Red wine stains require immediate attention.
Red wine stains are notoriously hard to remove from clothing, upholstery and rugs. The stain becomes even more stubborn once it has dried and set it, making it important to attempt to remove the stain while it is still fresh. However, with some quick thinking and fast action, you will be able to save your favorite rug from being forever marred by a dark red wine stain.
Instructions
1. Moisten the stain. Keeping a stain moist will help the red wine from setting in, and re-wetting a dried-up stain can help make it easier to break up. Spray the affected area with water, or use a hand-held fabric steamer over the stain. Club soda is another excellent moistening liquid.
2. Draw the wine pigments out by covering the stained area in a thick layer of salt. Leave the salt in place for 30 minutes, then vacuum or shake away.
3. Blot, don't scrub. Red wine stains can get set in even deeper if you use a scrubbing motion. Instead, use a clean paper towel to blot the stained area. It will take some time, but eventually the pigment will begin to lift from the rug.
4. Treat the stain. Stain removal options include products like Wine Away (specially formulated to break up stubborn wine stains) or stain removers like Shout!. Alternatively, you can mix equal parts liquid dish detergent and baking soda into a paste and apply it to the stain.
5. Follow up the stain-fighting treatment with either laundering/dry cleaning (if the rug is small enough to clean in this way), or by moistening with clean water or club soda and blotting.
6. Prevent red wine stains from becoming a problem by treating your freshly cleaned rug with a carpet/rug protecting spray, such as Scotchguard.
Tags: wine stains, stained area
