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How to remove wine stains? The 9 most effective tricks

Enjoying a glass of good wine is one of the greatest pleasures we can give to our senses. When consuming a red wine, a whole machinery of sensory receptors is set in motion. Smell and taste are two key senses when it comes to appreciating all the nuances of a good wine, however, our first contact with the product will be through sight. Intensity, limpidity and, above all, colour, are the three main characteristics that we can distinguish in a wine through our eyes.

Focusing on colour, it plays a key role in the visual pleasure of enjoying a good wine. But that pleasure sometimes turns into a nightmare, when we see the wine spilling on our favourite garments.

Here are some of them tricks to remove red wine stains and make our clothes or table linen look as good as new. A tip: try to clean the stained garment as soon as possible. The longer you leave it, the more likely it is that the wine stain will remain fixed to the fabrics and the more difficult it will be to remove the stain. Let's get started!

red wine stain

Autor: Francesco Pappalardo

 

1. TABLE SALT

As we said, the time we allow to pass from the moment the stain occurs is crucial. It will always be easier to deal with a fresh wine stain than to try to clean the stain once the liquid has dried. In this sense, one of the first reactions we usually have to a fresh wine stain is to resort to table salt. Some people advise to apply a little salt directly on the wine stain, however, table salt will not really remove the stain. But it is not a totally useless reaction either, since the application of table salt directly on the stain will help to absorb the humidity of the wine more quickly, preventing it from spreading to the fabrics. In any case, if we apply salt on the stain we should not leave it too long, as this could work against us and fix the wine stain more strongly.

salt

WHITE WINE

The best option when removing a recent red wine stain, whether we have applied salt before or not, is to soak the stained area with white wine. The tannins in white wine help to neutralise the staining caused by the tannins in red wine, so applying white wine to the stain will always be our first choice. We should dampen a clean cloth or sponge in white wine and tap it on the stained area. Try to avoid rubbing the stain so that it does not spread, so it is better to dampen it little by little with the white wine rather than rubbing it directly. Then, leave the white wine to act for a few minutes and finally wash the affected garment with soap and water.

White Wine

Autor: Evan Swigart

3. SODIUM BICARBONATE

In a complementary way, we can add the application of baking soda to the previous method. To do this, once we have soaked the stained area with white wine and left it to act for a while, we apply a thick paste prepared from bicarbonate and water. Leave the mixture to work for several hours, always making sure that the area remains damp, after which the garment can be washed as normal.

This trick to remove wine stains is based on the great property of sodium adsorption (not to be confused with absorption) present in baking soda. adsorption (not to be confused with absorption) of sodium present in sodium bicarbonate. This is a quality that makes some sodium compounds able to attract and retain on their surface various dissolved gaseous, liquid or solid particles. In this way, the sodium bicarbonate would capture the wine particles from the stained fabric, leaving the garment clean.

bicarbonate-stain-wine

Autor: Liesl

4. MILK

Wine stains are somewhat more difficult to remove once they have dried. However, there are also ways to combat them.

One of the most effective methods is to treat the stained garment with milk.. To do this, heat milk in a container and soak the garment in it. Leave the milk to act for the necessary time until the stain is diluted. When this has happened, we can wash our clothes as usual.
Milk

5. DILUTION OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE AND AMMONIA

The above methods should be sufficient to remove most red wine stains that we encounter. In any case, if the stains do not disappear or if they are particularly persistent, there is a more aggressive method that will undoubtedly work.
To remove these particularly difficult stains, we will make a solution with the following proportions:

5 parts water.
1 part hydrogen peroxide.
4 parts ammonia.

We stir our mixture and introduce the stained garment. Leave it to soak for a few hours and then rinse with plenty of water. Once this is done, we can wash our garment in the normal way.

 

6. HYDROGEN PEROXIDE AND LIQUID DETERGENT

Another very effective trick for cleaning wine stains Another very effective trick to clean wine stains is to use a mixture in which we will use hydrogen peroxide again, this time together with liquid soap or liquid detergent. To do this, we will make a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and liquid laundry soap at 50%. Apply the mixture to the stain and leave it to act for a few minutes. Then, proceed to wash the garment in the normal way. In this case, we use hydrogen peroxide again because of its great oxidative capacity. When we oxidise a substance, what we are doing is "stealing" electrons from the atoms that make it up. These electrons are very important when it comes to giving colour to the substances and materials of which they form part. They do this by "trapping" a certain amount of energy from the entire spectrum of white light that strikes them and repelling the rest. Thus, depending on the wavelength of light that these electrons "trap", so will be the colour projected by the material or substance that contains them. In this way, when we oxidise a wine stain, what we are doing is preventing its electrons from absorbing light, so they will bounce the entire light spectrum and our eyes will perceive it as white light. Or to put it another way, we will be bleaching the wine stain.

