Seasonal festivities include going to parties, hosting parties, and juggling day-to-to-day obligations. While attending holiday parties is fun, there’s something special about having all of your loved ones and friends over to your house for the holidays. Having fun can quickly turn sour when there’s a wine spill on the carpet, which no one wants to deal with. Don’t worry; we’ll cover how to remove red wine stains from the carpet in this article.
Getting Red Wine Out of Carpet – How to Remove Stains
You should know how to treat a red wine stain whether you spilled it, saw it spill, or it’s in your house. Let’s take a look at a few things you can do right now.
Take Action Right away
The most critical factor is the passage of time. A quick response is critical in the case of a red wine spill. While getting down to the ground to begin blotting can be difficult when the house is crowded with guests and children scurrying about, the effort is well worth it! To put it simply, speed makes it easier to remove stains from the carpet because it takes less time for the dye to absorb into the fibers.
- First, try a glass of water.
Simply using water to remove a wine stain is surprisingly effective if you can get to the stain quickly. The stain can be removed quickly by blotting with a wet cloth, spray bottle, or even a few drops from a cup. To keep in mind is not to over-saturate the carpet with water until it reaches the carpet pad. The next step is to blot the excess water.
It may be worth experimenting with club soda or vinegar in addition to plain old water if that doesn’t do the trick. When all else fails, use a tiny amount of the store-bought carpet cleaning product you got, but only if none of the other options worked. Several carpet cleaners leave behind a tough-to-remove residue.
2. Instead of scrubbing, use a paper towel to blot the surface.
Yes, you read that correctly, do not scrub. As much as we want to scrub, scrubbing red wine stains from carpet can make them worse. A stain on any fabric or fiber rubbed with a stiff bristle brush will enlarge and become chemically bonded to the fibers. Yikes!
Because of this, it’s recommended that you start blotting the red wine stain on the outside and work your way in. You want to stop the stain from spreading, so use a blotting motion from the stain’s edges outward. Again, gently blot from the outside in, with a spray bottle of water or a damp rag. Continue this procedure until the stain is completely removed from the carpet.
- Time for Cold Water
After you’ve blotted and believed you’ve removed most of the red wine stain from your carpet, dab a small amount of cold water over the spot. This will help you see if there is still a stain by diluting whatever is left. Now, when we say a few drops, we mean a few drops. Re-apply the blotting technique if necessary to remove any remaining stain.
The best way to remove dried red wine stains from carpet
There are times when you have to rush to get to the wine. Either you don’t notice it, you’re too busy to go there, or you tried but were redirected. Whichever method you use, will depend on the cause of removing the dried red wine.
- Using Salt as a Reagent
To use the salt method, you add salt to the dried red wine and sit for a while. When using salt, be sure to wet the dried red wine stain first. It doesn’t use a lot of water, so it won’t soak through the carpet pad. Add plenty of salt after the stain has been wetted down.
NONE of the salt should be scrubbed or blotted. Check on the salt in the morning after you’ve left it there all night. When you wake up the following day, look for pink crystallized salt on the ground. Sweep the salt away and dispose of it after the moisture has dried, and then vacuum it up.
2. Using Vinegar as a Preservative
To remove a dried stain:
- White vinegar, dishwashing liquid, and two cups of warm water
- Be cautious not to over-saturate the stain by using the entire two cups.
- Blot the dried stain as soon as it’s ready.
To remove a stain, dab it with a wet rag and blot it with a dry cloth. This procedure should be repeated as necessary until the stain has been removed.
Be Aware of When to Hire a Pro
Some stains won’t budge no matter how hard you scrub or how many times you use these methods. Give us a call if you have a difficult-to-remove stain, such as a red wine stain or another stain.
Remember to take notes! It’s a great time to schedule your carpet cleaning with a local carpet cleaning company for after the holidays. They’ll be able remove additional stains you may have such as paint stains or mud stains. If your carpets see a lot of foot traffic, we recommend having them professionally cleaned at least once a year.