How to Get out Red Wine Stains
Thinking of switching to white wine just to avoid stains? Memorize these cleaning tips instead.
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No matter what you spilled on your clothes or furnishings, we can tell you how to get it out.
You Will Need
- White wine, club soda, or cold water
- A white cloth napkin or clean white T-shirt
- Salt
- Liquid enzyme detergent
- Spot stain remover
- Borax or baking soda
- A clean toothbrush
- A vacuum
Steps
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Step 1
Use white on red
Pour white wine or club soda on the stain while it's still wet – just make sure the fabric is washable. If you don't have either, use cold water.
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Step 2
Blot it
Blot it with a white cloth napkin or a clean white T-shirt.
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Step 3
Sprinkle salt
Sprinkle salt on the stain to absorb the remaining moisture. Let it stand for a few minutes.
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Step 4
Rinse
Rinse in cold water. If the stain remains, repeat the process until you've removed as much as possible.
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Step 5
Pretreat
Dab a little liquid-enzyme detergent into the wine stain; find it at the supermarket. Let it stand for about 10 minutes before rinsing with cold water and rubbing out the stain.
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Step 6
Spot-treat
If you can still see the stain, apply a spot stain remover before machine-washing in cold water with a liquid-enzyme detergent.
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Step 7
For carpet spills, blot up as much of the red wine as you can with a clean cloth and then saturate the stain with club soda or cold water and blot that up. Repeat until the stain is gone.
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Step 8
Try baking soda
If repeated saturating and blotting does not remove the whole thing, make a paste of three parts borax or baking soda to one part water. Gently rub the paste into the stain with a clean toothbrush and let it sit. Vacuum up the paste when it is completely dry. Repeat as necessary.
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Sales of merlot slumped in the U.S. after a character mocked the grape in the 2004 movie Sideways, but they eventually rebounded.
