You know how it goes. You’ve got everything clean, ready, and arranged for your guests. People arrive and the festivities are going great — until someone spills red wine on your carpet, couch, or themselves. Red wine is one of those notorious stains that can be a nightmare to remove. But the next time this happens to you, you’ll know what to do! Here’s how to remove that red wine stain.
1. Act Fast
If the stain is allowed to sit, you can bet it’ll be harder to remove. And never, ever put an item stained with red wine into the dryer, as this will set it for sure. As soon as the spill happens, lift the wine out of the fibers by blotting — not rubbing. Absorb as much as you can without scrubbing, which usually just spreads it further.
2. Salt
After you’ve blotted up as much as you can, it’s time to get to work on the treatment. There are a few different treatments you can try. One method many swear by is to first spread a generous layer of salt over the stain to help absorb more of it. Let it work, then rinse and / or soak with cold water, detergent, and baking soda.
3. Club Soda
After you’ve blotted and / or applied the salt treatment, club soda is often really helpful in getting rid of that stain. If you’re hosting a party, it’s a great idea to have some extra on hand.
4. Dish Soap and Hydrogen Peroxide
One of the best methods for removing a red wine stain is to mix hydrogen peroxide and dish soap. You can play with the ratio, but one popular ratio is 3 parts hydrogen peroxide to 1 part soap. Let the solution sit on the stain to do its work, and keep adding more until the stain is gone. Many say there is no need to scrub…just let it work.
5. Baking Soda
After absorbing as much of the wine as you can, make a paste of water and baking soda (about 3 parts soda to 1 part water). Apply it to the stain and let it dry before vacuuming. Then use your favorite carpet stain remover if necessary.
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