No matter how stubborn the stains are, you can still rescue your clothes with these reliable methods.
Spilling red wine on your tablecloth, carpet, or shirt is a common mishap that can happen to anyone who loves red wine. But don’t worry, it doesn’t have to spoil your night. Dealing with red wine stains may seem challenging, especially when it’s a large red splotch on a white rug, but it’s not as tough as it appears, specifically if you act promptly.
Instead of waiting until morning to address the spill, it’s best to make an effort straight away. While your initial instincts may not be the most effective, following the tips below can provide an ingenious solution. Avoid scrubbing the stain in the incorrect way, as this can worsen the situation. It’s crucial to know what not to do to prevent the wine from penetrating deeper into the fabric.
Most textiles have permeable fibers, and when a fluid like wine seeps in, it tends to get into the fabric’s pores. The longer you shelve the cleaning of the stain, the more duration the wine has to embed itself deep within the fibers. The key to removing wine stains is stopping the spread of the liquid before it penetrates too deeply.
So, if a red wine spill occurs on your carpet, couch, or favorite sweater, stay calm. Instantly blot the spot with a clean fabric or paper towel to soak as much wine as possible, being careful not to scrub. Then, try one of our recommended tips on how to get red wine out of clothes.
Understanding How a Red Wine Stain Work
Even while you can clean up a red wine stain in the morning, it’s always preferable to deal with it immediately.
The majority of textiles have high porosity, with a few exceptions. A liquid that gets into the fibers is absorbed into the pores of the fabric. In contrast to many other drinks, the color of red wine is completely natural. This grape-based beverage contains chromogens, which are the main components of many vibrant plants that serve as dye sources. Indeed, colors. In essence, red wine is a big bottle of colorants.
Your red wine stain turns into a botched DIY tie-dye project when you add the natural tannins found in red wine, an organic material also utilized in many ink manufacturing. When red wine and cloth come into contact, the liquid begins to soak into the fibers, filling any available pores in the material. As with other liquids, red wine flows both outward and downward.
Overview of Our Project
| Time Needed | 10 – 15 minutes |
| Overall Duration | 15 minutes – 12 hours |
| Skill Level | Beginner |
| Approximate Cost | $0 to $10 |
The persistent nature of red wine stains makes them difficult to remove from clothing. If at all possible, move fast since older stains are often more resilient. The good news is that most wine stains can be removed or at least significantly reduced with common home cleaning products. Keep in mind that using a hot dryer on a cloth that has wine stains on it might solidify the stain and make it very difficult to remove.
To find out how to get red wine out of clothes, keep reading. Discover what works on recent red wine stains, whether to use cold or hot water for washing and how to remove older stains from your favorite clothes.
| Type of Stain | Tannin-based |
| Recommended Detergent | Household stain removers or laundry detergent |
| Water Temperature | Cold or boiling |
| Type of Laundry Cycle | Varies depending on the fabric |
“A wine stain can become permanent if you place soiled clothing in a hot dryer. To get the best results, remove as much of the pigment as possible using one of the procedures listed below before washing and drying.”
What you will need
Tools/Equipment:
- Paper towels or clean cloths
- Dull plastic knife or credit card
Materials:
- Baking soda
- Club soda
- Dishwashing liquid
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Kosher salt
- Laundry detergent
- Optional: Commercial stain remover
- White distilled vinegar
- White vinegar
How To Get Red Wine Stains Out Of Clothes
To begin with, use a paper towel or fresh cloth to wipe the stain. Press and dab gently; do not rub, as this can set the stain. After blotting the stain, you can use one of the following non-toxic household cleaning products to cure it.
1. Kosher Salt
Apply a generous amount of salt to the stain (for optimal absorption, use kosher salt with bigger, flatter grains). Next, take into account one of the following choices:
To allow the salt to absorb as much wine pigment as possible, leave it overnight.
Place the cloth over a bowl so the stain is in the middle if the material is robust, such as thick linen or denim jeans; if necessary, secure the cloth with an elastic band. Then, pour boiling water over the wine patch slowly and cautiously, starting approximately 8 inches above, to allow the water’s power to assist in removing the stain.
Wash the clothes as usual if the stain has disappeared.
