After a lovely night of hosting your friends and family, finding a wine stain on your carpet isn’t the best way to end the night. Red wines settle into the fibres of your rug, and the longer you wait, the more challenging it becomes to remove.

But don’t despair, because you’ve just found this article. We’ll explain how to remove red wine from a carpet using five tried and tested ways. So, let’s dive in.

How to Remove Red Wine From Carpet

After entertaining guests and having them enjoy your hosting and culinary skills, you collect all the empty plates and glasses, only to find an unpleasant surprise. A dreadful red wine stain somehow reached one of your precious carpets. Does this mean that you need to get rid of your rug?

No, you don’t. You could deal with a wine stain in several ways without throwing your carpet away.

But remember that the earlier you deal with a wine stain, the better the results will be. These methods will also work if you have an old wine stain that has been forgotten for a long time.

Although several potent products are on the market, these home remedies work better because they’re free from harmful chemicals. They’re also readily available in your kitchen, so you can use them immediately without going to the supermarket.

Using Club Soda and Salt

Club soda or carbonated water was invented by mistake in 1767, but it became popular in 1877 when Cantrell & Cochrane of Dublin in Ireland produced it for the first time. While there’s no scientific reason why club soda works to remove stains, there’s no doubt that it does. It works particularly well when the stain is fresh but also for older stains.

The gas dissolved in the water is a surfactant that decreases the surface tension to decolourise stains. It can also dilute stains so they don’t settle into the fibres.

Adding salt to the club soda will help because it acts as a buffer that prevents the stain from settling into the carpet. Here’s how to use it.

  • Blot the stain to remove as much of it as you can.
  • Pour some club soda and add some salt, then blot again.
  • Let the club soda dry, vacuum the salt, and check the stain.
  • Repeat the process until you’ve removed the stain.

Using White Wine

White wine can be used to remove red wine stains, but it works best on fresh stains. White wine dilutes the red wine and contains enzymes that break down the red wine without damaging your carpet.

However, this method might not work if you have an old stain on your rug. Here’s how to use it.

  • Pour a little white wine on the red wine and let it sit.
  • Blot the white wine and reapply it until the stain has faded.
  • If the stain is stubborn, mix some baking soda or salt with white wine.
  • Blot the stain and vacuum the baking soda.
  • Use dish soap to rub the stain and clean the white wine.

Using Baking Soda

Baking soda is one of the most popular cleaning products around the house. It’s absorbent and acts as a deodoriser, so it will help keep your carpet fresh and clean. It’s also safe and non-toxic, so you can safely use it on the carpet if you have kids.

Since wines are acidic, baking soda will alkalise red wine stains, neutralising them. Mix baking soda with water or vinegar to make your cleaning solution more potent.

Water will dilute the stain, but vinegar also works. Once you mix baking soda with vinegar, a reaction takes place, and it helps remove the stain. Here’s how to use baking soda to remove stains.

  • Blot the stain to remove most of the liquid if it’s fresh.
  • Pour some water on the stain to dilute it and blot it.
  • Prepare a mixture of water and baking soda, using one part of water and three parts of baking soda. You can also replace the water with vinegar.
  • Apply the mixture to the stain and let it dry.
  • Vacuum the excess baking soda.
  • Repeat the process if necessary.

Using dish soap and Vinegar

Dish soap is formulated to break food particles and can remove the toughest stains. Vinegar is highly acidic and can also remove stains without damaging your carpet. Mixing these two ingredients will create an easy-to-use cleaning solution that can remove all wine stains. Here’s how to use it.

  • Blot the stain to remove the excess liquid.
  • Prepare a solution using one tablespoon of dish soap, one tablespoon of vinegar, and two cups of water.
  • Apply a small amount of this solution using a white towel so the colour doesn’t bleed onto the carpet.
  • Blot the liquid and reapply the solution until the stain disappears.

Using Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda

Hydrogen peroxide is one of the strongest cleaners, and it can remove the toughest stains. But before you use it on your carpet, you must do a patch test. Hydrogen peroxide can cause discolouration if used on a dark rug, so you must be careful while using it to remove a wine stain. Here’s how to use it.

  • Use a clean and dry rag to blot the excess of the wine.
  • Pour some hydrogen peroxide on top of the stain to saturate it.
  • Sprinkle some baking soda on top of the stain and mix it well.
  • Let the mixture sit for five to ten minutes, then blot the stains.
  • Vacuum the dry baking soda.

Wrap Up

Red wine stains are difficult to remove and can damage your carpet when left untreated. But there are several good ways to get rid of these tough stains. Even if the stain has been sitting too long, you can save your precious rug using these home remedies.