How to Remove Red Wine Spill From Carpets
Red wine spills on your carpet can leave you with worrisome red and purple stains on your carpet or area rug. If you've found yourself in this situation, it's time to act fast, but try not to worry. Our 10+ years in the carpet cleaning trade have allowed us to gather some basic tips and tricks to help you treat the area, and to prevent stubborn stains.
In this article we will walk you through the immediate steps you should take as well as helpful solutions that can further assist you in getting wine out of your carpet.
Before getting started, here is a list of household items that can assist in removing wine and other stains from your carpet. We will go through how each item might be used later in this article.
- Salt
- Vinegar
- Baking Soda
- Club Soda
- Hydrogen Peroxide
You spilled wine on your carpet — Now what?
If wine has just spilled, and it has begun slowly seeping its way into your carpet, make sure to follow these steps immediately. The first few moments can impact how easy it will be to prevent stubborn stains in your carpet fibers.
- Act Fast
Acting as soon as possible is important. Seconds count. Regardless of what method you choose to pursue, it is imperative that you begin soaking up any and all liquid as fast as possible. The quicker you act, the less likely a stain will develop on the carpet fibers.
Remember: Wine is notorious for its stains, but if caught early and handled quickly, you should have minimal issues removing the stain from your carpet or rug.
- BLOT — Do not scrub!
This rule is critical when it comes to all aspects of cleaning a carpet: Blot — do not scrub carpet. Scrubbing can cause permanent damage to carpet fibers.
When you blot using a clean, pure white towel or rag, most of the liquid is transferred from the carpet to your cloth.
In addition, it is important that you remember to use a plain white cloth or towel that is free of any colorful dyes — even paper towels with decorative designs can pose a risk of transferring some of their color to your carpet.
As you blot, be sure to change out the cloth or towel frequently. Using a saturated rag or paper towel could result in unintentional staining of the surrounding carpet fibers.
Additionally, the towel can fail to absorb all of the remaining moisture if it is not regularly changed out.
- Use Water / Club Soda to Dilute the Wine
Once most of the wine has been blotted out of the carpet to the best of your ability, start the cleanup process by trying these household items on your wine spill:
Water — If you have a spray bottle handy, we recommend that you fill it with cool water and dampen the area. Introducing water allows the residual wine to be diluted, resulting in an easier cleanup.
It is important to limit the amount of water introduced to your carpet. Any excess liquid can be soaked up by the carpet padding and create the perfect environment for mold and mildew.
Club Soda — If you have some club soda on hand, that's even better. Club soda is well-known for its use in removing wine stains due to its carbonated nature. Once the wine has been thoroughly blotted, you can pour or spray a small amount of club soda onto the stain and allow it to work for several minutes.
Household Solutions that can Help Lift Wine Stains in your Carpet
Outside of our above listed recommendations, we have a few other solutions for lifting wine out of your carpet fibers. Most of these items can be found within your household or picked up at the corner store — making your cleanup process as easy as possible.
Salt / Baking Soda — This trick is wonderful for situations where you find yourself in a hurry or attending to guests at the time the spill occurs. In order to lift the stain, you will blot the excess wine as described above, and then apply a layer of baking soda or salt to the stain. Allow the salt or baking soda to dry before vacuuming up any remaining granules. Repeat as necessary.
Dish Soap and Vinegar — Mixing a tablespoon each of dish soap and vinegar with two cups of water creates an effective — but gentle — solution to lift the wine stain from your carpet fibers. This method is effective due to the white vinegar's ability to neutralize the red coloration and break down the stain. Apply the solution gradually and refrain from using the entire mixture in one session — you can always repeat the process if necessary.
Dish Soap and Hydrogen Peroxide — We would recommend using this as your last attempt to remove the stain yourself as there is potential for the hydrogen peroxide solution to discolor some types of carpet or area rugs.
Note: You should always spot-check the solution in a small, hidden area of your carpet prior to trying to lift the stain to make sure it does not discolor your specific carpet.
Mix two parts hydrogen peroxide to one part soap to create your solution. Apply the solution to the stain and allow it to set for 30 minutes to an hour. Once the solution has completed lifting, you can blot and repeat if necessary.
Store-Bought Stain Remover
In instances where the stain had a longer time to sit, or even if the stain is just proving to be difficult to remove, you can try your luck with a store-bought stain remover. There are multiple brands that specialize in lifting wine stains from your carpet and could prove helpful.
Again, always spot-check any stain remover in a small hidden area of your carpet to test for "colorfastness" of your carpet.
Contact Us — One Of A Kind Pros
After performing the 3 steps above as a first-aid, we'd recommend giving us a call, and we'd be happy to help you out.
There may be times where, no matter what you try, the stain refuses to lift from your carpet fibers. Sometimes using a professional with access to specific professional tools and solutions may be your best option.
Here at One of a Kind Pros, we take carpet cleaning and spot removal very seriously. Quality cleaning products combined with years of experience in removing even the toughest of stains has us confident that we can help bring your carpet back to its spot-free state.
If you are in doubt about tackling wine spills and stains, give us a call. We'll be happy to help.
For any type of stubborn stains, you might need a professional carpet cleaner with the tools, pro solutions, knowledge, and experience to remove stains of all kinds.
To arrange for a professional carpet cleaning, contact us today for a free estimate.
832-581-5555
We're here to help!
If you have any questions about this article, or anything related to cleaning carpet, upholstery, tile and grout, and maintaining a healthy home, please feel free to give us a call, and let's talk!
To your clean and healthy home,