2. Club Soda
Cover the discoloration with a thick layer of club soda and let it cool overnight. Never use a seltzer or any other carbonated liquid in place of club soda. Although there isn’t any hard scientific data to support the efficacy of club soda, a number of anecdotes indicate that it could sometimes help.
3. Laundry Detergent and White Vinegar
This method works well for getting red wine out of white clothing and other textiles. Use white vinegar to cover the discoloration completely, then add as many splashes of liquid detergent as needed. Vinegar’s acidity aids in dissolving the dye’s link with the fabric’s fibers, which facilitates the detergent’s ability to remove any leftover color. Let the cloth rest for the whole night.
4. Hydrogen Peroxide and Dishwashing Liquid
To make dish soap, use three parts dish soap and one part hydrogen peroxide. Because hydrogen peroxide may bleach, test a small quantity of the mixture on a small area before applying it. Pour the mixture over the stain and let it set for 20 to 30 minutes if the test spot appears fine after drying. Either wash the item right away or give it a quick washing in cold water.
5. Cleaning Products and Laundry
Use products designed for professional stain removal. Put your clothes in a soak using a solution of OxiClean powder and the hottest water that works for the material. Additional choices include Spot Shot, Ecover Stain Stick, Bac-Out Stain, and Odor Remover from Biokleen. Additionally, there are a few sprays, like Chateau Spill and Wine Away, that are specially made to remove red wine stains. Always check the labels for the precise soaking periods and adhere to the instructions given.
“You may need to use chlorine bleach to clean up red wine spills on white clothes and other white linens. To remove the stain, cover the item with bleach and let it on for ten minutes. Then, wash it in hot water. You can opt to merely treat the stain with bleach, but if you cover the whole object, cleaning will be more consistent.”
6. Baking Soda
If you have a recent wine spill, you can extract the liquid from the cloth by using a dry substance like baking soda. Pour a lot of baking soda over the stain and let it there for a few minutes so the wine may seep through since liquids have a tendency to absorb anything that is dry. After the wine has caused the baking soda to get wet or soaked, remove it with a dull knife or the edge of a credit card. To continue soaking up the wine, replace it with another liberal portion of fresh, dry baking soda.
An alternative is to apply baking soda to the new wine stain and then cover it with white vinegar. The white vinegar and baking soda’s bubbling action may be able to loosen the wine stain from the fibers. Once the bubbling subsides, use cold water to wipe out or blot the vinegar and baking soda. If required, repeat.
How to Treat an Old Red Wine Stain
You can still eliminate or minimize a red wine stain if you don’t fix it soon. If you are trying to remove an old wine stain, it is best to soak it in cold water for a long time.
- Rub Stain with Soap – Start by liberally applying dish soap or liquid laundry detergent to the affected area.
- Soak Item – Next, immerse the clothes in a basin or pail filled with cold water and let them soak for half an hour or overnight.
- Apply Stain Remover – After using a stain remover in accordance with the directions on the label for the wet stain, wash the clothing on a usual cycle.
What Not to Do
Avoid the temptation to scrub a stain hastily; although this may seem like a good idea at first, scrubbing may actually make the stain worse and drive the wine farther into the cloth. Use caution when using other sources of heat, even if hot water could be helpful. For a rapid cure, do not use a hairdryer or put discolored garments in the dryer, as this will exacerbate the staining procedure.
Too much waiting is another bad habit to break. Longer exposure to red wine causes the liquid to seep into the fabric and become more challenging to release, so although it may be annoying to stop a party from dealing with a stain, it is worth it.
How to get Red Wine Out of Clothes Materials
Every material requires a different strategy. You still have time to save the stain if it has begun to dry. To make it simple for you to deal with the stains in your clothes, we’ve divided our advice into sections according to the materials.
1. Cotton
Although cotton may absorb liquids, stains usually wash off very easily.
To remove part of the wine pigment, wipe the stain with a dry towel after soaking it in club soda or cold water. Wash the item as normal after promptly applying an enzyme stain remover to the cloth. Bleach may be used on white cotton.
Examine the stain after washing. If the stain is still visible, go through the steps again, letting the stain remover stay for ten minutes before washing.
2. Linen
Compared to cotton, linen is somewhat less absorbent and has some inherent moisture-wicking qualities.
Start the pretreatment by immediately applying white vinegar to the linen to fully permeate the stain. To extract some of the wine, blot.
Apply the liquid washing detergent and use your hands to rub it in gently.