But be careful, because this the bleaching capacity of hydrogen peroxide can also affect the dyes of the fabrics themselves. we want to clean. For this reason, it is preferable to use cleaning methods that involve the use of hydrogen peroxide only on white garments or light-coloured fabrics. We should also do this for a short period of time to avoid damaging our clothes or table linen.

7. BOILING WATER

If the fabric that has been stained with wine is part of a sturdy piece of table linen, we can treat it with boiling water. To do this, bring a sufficient quantity of water to the boil to be able to immerse the stained part of the fabric in it. We will introduce the clothes in the container in which we have boiled the water and we will leave it to act. You can also add a little liquid soap to the boiling water to help remove the wine particles. Once the water has cooled down, we can proceed to wash the garment normally.

boiling water casserole

8. WHITE VINEGAR AND LIQUID DETERGENT

White vinegar also has blocking and cleaning properties. Using it mixed with liquid detergent, will help to neutralise the wine's own pigments.It can be used to neutralise red and purplish stains. To accelerate the chemical process that allows the cleaning of the wine stain, we can heat a little the solution of white vinegar and liquid soap, so that the cleaning capacity of the mixture will be more effective. After leaving our solution to act directly on the stain for a few minutes, we can wash the fabric in the usual way, preferably with hot water.

9. WASHING WASH

The bleaching properties of bleach are well known. Not surprisingly, it is a cleaning and disinfecting product very often used in the home and also in industrial processes. Bleach for household use is a compound of sodium hypochlorite diluted in water in a proportion of 5 to 10 %, so that in this case we benefit again from the particle adsorption capacity of sodium. In addition, bleach is also a very strong oxidising compound, which, as we have already seen, is conducive to the bleaching of substances and materials.

The use of bleach to remove a wine stain should only be used as a last resort, as it is a very drastic and aggressive method for fabrics. It should only be used on white and resistant pieces of clothing, as it will almost certainly remove the fabric's own dyes if it is used on coloured garments. For greater safety, we can apply the bleach diluted in water directly on the garment. Leave it to act for a few minutes and then wash the garment as normal.

 

Here are some of them ways to remove red wine stains from our clothes, tablecloths or carpets. Some, such as cleaning with white wine, can also be applied to wine stains on the wall, after which we rinse the area with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and 50% water.

In any case, it should be borne in mind that these cleaning methods are designed to treat white fabrics and special care should be taken when applying them to coloured clothes so as not to remove the fabrics' own dye. If in doubt, always consult the manufacturer's labels and test on inconspicuous areas of the garment before applying our solutions to stains.

 

We no longer have to worry about anything when it comes to tasting a red wine. And if not, we can always switch to a red wine, which will surely be much more harmless to our favourite clothes. good white winewhich is sure to be much more harmless to our favourite garments. Cheers!

 

Vivanco
Winery, Foundation, Experiences. Sharing Wine Culture

34 comments

  1. Hello Francisco,

    In the article we give different recommendations depending on the type of stain (by type of wine, if it is recent or not...) We hope that among them you will find the situation you are dealing with. Best regards and good luck

  2. Hello Marle,

    If it is a delicate fabric, you can try less aggressive methods, such as using white wine, and if the stain persists, do small tests with other methods such as milk, to ensure that the fabric will not be damaged in the process.

    Greetings and good luck!

  3. I washed the garment (tablecloth) and I see that it has red wine stains... What to do?

  4. Hi Tania,

    As you say, the stain on your tablecloth is already dry, so we would recommend you to try with milk, proceeding as detailed in the article. If the stain persists, you can opt for the "infallible method" that appears at the end of the post, bearing in mind that if the tablecloth is a delicate or coloured fabric, due to the ammonia it could suffer some alteration.

    Good luck!

  5. Hello Lucia,

    For delicate fabrics such as yours, we recommend trying less aggressive methods, such as white wine, and if the stain persists, to make small tests with other methods such as milk, to ensure that the fabric will not be damaged in the process.

    Greetings and best of luck

  6. A dark grey tablecloth with wine stains, the tablecloth has been washed and ironed, how can I remove the stains? Thank you

  7. Hello, I would like to know how to remove dried red wine stains from a beige cloth bag. Thank you in advance
    Greetings.

