What is the best way to get rid of red wine stains out of a carpet?
Gathering with friends at home for dinner or during the holidays can be very enjoyable. All the excitement, however, does make people a little careless. Before you know it, your precious carpets are stained from food and spillages. Removing these stubborn stains can be a difficult task, especially if the stains are caused by red wine spills.
No matter how you choose to clean the affected area, there are a few steps which you need to take first. Immediately blot the area with a white cloth or paper towels and absorb as much of the liquid as possible. Make sure to not scrub or press too hard onto the carpet. Otherwise, the wine will go further into the carpet fibres and create an even bigger stain.
An additional tip: the more expensive the wine, the easier it comes off. Cheap wine contains artificial dyes and other chemicals, which make the stain harder to remove. If you're on a budget, be more careful when throwing a party.
There are many options as regards to what methods are best for taking wine out of the carpet. In this article, we will show you the most popular and effective carpet stain removers.
Read also: How to Keep Carpet Clean When Moving out?
How to remove red wine stains with club soda?
Using club soda to remove stains from carpets is the preferred technique for many people. Club soda does not contain any chemicals and it simply cannot harm your carpet. Assuming you have already absorbed as much of the wine as possible, pour club soda over the stain. After you wait a few seconds, start blotting the area once again.
As soon as the stain dries out, pour some more club soda and repeat the same blotting process. After a few cycles, the stain will hopefully go away. Some sources state that the soda should stay onto the affected area overnight. If you are lucky, you would not have the chance to try both methods out.
This method is recommended by most wine drinkers and is quite easy to use. While it is effective on carpets, you may not have the same success on materials such as clothing and a tablecloth.
How to remove red wine stains with white vinegar?
Start by mixing 75ml of white vinegar with 150 ml of water and pour it into a misting spray bottle. Then, spray the solution onto the affected area and start bloating with a clean cloth. After a few cycles, most of the red wine colouring will be transferred to the cloth.
To achieve optimal results, continue treating the stain. Take 1 cup of warm water and add some unscented fairy liquid. The mixture is then applied to what remains of the red wine stain with a sponge or with a spray bottle. Then, continue blotting the stained area until there is no colour transferred to the cloth.
The only thing left to do after is to remove the excessive water and cleaning solutions. Make sure to apply heavy pressure through a thick towel to dry out the area. If the carpet still smells of vinegar, spray some Febreze over it and ventilate.
How to remove red wine stains with baking soda?
To start, you should pour some cold water onto the stained area. Doing this dilutes whatever's left of the stain and makes blotting it an easier task. Repeat the same process with your kitchen towel or cloth until you find that no more colour is transferred.
Now, mix one part water to three parts baking soda and mix it into a paste. Apply the cleaning product onto the affected area and wait for it to dry. Once it has completely dried out, go over the issue with a hoover. This same process can be done with salt as well (as opposed to baking soda).
Can professional carpet cleaning remove red wine stains?
The obvious answer here is "yes" - professional carpet cleaning services are your best shot at removing any stains over carpets. Professionals are armed with powerful machines and high quality detergents. The first advice they will give you once you call would be to absorb as much of the liquid as possible.
If you're lucky, the cleaners will show up at your doorstep either on the same or on the following day. They will then inspect the carpet fibres and examine the stain. Based on what they find out, the right water temperature and cleaning products are selected. The carpet will then be pre-sprayed, which solution helps the actual steam cleaning session be more effective.
What follows next is the actual process of hot water extraction also known as steam carpet cleaning. Water is sprayed deeply inside the fibres, after being heated to the most suitable temperature. Due to the high pressure with which the water penetrates the carpet fibres, the stain dissolves. Simultaneously, the machine also extracts the moisture, along with all the dirt and dust stuck inside the carpet.
Check also: Which Carpet Cleaner Should I Buy?
Bonus cleaning tip
How can I remove pet stains from a carpet?
If you're a pet-owner and you've been unlucky enough to have your carpet soiled by your pet, don't worry. A very common carpet stain remover is hydrogen peroxide. To have high chances of completely removing the issue, you'll have to act fast. Grab two cloths, a handy scrub brush and your hydrogen peroxide.
Start by pouring the peroxide onto the stain, but be careful not to pour too much. After which, grab your handy scrub brush and start to clean the stain with circular motions. If you don't have a brush, try using the towel, which you should have prepared. After a while, you should see the stain starting to disappear.
What you need to do after is to put the towel, with the clean side facing the stain. Apply pressure onto it with something heavy. You can also stand on it for a couple of minutes. The results should be evident - hydrogen peroxide is an extremely effective stain remover.