July 11, 2023
How to Get Red Wine Out of Clothes
Wine creates a wonderful vibe, and wine spills, leaving hard-to-clean stains on fabrics. If you love the first fact, you should be prepared for the second, as these two realities often go together. If you have stained a tablecloth or your favorite shirt with red wine, you can still save the item if you act fast and wisely.
Two mistakes people often make trying to remove red wine stains are trying to scrub them off and (since the first method never works) helplessly postponing the issue for tomorrow. Red wine stains become even more stubborn after that because natural pigments wine contains can permanently dye the fabric if you allow it to work for too long.
Do not regret what happened. Instead, focus on what you can do now. In our post, we will cover the dos and don’ts of red wine stain removal, giving you the shortcuts to restoring the original look of your item.
General tips on dealing with red wine stains on fabric
- Address red wine stains as fast as you can
Since most fabrics are porous materials, they easily absorb liquids and get colored with them. When it comes to red wine, the coloration can get permanent because of its natural chemicals that act like dyes. Tannins found in red wine are even used for ink manufacturing.
- Avoid scrubbing
Because of the fabric structure, moisture moves in it upward and downward. This simple physics means that scrubbing (motion directed along the fabric surface) does not help to remove the pigment from the fabric but instead locks it inside.
- Keep the wine stain away from heat
High temperatures catalyze (speed up) dyeing. So do not try to dry the stain with a hairdryer or in a dryer because it will set the pigment. Instead, try the proven stain removal methods we describe below.
- Do not cast out red with white
Even if it may seem logical to some people, white wine does not help to remove red wine stains. If you found this weird tip somewhere on the internet, don’t believe it. Adding white wine to a red wine stain will only spread the mess across the fabric.
How to remove fresh red wine stains quickly and for sure
- Blot the stain
The first step is to evacuate as much wine as possible from the fabric before cleaning. Use a white paper towel or a dry and clean white cloth to dab the stain by creating gentle pressure. Avoid scrubbing.
- Apply baking soda, table salt, or any other dry powder
The next step is to pull out the remaining pigment from the stain. The easiest way to do it is to apply absorbent. It can be something powdery like, for example, baking soda, table salt, baby powder, granulated hydrogen peroxide, powder laundry detergent, or whatever you have at hand. The liquid inside the fabric will strive to get in contact with the powder, and this will pull excess wine out of clothes.
Generously sprinkle baking soda over the stain to completely cover the spot. Leave it to work until the soda becomes wet and colored with wine. You can gently remove it with a knife and apply a fresh portion of dry baking soda to prolong the soaking action. Finally, remove the wet soda by shaking it off or vacuuming the stained area. Sometimes, this step alone is sufficient to completely remove a fresh red wine stain. Still, a good wash is still recommended.
- Flush it out with boiling water
If the stain is still visible, move on to the next step. Put your stained item in a bowl, boil one kettle of water, and start pouring boiling water from the two-foot height (distance helps to increase the force applied). Hot water helps destroy the connections between wine molecules and fabric, and the red stuff becomes easy to wash away. After emptying the kettle, leave the item to soak in hot water for ten minutes. Add some cold water into the bowl and wash the item with detergent. By this time, the stain should be completely gone. If something went wrong, and the stain is still staring at you, we prepared some other tips. You can always skip the boiling water method and try them instead.
- Use white vinegar
White vinegar helps wash away red wine pigments from fabrics. There are two methods of removing red wine stains using vinegar.
- The first one is to pour some white vinegar directly on the stain and apply some liquid detergent right after that, rubbing it into the spot. Leave it to work for an hour and wash the item in hot water with some detergent.
- The second method uses a combo of vinegar and baking soda. Sprinkle enough baking soda to cover the fresh stain. Pour white vinegar onto it. The soda will start bubbling creating lots of carbon dioxide, and this will help remove red wine molecules from the fabric. After bubbling stops, rinse your item in cool water and evaluate the result.
- Remove the stain with hot milk
The natural fat organic milk contains perfectly absorbs coloring components of red wine. Heat a small pot of milk on a stovetop until it almost boils and tip the stained part of the item into the hot milk, leaving it there to soak for 15 minutes. Then wash the item with dish soap to completely remove the wine and milk molecules from the fabric.
How to address old red wine stains
Regular laundry detergent is helpless with dried red wine stains even in very hot water. However, if you did not have a chance to address the fresh red wine stain and it dried, you still can save the item by using one of these powerful cleaning hacks:
- Dish soap plus hydrogen peroxide
Warning: this method works great on light-colored items but can cause discoloration on darker clothes. If in doubt, better play safe and test this method in an inconspicious part of clothes to check the fabric’s colorfastness before trying it on the stain.
Mix dishwashing detergent and hydrogen peroxide in a 1:3 ratio and apply this mixture to the stain. Leave it to work for 15 minutes. Then rinse it properly with water and then wash it with appropriate detergent.
- Bleach
Warning: chlorine-based bleach is a safe and proven stain red wine stain removal method, but for whites only!
So if you have red wine stains on your white tablecloth or a white shirt, just grab bleach and dilute some of it in a bowl of hot water, following the instructions on the bleach product label. Soak your item in this hot bleach bath for half an hour. We recommend soaking the whole item because even white color has shades. So if you soak your clothes partially, the bleached part may appear whiter than the non-bleached.
Rinse the item in water properly and wash it with detergent to get rid of the chlorine smell.
- Oxygen cleaner
By oxygen cleaner, we mean sodium percarbonate-based products (liquid or powder ones) often marketed as stain removers. In reaction with hot water, sodium percarbonate produces oxygen, which has great stain-loosening properties. It has a proven effect on stubborn stains such as red wine, blood, grass, etc.
The benefit of oxygen cleaners is that they go in two versions: for white and for colored clothes. Choose the product based on your situation. Apply it as mentioned on the product label and leave it to work for at least half an hour (the longer, the better) before rinsing it with water. You can skip washing it with detergent as oxygen cleaner is a detergent itself.
Removing red wine stains is not difficult if you know the dos and don’ts. Try our proven methods and find your favorite ones to deal with red wine accidents gracefully. For additional help with stain removal and cleaning around your apartment, schedule a home cleaning in NYC with White Glove Cleaner.