How
to Get Rid of Wine
Stains!
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It
never fails! You have brand
new carpet and a party and
a friend accidentally spills
red wine. Or, you laugh a
little too hard and your wine
goes flowing over the edge
of your glass right on to
your brand new shirt. Here
are a couple tips that have
worked for me for getting
out wine stains.
MY
FAVORITE!
Step
1 -
Blot the stain immediately
with paper towels. If it is
a dry clean only garment do
not pre treat the stain and
get it as fast as you can
to the cleaners. Pretreatment
of the stain can cause irreversible
damage and the dry cleaner
may not be able to remove
the stain.
Step
2 - Combine 1 teaspoon
Dawn dishwashing soap and
1 cup hydrogen peroxide in
a small bowl. Soak a clean
sponge in the mixture, squeeze
it halfway dry, then gently
blot the stain. You have to
use both ingredients!
Step
3 - Place a dry towel
or washcloth between the front
and back of the garment if
the stain has not penetrated
through to the back of the
fabric. This will prevent
staining on the back of the
material.
Step
4 - Review the washing
instructions on the label
of the fabric. Heed any special
care instructions.
Step
5 - Wash in cool
water and air dry if the fabric
is machine-washable.
Step
6 - Wash gently in
the sink with a mild detergent
if the fabric is hand-wash
only
One
warning: Since peroxide is
a bleaching agent, the remedy
could potentially bleach some
colored fabrics. Always test
a small patch before going
hog wild with this miracle
recipe!
Other
methods I have used that have
worked!
1.
White wine. Keep some very
cheap white wine around. Pour
it over the red wine stain.
The proteins which cause the
stain are the same, just a
different color. You now have
a white wine stain which no
one can see. Launder as usual.
2.
Wine Away Red Wine Stain Remover
- Not only does it work on
fresh stains, it is fantastic
on set-in stains, as well.
It has been tested and endorsed
by the Good Housekeeping Institute
and Food & Wine magazine.
They have a toll-free number:
1-888-946-3292.
3.
If the stain in on clothes
hold it over an empty bowl
and pour boiling water on
the stain.
4.
Dab area with clean water.
Soak with salt. When dry vacuum
up or wash if clothes.
Hints
- I keep a spray bottle of
the peroxide/Dawn solution
handy for those just in case
situations or if I need to
spray it on furniture or carpet.
Always
use white paper towels, as
colored towels may stain.
Avoid scrubbing or rubbing
the stain excessively. This
can cause the stain to further
penetrate the fabric.
Some
tips from the Pros
- Harvey
Steiman, Wine Spectator
editor, also recommends
salt. He writes, "Salt
is our first response
to a wine stain..."
However, he recommends
a commercial product,
Resolve, for carpets.
He further advises the
use of white tablecloths
for wine dinners "so
we can bleach it to death."
- Robin
Garr, who runs Wine Lovers'
Pages, uses white wine
as the first resort, but
admonishes us that it
only works when the original
stain is still wet. He
also reminds us that there
are people who make a
profession of cleaning
clothes and tablecloths.
- Martha
Stewart, "On delicate
fabrics: Soak the spot
with denatured alcohol.
Flush with white vinegar
to remove residual stain.
On sturdy fabrics: Coat
stain with salt; let stand
for five minutes. Stretch
stained area over a bowl;
secure with a rubber band.
Place in sink; carefully
pour boiling water over
stain from a height of
at least a foot."
- I
looked up what denatured
alcohol is and it's rubbing
alcohol for those of you,
like me, that had no clue.
Martha
also has a "stain
chart" which
tells you how to remove
every stain imaginable.
-
Here
are some other interesting
salt remedies I have found:
-
"Stretch
the fabric over a bowl.
Sprinkle liberally with
salt and pour boiling
water from a height of
1 to 2 feet".
-
"When
the red wine is spilled
on the tablecloth, *immediately*
douse it with white wine.
Yup, that's right, white
wine. This will prevent
the stain from setting
and when you run the tablecloth
through the wash, *viola!*
no stain. Works like a
champ. And a great excuse
to keep quantities of
white wine in the fridge."
-
"Salt
is our best answer, from
long, long experience.
Next time, keep mounding
it on the wet stain until
all you can see is white.
It sucks it all out of
there. Once the stain
is set, the pigments in
red wine are devilishly
hard to get out."
-
"We
find that pouring lots
of salt directly over
the stain draws the wine
out of the tablecloth.
Just make a small mountain
of salt over the stain
as soon as is possible.
Heck, after some heavy
wine drinking, we sometimes
have a bunch of them piles
all over the place (G)."
And
yet more interesting ideas
I have found by searching
through the internet
-
"My
friends in the hospitality
industry swear by plain
soda water. We tried this
at a wine tasting party
and it worked. As soon
as you spill any wine
on a table cloth, use
a paper towel to blot
up as much as you can
then pour soda water,
straight from the bottle
onto the stain and leave
for 10-30 seconds. Blot
up and repeat..."
-
"Shaving
cream works wonders on
stains, foam it on, let
sit a minute or so and
rub it in. It has worked
many times for us!"
-
"Soak
the wine stain in milk
over night. In the morning
wash as usual. This really
works!"
-
I
have also read that whole
milk and half and half
"erase" red
wine stains. I have not
tried this one yet.
-
Cover
area with talcum powder.
Allow area to soak it
up. Vacuum or wash.
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