Don't let red wine stains ruin your day
Its happen to all of us. You are at a party having a great time with a glass a wine in hand and someone accidentally bumps into you causing you to spill the wine over your favorite shirt or dress. First thing most people do is panic but your precious clothing can be saved assuming you act quickly and perform one of the following tips:
Tip #1: DO NOT scrub the stain!
Avoid scrubbing the stain as it causes it to spread outward even more. If you’re applying too much pressure, you’re actually pushing more red wine down into the fabric. This is especially true if you’re dealing with a red wine stain on the couch or on the carpet.
Tip #2: Don't wait too long
The longer you wait, the harder it will be to remove the stain so its recommend that you try to deal with it immediately. Red wine will sink and settle into those fibers the longer they’re there as red wine is basically a dye waiting to happen.
Tip #3: Do Not Apply Heat
Never let the stain dry but even worse is if the stain dries when hot air is applied. Heat will actually change the chemical process the stain undergoes when it dries. If you apply heat, you can expect a permanent or nearly permanent stain.
Tip #4: Apply a dry material that will "lift" the red wine out
Like any liquid, red wine will move toward anything dry that it comes into contact with. Your best move right after you get a red wine stain is to grab a dry, powdery material and apply it generously on the red wine stain. These include:
Table salt Baking soda Sodium percarbonate, a.k.a. a granulated form of hydrogen peroxide Dry soap powder Talcum powder, which is used for baby powder Kitty litter
These dry materials will “pull” the red wine out of the carpet, but don’t just start rubbing them in. Remember, you never want to rub (or scrub) the stain, regardless of what you’ve applied to it. Always apply the blotting method, even when it comes to cleaning up the salt or powder.
Let the salt (your best option), or any other dry, powdery material you use, settle for a few minutes. In some cases, this may be enough to actually remove the stain completely, especially if you acted fast enough. Otherwise, you may need to apply additional methods.
Tip #5: Apply boiling water and blot the stain
Unlike dry heat which will leave to permanent stain, wet heat or hot water is a very effective substance, especially when applied to other materials as a cleaning agent. It may cause the red wine to dilute and spread out a bit, but the hot water will also cause the molecules in the red wine to lose a bit of cohesion with the fabric, making it easier to clean.
Tip #6: Give Milk a Try
Milk has absorption qualities to it. You can try pouring milk on the stain liberally, letting it sit for a few minutes, then blotting it up with a sponge or dry rag.
Tip #7: Use Club Soda and White Vinegar
The minerals added to club soda may actually make it a better alternative than water. These will actually help absorb and break up the red wine molecules, which you can then blot up more easily. You can also apply club soda with white vinegar to help improve the result.
Tip #8: Pick up the Oxi Cleaner
“Oxi” cleaners are ideal solution for removing stains early as well as already dried stains. These cleaners contain sodium percarbonate which, when combined with water, breaks down into hydrogen peroxide. They’re great at breaking up stains, so if you have any, apply it to the stain, wait a while (20 minutes to an hour) while it does its job, and then blot the stain away.
Tip #9: Use dishwashing liquid or hydrogen peroxide if you don't have any oxi cleaner
If you don’t have an oxi cleaner, give dishwashing liquid and hydrogen peroxide a try. Mix about 3 parts hydrogen peroxide and 1 part dishwashing liquid, then apply to your red wine stain. Let it sit for a while (think 20 minutes to an hour) then blot clean before attempting to fully wash out the mixture.
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