Spilt red wine on your carpet? Don’t panic! Here’s a simple method for treating a red wine stain in carpet.
Red wine is one of the scariest drinks to spill on carpets. Everyone knows that it’s difficult to remove, plus the red pigments show up on even dark coloured carpets.
The good news is that you can usually remove a red wine stain – especially if you act fast. The sooner you start cleaning, the less time there is for the red wine pigments to start setting into fibres.
Let’s take a closer look at how to remove a red wine stain from carpet, using only DIY cleaning products.
The First Step…
Regardless of which cleaning method you use for red wine, it’s important to blot up as much as possible as soon as the spillage happens.
Carpet fibres absorb liquids, including the pigment in red wine. The more wine that’s left on the carpet, the harder the stain will be to completely remove.
We recommend using either paper towels or a white cloth for blotting, as a coloured cloth could cause colour transfer to the carpet fibres. Start from the outside of the stain and gently blot the wine, gradually working towards the centre.
When you’re no longer removing any more wine with the cloth or paper towels, dilute the remaining wine with a small amount of cold water, then blot it up again with a clean cloth. You can repeat this process multiple times until you’re not able to remove any more wine after diluting.
If you’re lucky, diluting and blotting the stain may have been enough to prevent a stain. But if there’s still wine patches on the carpet, move onto the next section.
Tip: Never scrub a wine stain. Always use a dabbing motion to blot away the stain to avoid pushing the wine deeper into the carpet fibres.
How to Remove a Red Wine Stain From Carpet
For this red wine cleaning method, you’ll need absorbent white cloths, distilled white vinegar, and washing up liquid.
But before you get started, we always recommend testing any new cleaning solution on a small patch of hidden carpet before using it on a larger area.
White vinegar and washing up liquid are safe for most carpets, but it’s hard to predict how a certain carpet will react. You don’t want to cause discolouration in an area that’s always visible!
Once you’ve tested your carpet, here’s how to clean a red wine stain:
- If you haven’t already, start by blotting up as much of the red wine as possible with an absorbent cloth. Ideally, you should do this instantly after the spillage. Don’t rub the stain though, as this will only spread it further and cause it to sink deeper into the fibres.
- Create a cleaning solution with a tablespoon of distilled white vinegar, a tablespoon of washing up liquid, and 500ml of warm water.
- Pour a small amount of the cleaning fluid onto a clean white cloth. Use this to dab at the stain, which should hopefully transfer onto the cloth.
- Frequently blot up the area with a separate dry cloth.
- Repeat the process of wetting and drying the stain until it’s gone (or no more wine is being removed onto the cloth).
- Using another clean white cloth, apply cold water to the area to dilute any remaining cleaning solution and wine. Blot it up with a dry cloth.
- Allow the area to fully dry before walking on it again.
Tip: There are specialist wine cleaning products on the market. These can be effective, but the DIY solution above can still work in many situations – plus most people already have white vinegar and washing up liquid in their house.
What Should You Do If The Stain Remains Visible?
If the stain is visible even after using the method above, what should you try next?
You could try a specialist wine cleaning product, such as Wine Away. These may be more effective at removing the remaining pigments in carpet fibres, although make sure you follow the instructions closely and test on a small patch of carpet first.
It may be best to contact a professional carpet cleaner for stubborn or old red wine stains though. A professional will know the best method for removing the stain without causing damage or discolouration to the carpet.
Other Tips for Cleaning Carpet Stains
- Always blot. Never rub at a stain, as this is likely to cause more harm than good. Unfortunately, scrubbing is a common mistake for anyone cleaning carpets.
- Always use non-coloured cloths. We only recommend using white cloths when cleaning stains in carpets. Coloured cloths can transfer to the carpet, leaving a stain that’s even more difficult to remove. Paper towels can also work well for blotting up liquid.
- Leave the area as dry as possible. You don’t want to leave the patch of carpet very wet, as this can take a long time to dry leading to a musty smell. Gently blot away any excess moisture after cleaning. Don’t vacuum until the carpet is completely dry.
Summary
Red wine stains are one of the most difficult types of stain to remove from carpets. The red pigment seeps into carpet fibres, leaving a dark red stain that’s unsightly and hard to fix.
The most important step when treating a red wine spillage is to blot up as much as possible straight away. The more wine you can remove from the carpet, the less pigment will be left in your fibres. You can also dilute the red wine with a small amount of water, before blotting it up again.
If this isn’t enough to remove the stain, then a cleaning solution containing white vinegar, washing up liquid, and water can be effective at pulling red wine out of the carpet. But for stubborn or old stains, you may need to contact a professional.
Do you have any questions about how to get red wine out of carpet? Please let us know in the comments section below.