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Remove red wine carpet stains

Red wine stains on carpets and clothes can be a nightmare for anyone hosting a dinner or party at home. Although other forms of drink including wine, beer, fruit juices, etc can be bad, red wine stains on carpets and clothes are the nightmare for the host and hostess.

The red wine on the carpet, tablecloth or clothes can not only leave an unsightly blue - purple stain, but it can also give off a pungent smell. As a result, it is necessary to take some timely action to remove the stain before it becomes locked in.

Removing the wine stain

There are a number of ways in which a red wine stain can be removed from a carpet:

• Using white wine:   One effective way in which you can remove the red wine stains from a carpet is to pour white wine onto it - be careful not to use too much as it may soak the carpet and could cause some shrinkage. Then leave the wine a few moments and start to rinse everything away using a little water. Then remove as much water as possible using either paper of ordinary towels. It is best to work from the outside of the stain inwards. Also be careful not to "scrub" the carpet as this will show up later.



• Using salt:   Another recognised method for removing red wine stains from a carpet is to use salt. The trick is to pour plenty of salt onto the affected area and then allow the salt to soak up the red wine stain. It is often best to leave the salt until it dries as brushing too soon may just allow some of the salt to enter the carpet and the stain to remain.

One of the keys to successfully removing wine stains is to act quickly. The sooner you act the better the outcome.

Sometimes the use of hydrogen peroxide has been suggested. This substance is a powerful oxidising agent or bleach, and while it may remove the colour of the wine, it may also remove the colour from the carpet leaving an equally unsightly mark.

Removing old wine stains

Sometimes wine stains get let in a carpet or other fabric. These stains are much more difficult to remove, and may require the use of a specialist cleaner. If in doubt consult the advice of a specialist cleaner, especially of the wine stained carpet is new or expensive.

However if self cleaning is to be undertaken, then it is possibly best to use a mild detergent first, and if necessary use hydrogen peroxide, but beware this may bleach the carpet and leave its own mark.

Remember when rinsing the carpet to blot the dampness using a towel or towels as described above. Do not over-soak the carpet as this may give rise to its own problems.

Summary

While it may seem like a disaster if any red wine is spilled on a carpet, red wine stains of a carpet can be treated, especially if it is possible to act quickly. It is possible to remove the red wine stains from the carpet and continue to use it without any unsightly marks.