Use hot water to rinse the linen until the discoloration disappears.
3. Satin
Although a spill of red wine on your formal attire may seem irreversible, like most materials, it can be quickly cleaned.
One part of liquid detergent and three parts of hydrogen peroxide may be used to make a soapy mixture.
The liquid should be poured over the stain and allowed to pool to target the affected region.
Observe how the stain starts to disappear. To remove the wetness, use a fresh, dry towel.
Reapply the remedy if the stain is still present after the clothing has dried.
4. Silk
Even tap water can leave stains on silk, but if you treat wine stains before the wine dries, you can get rid of them. Before addressing the more significant stain, it is best to try cleaners on a discrete section of the clothing.
Using a clean sponge dampened with rubbing alcohol, gently blot the discoloration. Gradually, the stain will disappear.
Repeat, wiping the stain with a clean towel every few minutes while allowing the wet sponge to remain on it. Until you are certain that the stain has been removed, keep the affected area moist.
Permit the clothing to air dry.
5. Denim
Denim can withstand intense washing, and wine stains are simple to remove if treated early.
Using a paper towel, blot the stain to extract as much moisture as you can.
Use a cool cloth to dab the area.
After applying kosher salt to the damaged area, see how much more red wine the salt absorbs.
Rinse the denim under the sink after three to five minutes. Because denim is so resilient, keep rubbing the stain until there are no more signs of red wine.
Let the denim air dry after running it through the washing machine. When the fabric is completely dry, make sure the stain has disappeared before washing and drying again.
6. Acrylic, Polyester, and Different Synthetic Blends
Though presoaking might lessen the damage, synthetic textiles have a tendency to hang onto stains.
Use a dry towel or cloth to remove as much of the wet wine from the clothing as possible.
Spoon four cups of warm water into a dish, add a tablespoon of white vinegar and a few drops of liquid detergent, and mix.
After 15 minutes of soaking, rinse the stain with clean water to get rid of the detergent.
The clothing should be laid flat. Use a fresh sponge moistened with rubbing alcohol to remove any stains that are still present.
7. Wool
Mastering How To Get Red Wine Out Of Clothes is crucial, as cleaning wool garments requires special care. While soaking wool in diluted white vinegar and using salt to assist in removing stains might help prevent damage, surgical spirit—a frequent wound treatment—is an unexpected but effective remedy.
Using a paper towel, soak up as much red wine as you can. Dip a few little cloths into a solution of one part water to three parts surgical spirit.
To encourage the solution to soak, place one towel immediately on top of the stain and dab.
Replace every few minutes with a newly moistened cloth.
Rinse the treated area carefully with lukewarm water after continuing until the stain has been removed. Let the clothing air dry.
Tips On Getting Out Red Wine Stains
Our first round of professional advice on how to get red wine out of clothes comes from an understanding of why and how red wine seeps into fabrics:
Tip #1: Don’t scrub the stain!
Scrubbing doesn’t really assist in erasing red wine stains; on the contrary, it spreads them even further. If you apply too much pressure, particularly on stains on a sofa or carpet, additional red wine may seep into the fabric.
Tip #2: Avoid putting things off.
Putting off cleaning up a red wine stain until the next day may seem like a burden, but it’s not a good idea. The red wine seeps and becomes more embedded in the fibers the longer the stain is in place. It eventually “sets,” which makes removal more difficult. Recall that red wine is really a dye that is ready to happen.
Tip #3: Steer clear of the heat
Allowing the stain to dry is the worst thing to do, and using heat exacerbates the situation. As a stain dries, heat modifies the chemical reaction it experiences. You might anticipate a very permanent stain if you apply heat. Thus, avoid using a hair dryer and, most importantly, avoid drying any discolored clothing before using pre-wash cleaning techniques.
Tip #4: Try some milk
Milk has the ability to absorb things. After liberally dousing the stain with milk and allowing it to remain for a little while, remove the discoloration using a dry towel or sponge.
When Should You Call A Professional ?
Take the clothes to your dry cleaner as soon as possible if the label says “dry clean only.” To help your expert cleaner choose the best course of action, clearly point out and identify the stain. Similarly, if there is a red wine stain on silk or antique upholstery, it is imperative that you contact a professional cleaner. Attempting to remove the stain on your own could result in more harm.
Explore Further:
