An age-old tale of carpet woes is the red wine stain on the carpet. The story usually begins with someone placing a glass of red wine near the edge of the living room table and without intent, bumps into the table, spilling the meddlesome wine on the carpet. This is usually when you feel that there is no point of return, and the carpet must be discarded unless you are content with witnessing the stain every day. Thankfully, this does not have to be the case, and there are a few simple steps that will mitigate the crisis.
Blot the Spot
The last thing to do is attempt to rub the stain out. This will press the liquid further into the rug. A dry soft cloth or sponge will do the trick by blotting the spot to absorb as much liquid as possible. The sooner the cloth hits the spot, the less damage that will be done. Once the initial wine is soaked up, pour some cold water on the spot and blot it more. This will help absorb a little more red wine before the next steps. If it is an overwhelming spill, like a bottle, or multiple bottles, consider hiring a professional carpet cleaning company to come in and handle the stain for you. There is something to be said about letting professionals do their job. A quick call to a business like and your problem is almost instantly resolved. If you’re not interested in getting down on your hands and knees to scrub, that might be the better solution. For the rest of you DIY stain removers, the actionable items listed below should clean up 98% of your problem.
Applying Salt
One of the more common commodities in the home is salt, which also happens to be an effective combatant to wine stains. Pour a little more cold water on the stain site then lay a thick coating of salt on top. Allow some time for the salt to soak into the wound for several hours, then once dry, run a vacuum cleaner to suck it up. This should remove the remanence of the stain.
White Vinegar
If salt is not handy, white vinegar is a fantastic alternative for removing wine from the carpet. Take two cups of water, add one tablespoon of white vinegar, and one tablespoon of dishwashing soap. Grab another clean cloth or sponge, and apply some of the white vinegar solutions to the spot, let it soak for a short time. Apply dry rag or sponge via the blot method to the spot to soak up the wine. Repeat this process until the stain has been removed.
Baking Soda Paste
Mixing baking soda and water into a paste is another simple yet effective solution to removing wine stains. Mix a 3:1 ratio of water and baking soda to create a paste and apply a thick layer to the stain spot with a cloth on top. This application must be left for 12-16 hours with tremendous pressure until dry, so put a stack of books or something comparable on top of the cloth. Inspect the spot until dry, then remove excess with a vacuum cleaner to remove what is left of the stain.
Conclusion
The cliché of wine stains does not have to remain, and no longer do we have to consider throwing away a perfectly good carpet due to red wine. These simple methods using everyday household items are efficient and effective at removing stains. If you enjoy some red wine on occasion, it is recommended you keep these items in your home in case of a wine stain emergency.