How to Clean Red Wine Out of a Carpet

You have settled in for the evening with a glass of your favorite red wine, preparing for a night of binge-watching your favorite television show.  You reach over to grab the remote when it happens.  Your arm brushes the glass, and it wobbles.  You make a desperate attempt to catch it before it goes crashing onto your freshly cleaned carpet, but to no avail.  Now rather than spending your evening watching Season Two of Keeping up with the Kardashians, you’ll have to take some quick action.  Before you start researching which area rug will best match your living room’s color scheme, try some of these tips to remove the stain, which is sure to get you back to relaxing in no time.

It is important to move quickly.  The longer the stain sits on the carpet, the more likely it is to set.  No matter whether you use a DIY solution or one purchased from your local store, the first step should be to blot the stain.  Never rub or scrub the stain as this will push it further into the carpet making it more difficult to remove.

DIY Solutions

If you don’t have any commercial carpet cleaners at home, here are some carpet cleaning solutions you can create using household ingredients.  These work well in a pinch to get those red wine stains out.

Blot, Bathe, and Baking Soda

  1. Take a cloth and blot the stain to soak up as much of the stain as possible to reduce the amount of remaining wine to be cleaned (towels or paper towels work well)
  2. Prepare a solution using one part baking soda for every three parts water.  Apply the mixture to the affected area.  Once dry, vacuum the area.

Detergent and Vinegar

  1. Blot as much of the stain as possible
  2. Create a mixture by adding one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid and one tablespoon of vinegar to two cups of warm water.
  3. Apply small amounts to the stain using a clean, white cloth.  Blot frequently with a dry cloth.  Repeat this process until the stain is no longer visible.
  4. After the stain has been removed, sponge the area with cold water and blot dry.

Club Soda

  1. Apply club soda to the stain and blot with a clean, dry cloth.
  2. After blotting, apply a mixture of a small amount of dishwater and lukewarm water to the remaining affected area.  Be sure that the soap is completely diluted by the water.  If the stain is difficult to remove, feel free to add a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to the solution.  As this can affect the colorfastness of the carpet, it is important to test a small area to ensure the color will not bleed.

White Wine

Pour white wine over the red wine stain and blot.  The alcohol in the white wine helps to lift the stain from the carpet fibers.  Non-flavored vodka is also a good alternative.

Salt

If you do not have any of the items above, salt can be used to help absorb the stain from the carpet.  After vacuuming, you can treat the carpet with another solution.

Store-Bought Cleaners

These store bought cleaners are a great choice if you’ve tried the home remedies above and they haven’t been successful or if you keep them just for these instances.

OxiClean Powder

  1. Blot the area to remove as much of the excess wine as possible.
  2. Combine the powder with water as instructed on the package.  Be sure that the solution has completely dissolved into the water before applying to your carpet
  3. Saturate the stained area and allow to stand for approximately five minutes.  Do not allow the solution to dry.
  4. Blot the area to remove excess moisture.  Repeat the process until the stain has been completely removed.
  5. Clean the area with water and allow to dry.
  6. Vacuum the area.

Wine Away

Created especially for the removal of stains Wine Away can help to remove difficult red wine stains.

  1.  Spray the product on the stain and allow to sit for 5 – 10 minutes (if you’ve tried other methods without success, allow the product to sit for 20 – 30 minutes)
  2. Blot with a wet cloth and allow the area to dry.
  3. If the stain persists, repeat the process as necessary.

Wine Away is a water based product and is considered to be safe for children and household pets.  It is also considered to be safe for most colored carpets, though it’s always best to test a small area first.

Carbona Stain Devils

While the company does not directly endorse the use of the Coffee, Tea, Wine, and Juice product on carpeting they do highlight that many consumers have been successful using this cleaner on wine stains.  As always, test a small are of your carpet before apply to a larger, more visible area.

Commercial Cleaning

If you’ve tried your home-remedies and store-bought products without success, it might be time to call in a professional house cleaning service like Castle Maids.  In preparing for a visit from such a company, be sure to blot the area to remove as much of the stain as possible. 

For more information about our house cleaning services in Frederick MD or to schedule an appointment, please call us at 301.694.9326 or request a free quote.