How to Get Red Wine Out of a Carpet (Fresh and Dried)

House parties are often great fun. You get to spend quality time with your friends, have a laugh, and perhaps a drink or two. If you love hosting, you’ll probably agree that cleaning up after a gathering is the least pleasant part of the whole event.

The only thing that can make it worse is discovering a giant red wine stain on your fancy carpet.

If you happen to notice the spill right after a glass goes flying, cleaning it up won’t be a huge deal, especially if you act fast. However, dried-up wine stains are a whole different kettle of fish.

But don’t panic just yet – you’ve come to the right place! In this post, we’ll teach you how to remove red wine stains from your carpet, both fresh and dried.

Keep on reading if you:

• Have ended up with red wine on your carpet after a party;
• Are on the clumsier side and like to knock your drink to the ground often;
• Want to know how to deal with the spill without making it worse.

There are several different methods you can use to remove red wine from a carpet, depending on the rug’s material and the age and severity of the stain. We’ll take a look at the most effective ones below:

Removing red wine with club soda

If the spill has just happened, covering it with club soda (if you have any lying around) is an effective solution. It requires a bit more patience and elbow grease, but it’s worth it.

Use on: fresh stains

What you need: cloths or paper towels, club soda

1. Blot.
   First, blot up as much liquid as you can with a clean, white cloth or paper towel.
2. Pour club soda.
   Cover the stain with a bit of club soda, then blot it up with a clean cloth.
3. Repeat.
   Keep pouring club soda over the stain and blotting until it disappears. Keep in mind that the cloth you’re using will get saturated with red wine, so you’ll need to switch it often, or use a bunch of paper towels.

How to get red wine out of a carpet with salt

This method works best for fresh stains, but it can help with dried up wine, too – you just need to moisten it up a bit first.

Use on: fresh stains, dried stains

What you need: cloth or paper towels, salt, cold water (optional), vacuum cleaner

1. Blot.
   Take a cloth or paper towel and blot out as much of the wine as possible. If the stain has dried up, apply a bit of water to moisten it. Just a bit, though – you don’t want the carpet to be dripping wet.
2. Cover with salt.
   After you’ve soaked up the liquid, cover the stain with a good amount of salt, spreading it evenly.
3. Let it sit.
   You’ll see the salt slowly turn a light pink colour – this means it’s absorbing the wine. Let the salt sit on the stain for as long as possible.
4. Remove the salt and vacuum.
   Once the salt has dried up, remove it with the help of a spoon. Then, vacuum the area to clean up any leftovers. If you spot any particles afterwards, apply some water and repeat the vacuuming process.

Removing red wine stains from a carpet with baking soda

Baking soda is a popular cleaning ingredient in many homes. Unsurprisingly, it can be a lifesaver if you’ve spilt red wine on the carpet, too.

Use on: fresh stains, dried stains

What you need: cloth or paper towels, baking soda, cold water, vacuum cleaner

1. Blot.
   Soak up as much of the liquid as you can with a clean cloth or paper towel. If the stain is old or has dried up, skip this step.
2. Moisten.
   Apply some cold water over the wine spot. This will dilute what’s left of the stain and help the blotting process. Dab the wet area until the wine stops transferring to the cloth.
3. Prepare baking soda mixture.
   Combine three parts baking soda with one part water to create a paste. Apply the mixture directly over the red wine stain and let it sit there until it’s completely dry.
4. Clean up.
   After the baking soda paste has had a chance to work its magic, vacuum the area. You need to make sure the mixture is 100% dry before you clean it up. Once you’ve removed the paste, gently fluff up the carpet fibres with your hand.

Treating red wine stains with white wine and baking soda

You’ve probably heard that white wine can help remove red wine stains from a carpet. While pouring more wine on your carpet seems counterproductive, it really does work! You see, white wine has the superpower to dilute red wine spots, much like water.

