. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide. Mix these together to form a paste. 
2. Cover your stains with a thick layer of the paste, then cover the areas with plastic wrap.
3. Let the plastic wrap sit for 24 hours.
4. Remove the plastic wrap and wipe away the paste with soap and warm water.
5. Wipe everything clean with a dry cloth.

Removing Wine Stains from Other Difficult Surfaces

Concrete or Brick

You may find a stain or two after your outdoor wine-tasting party. To get the red wine spots out of your concrete or brick surfaces, scrub your wine stain with soapy, warm water and a stiff-bristle brush. Wash the soap away with cool, clean water. If the stain remains, dab it with hydrogen peroxide or diluted bleach and let it sit for 5 minutes before rinsing with your garden hose.

Stainless Steel

Were you sipping on your favorite red blend while preparing dinner in the kitchen? If so, you may have spilled some on your stainless steel appliances. In that case, wipe the stain with vinegar, rinse it with water, and allow it to dry. If the stain remains, rub the stain with a paste of baking soda and dish soap until it wipes away. 

Painted Walls

Someone may have laughed a bit too hard during dinner, causing their wine to fly out of their glass and onto the nearby wall! Luckily, there’s an easy way to fix this:

1. Dab the stain with a damp cloth or sponge dipped in water and blot it dry. 
2. If this doesn’t remove the stain entirely, apply a few drops of mild dish detergent to your cloth or sponge. Dab with a wet cloth and follow up with a dry one. 
3. Your final resort should be an all-purpose house cleaner, followed by blotting with clear water and a dry cloth. 

Leather and Wood

The following method can apply to your leather couch, arm chair, or stylish jacket. This also works for any sort of wooden surface like your bedside table or floors. 

1. Create a mixture of lukewarm water and one pump of mild dish soap. 
2. Shake up the ingredients in a jar until sudsy. 
3. Dip a sponge only into the suds, and apply on the red wine stains. 
4. For wood, you can apply a polish after you clean to secure the surface.

Tackle Your Stains Like A Hero

If you encounter a few red wine spills here and there, don’t be afraid to be the hero and tackle them as soon as possible! Home Clean Heroes hopes these few tips will help you feel confident while you clean, with or without a cape. Happy National Red Wine Day, and cheers!