Molly's Blog of Cleaning Tips, Ideas and Strategies

How To Get Red Wine Out Of Your Carpet

Although the festive party season is undoubtedly great fun, it's also pretty inevitable that someone will spill something on your carpet, and red wine is one of those spills that you dread!  Because of its composition, red wine is notoriously difficult to remove successfully, although it can be done.  Read on to find out how.

Method one

What you'll need

  • baking soda
  • clean, white cloth
  • cold water

How to do it

  1. The most important thing to remember is to act quickly.  The sooner you tackle the stain, the more successful you will be at shifting it.  
  2. Using a white cloth, blot up as much of the spill as you can.  Don't rub at the stain, or you'll spread it further, and you could drive the wine deeper into the carpet pile, making it harder to remove.  A white cloth is best for this job, as it allows you to see whether you've removed all of the stain or if there's a little bit of residue left.  
  3. Next, pour a small amount of cold water onto the stain to help dilute it.  Carry on blotting until you can't get any more of the stain out.  
  4. Make up a paste by mixing baking soda and water.  Apply the paste to the stain and allow it to dry.  
  5. Vacuum the area to remove the baking soda.

This method should get rid of most red wine spills.  However, if the stain proves particularly stubborn, try the following method too.

Method two

What you'll need

  • white vinegar
  • washing-up liquid
  • clean, white cloth
  • sponge
  • warm water

How to do it

  1. Mix together equal parts of white vinegar and washing-up liquid, and then add a small amount of warm water.  
  2. Apply the mixture to the stain using a sponge, making sure that the area is well-soaked.  
  3. Use a clean white cloth to blot-up the liquid, and carry on blotting until all the stain has gone.

In conclusion

It is possible to get red wine stains out of your carpet with a little know-how and swift action.  Before you begin cleaning, always test your cleaning mixture on a small area of carpet that's not easily visible, just in case the colours run.  If the stain is proving particularly stubborn, or has gone unnoticed for a long time, call your local cleaning services company for assistance.  They will have access to specialist cleaning chemicals and equipment that will soon have your carpet looking as good as new.


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