Use on: fresh stains, dried stains

What you need: clean sponge, white wine, baking soda, cold water, heavy object, vacuum cleaner

1. Pour white wine.
   Grab a bottle of white wine and pour it over the affected area.
2. Soak it up.
   Using a clean sponge, gently blot the stain. You’ll see the white wine taking some of the red wine with it. Continue until you’ve soaked up as much liquid as you can.
3. Cover with baking soda.
   Prepare a baking soda paste (one part water and three parts baking soda) and spread it evenly over the spot.
4. Lay a clean towel.
   Place a towel on top of the stain and put some sort of weight over it, like a heavy book (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be perfect). The pressure from the weight will help the baking soda clean the red wine stain even better.
5. Clean up.
   Remove the dried paste from the carpet with the help of a vacuum cleaner. If you see any residue after you are done, moisten the spot with some water and run the vacuum over it again.

Get red wine out of a carpet with vinegar and dishwashing liquid

Just like baking soda, white vinegar is a much-beloved cleaning ingredient that can do wonders or your red wine-stained rug.

Use on: fresh stains, dried stains

What you need: cloth or paper towels, water, white vinegar, dishwashing liquid, sponge, drying towel

And, if some of your guests went a little too crazy, vinegar and baking soda can help you clean sick off your carpet and remove its smell.

Remove red wine stains with hydrogen peroxide and dishwashing liquid

If the stain is on the tougher side, you might need to resort to a stronger solution, such as a hydrogen peroxide mixture. It’s also a great way to remove blood stains from carpets (although we hope your party didn’t get that out of hand).

Use on: dried stains

What you need: cloth, hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, spray bottle, water, drying towel

1. Prepare a cleaning mixture.
   In a container, pour a good amount of dishwashing soap, followed by some peroxide. Stir the solution well.
2. Dab.
   Dip a clean rag into the dish soap and peroxide solution. Use gentle, dabbing motions to distribute the DIY detergent on top of the wine stain, then leave it there for a couple of minutes.
3. Moisten.
   Get yourself a spray bottle, fill it up with cold water and add some dish soap. Shake the bottle and spray the stain with the mixture. Of course, blot the treated area afterwards.
4. Rinse and dry.
   After you are done with the main cleaning part, remove the sticky soap residue with warm water and a clean towel. Again, use only patting motions and dry out the carpet at the end.

Cleaning tips to remember

Before you even think about grabbing the sponge, there are a few things you need to keep in mind, so you don’t end up ruining your carpet.

Get help from seasoned professionals

As you’ve probably figured out by now, dealing with red wine stains is an unpleasant way to spend your time. And let’s not forget that there is always the chance of ruining your rug thanks to an incorrectly performed DIY cleaning method.

This is where Fantastic Services comes in. We offer professional hot water extraction cleaning that will revive your carpet and save you a lot of time from cleaning it. The treatment is done by certified and fully-insured carpet cleaning technicians, who use eco-friendly & highly effective products to achieve the best results.

Takeaways

• Depending on the stain and your carpet, you can use methods like salt, club soda, baking soda, dish soap, white vinegar, or hydrogen peroxide.
• Don’t apply any sort of heat to the stain. It will only make the situation worse because the wine spot will set into the carpet fibres.
• No matter the method you’ve chosen, always do a spot test on a hidden part on your rug or carpet.
• Never rub fresh red wine stains; instead, use gentle patting motions.
• Know when you’ve met your match and just hire an expert. Some wine stains just won’t come off, especially if they’ve had the chance to settle in. When this happens, it’s best to call a professional carpet cleaning company to take care of the problem.

So, you’ve managed to rid your rug of all the stains. But why does it stink so bad all of a sudden? Find out why your carpet might smell after cleaning in our helpful post!

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We hope you found our guide on how to get wine out of a carpet informative and helpful. Feel free to share your carpet cleaning experience in the comment section below!

Header image source: Depositphotos / AndreyPopov

Whichever method of cleaning or smell removal you choose, remember to always do a test on a small inconspicuous area. Depending on the size, nature, and age of the stains, some of them might be impossible to remove. We cannot take responsibility if any of the above-mentioned methods do not work on your carpets.