Getting Wine Stains Out of Fabric

Its one of those moments that everyone dreads, when the wine is making its way onto clothes or furnishings. First there is a pause whilst everyone puts down their wine glasses, considers what has happened, and then the suggestions start. Everyone has an opinion on the best action to take, and it’s hard to know which is right. If you do have an accident, here is when actions you should be taking

Red wine. If you don’t approach the stain in the right way, red wine can be a permanent addition to any fabric. There has long been a myth that the best action to take if you spill red wine is to pour white wine all over it.What works a whole lot better is pouring over the stain a mix of talcum powder and a little ammonia. Leave for 2-3 hours for the powder to absorb all the wine and dry out and then hoover it up and stain should be gone. The other option is to use white vinegar and pour this over the wine which breaks up the colouring and makes it easier to mop up. Leave again for 30min and then mop up with hot water and detergent

White Wine. Spilling white wine is not nearly as bad a red because it has much less tannin in it (the coloring in wine). The best option for getting up white wine is sponging it with hot soapy water. The smell can then be tackled using either a carpet cleaner or talcum powder again.

Champagne. If you spill champagne on your clothing or carpet it’s not the end of the world to leave it a little while before mopping it up. You might want to do this because the bubbles found in champagne work to remove dirt withing soft furnishings by breaking it up and lifting it away from the fabric. Holding glass vases or crystal vases over the spill will keep it from drying out and the cleaning effect will go on for longer.