We’ve all had those parties where people are having such a good time that drinks get spilt and inevitably red wine ends up on the carpet! When you see those splashes of red wine on your carpet you may feel like your carpet is beyond saving but fear not there are several methods that you use to try and remove red wine stains.
If you are fortunate enough to get to the stain while it is still nice and fresh then use a clean cloth to pat the spillage. This should help to remove any excess wine as soon as possible. Be sure that you do not rub the surface as this may just increase the surface area for the red wine and leave you with a larger stain to deal with. When you have soaked up as much of the wine as you can be sure to decide on your first method of stain removal as quick as possible. This will allow you to get started on clearing up the stain before it becomes ingrained in to your carpet.
If you have a white or light coloured carpet you can dab away any excess wine and then use a light spray of hydrogen peroxide on the stain followed by a large dose of baking soda. Ensure that the area is completely covered and then leave for three minutes to rest on the wine. You can then use water to rinse the area and this method is always very useful for removing red wine from shirts and clothing.
Another option, particularly if you have or are having a party, is to use white wine on the red wine to remove the stain. White wine will help to neutralize the red wine and will hopefully help make the red wine stain easier to remove. Pour white wine on to the stain and then use a thick paper towel to soak up the liquid, although be sure not to rub the stain to help avoid spreading the stain or making it ingrained to the carpets fibres. If you find that some of the stain still remains then you can use salt or baking soda on the stain to lift out the colour further.
Another option, and possibly the best option, is to use a stain removing spray such as Vanish stain removers. This spray is suitable for fresh or dried in stains. If you are using this on a fresh stain you can dab away any excess with a cloth or paper towel and then spray this on and leave for a maximum of five minutes. You can then use an absorbent cloth and dab away the excess until your carpet comes up clean. If you are using this on a dry stain then you should spray this on, leave it to act for 5 minutes and then use an absorbent cloth to dab this off again. Be sure not to use this on wool, silk or leather and keep away from finished or coating surfaces too.
Time is usually of the essence when it comes to clearing up red wine stains and be sure that you have some Vanish cleaner in the house for those emergency situations where you want to keep your carpet as clean as you’d like!