  8. How to remove the red wine stain dry? I have a cream-coloured hat and I can't get it too wet or it will be ruined....

  9. Hello Soledad,

    In your case, we would recommend that you visit a textile cleaning specialist to assess the best option. In our article we recommend two methods for red wine stains that are already dry, but given the type of garment in your case it may suffer some damage in the cleaning process.

    Best regards and good luck

  10. Hello Claudia,

    For dry red wine stains, we indicate two methods in the article: with hot milk and a solution of hydrogen peroxide and ammonia (see proportions). You can start with the milk remedy which is less aggressive and, if you see that it does not remove the stain, try the second method, always with caution and testing to rule out discolouration of the garment.

    If the stain persists, we recommend that you consult a textile cleaning specialist.

    Good luck!

  11. Hello Emilia,

    In your case you have to resort to the two methods we have listed for dry red wine stains. Start with the milk method and, if it doesn't work, try the solution we have listed. Try a little at a time to rule out any damage to the tablecloth.

    Good luck!

  12. Hello Tomás,

    We explain in the post 2 methods to remove dried red wine stains. Start with the milk method which is gentler and if it does not remove it completely, you can resort to the solution we indicated, always being careful not to damage your garment.

    Greetings!

  13. Hi, I have some dried red wine stains on a little wooden table that has no protection, so it has absorbed all the wine. How do I remove it? Regards

  14. Hello Euge,

    In the article we focus on textile materials, in your case, as it is wood, we would recommend you to go to a specialist who will know how to assess it in more detail.

    Best regards and good luck!

  15. Hello Carolina,

    This method is designed to treat white fabrics and special care should be taken when applying it to coloured clothes so as not to remove the dye from the fabrics themselves. With this in mind, don't forget to check the garment manufacturer's label and test on inconspicuous areas of the garment before applying the solution directly to the stain.

    Best regards and good luck!

  16. Hi, I need to remove a dry wine stain on a backpack, on the back part that has pores, how do I do it?

  17. Hello Lucia,

    For dry wine stains we share two methods: you can start by trying the milk-based method, and if it doesn't work you can go for the "foolproof method", but first try it on a small area to make sure it doesn't damage the fabric.

    Best regards and good luck!

  18. Hello Carolina,

    This post is focused on wine stains, so it is not exactly the same as grape stains. However, you can try the methods mentioned here from the mildest to the strongest as they still work for your stain. Do small tests on other areas of the fabric to check that the methods do not cause damage to the material.

    Good luck! Regards

  19. How to remove red wine from a white shirt that has already been soaked with vanis and not removed.

  20. Hello!

    They say it is meant for white clothes, if it is coloured clothes with red, will the milk work?

    Thank you!

  21. hello, my query is how to remove the red wine stain from a wineskin, I did not know how to cure it and the wine went to the outside and the stain, and the stain is dry and looks ugly, thanks.

  22. Hello Angelica,

    In the case of your wineskin, it is probably not well cured on the inside, as you say, and we would recommend that you use another wineskin to preserve the wine correctly. We would like to share with you an article in which we interviewed Félix Barbero, master wineskin maker from Logroño, where he gives us a lot of information about the elaboration and use of the wineskin:

    http://vivancoculturadevino.es/blog/2014/11/17/felix-barbero-bota-tomar-buen-vino/

    Best regards!

  23. Hello Ale,

    In principle, you can also use milk as a wine stain removal method for a coloured garment. Whether it works depends on whether the stain is fresh (recommended) or dry. For dry stains, we also recommend cleaning methods in the article.

    Greetings and good luck!

  24. Hi, I have stained a grey woollen jumper with red wine.... what a shame,
    How can I remove it, are these solutions also valid for wool?
    Thank you very much.

  25. Hello Begoña,

    If your wine stain persists after washing, we recommend you to follow the infallible method we told you about in the post. To begin with, you should prepare a mixture with the following materials:

    5 parts water.
    1 part hydrogen peroxide.
    4 parts ammonia.

    Then you will have to put the garment in this container and leave it for about 2 hours. After this, you will have to rinse the garment and proceed to wash it again.

    Best regards!

  26. Hello Susana,

    In this article we discussed how to clean wine stains on clothing, so the information you are looking for cannot be found here, sorry.

    Best regards!

  27. Hello Ana Bertha,

    If your wine stain is persistent, we recommend that you follow the infallible method that we told you about in the post. To begin with, you should prepare a mixture with the following materials:

    5 parts water.
    1 part hydrogen peroxide.
    4 parts ammonia.

    Then you will have to put the garment in this container and leave it for about 2 hours. After this, you will have to rinse the garment and proceed to wash it again.

    We hope your stain will disappear.

    Good luck!

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