Your dinner party is in full swing; the music is pumping, the conversation is flowing and your guests are having the time of their life. The night has gone off without a hitch and the only thing left is the dessert. As you are plating up, you notice a hint of red in the corner of your eye – that can only mean one thing. Everything seems to move in slow motion and you know in that moment you’ll never make it. The glass hits the floor and out of it floods what seems at the time like a buckets worth of red liquid. It’s one thing not to cry over spilt milk, but red wine is a whole other ball game. Before you freak and start ripping out the carpet, there are homemade remedies to remove the stain that are easier than you think.
Don’t Wait
First things first, attacking the wine stain while it’s fresh will greatly improve your chances of removing it hassle free. It’s probably likely that you’ve have a few glasses of the stuff yourself by this stage and feel like dealing with it in the morning. But do yourself a favour and make sure you tend to it as soon as possible. If you’ve discovered the stain after the night has ended, pour some salt on the stain to draw the moisture out before you clean it.
Blot, don’t Scrub
Scrub the stain and you’ll just get frustrated because you’ll be blending it into the carpet even more. Use a clean cloth and using a dabbing motion, blot up as much of the wine as you can before using one of these homemade cleaning remedies.
Method 1: White Wine
Who would have thought that attack wine with more wine would be the solution? Obviously you don’t want to use that 1986 Semillon that cost you upwards of $100, a cheap white will do the trick. White wine will act as a neutraliser for the red wine and make it easier to lift the colour out of the fabric. If the stain is contains a bit of pigment, you can add salt to the equation to continue assist the lifting of the colour.
Method 2: Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide
Just ask your Grandmother and she’ll tell you that without a doubt that baking soda fixes everything. She’s not wrong, we use the stuff in our toothpastes, washing powder and dishwashing tablets to remove built up grime. After you’ve blotted as much of the red wine as possible, spritz the area with hydrogen peroxide followed by a substantial sprinkling of baking soda. Let the soda absorb into the carpet for a few minutes before rinsing the area with water. If this doesn’t remove all of the stain, repeat the baking soda process and leave overnight. The next morning, go over it with your vacuum nozzle until the stain is gone.
Method 3: Vinegar and Soap
You don’t really need chemical ridden cleaning products to do the job that a natural alternative can. Vinegar is a known fighting force against unwanted pigments, grime and acts as an anti-bacterial cleanse. If you intend on using vinegar, pour over the stain and add a generous amount of washing soap or powder to the area and give it a few minutes to soak in. With a wet cloth, gently wipe away the stain.
There are many store bought carpet cleaners that are great for removing stains, but be wary, the wrong type can cause fibre damage to your carpet. Of course, if all else fails, there’s nothing the professionals can’t fix, click here to get some more tips on removing stains.