Are you someone who has watched in horror as a glass of red wine…YOUR glass of red wine, hurtles towards a carpet, tablecloth or area of upholstery? Maybe you are the owner of said carpet, tablecloth or upholstered furnishing that was bathed in red wine? Either way, you will probably want to know if you can remove the inevitable stains that would result. In this article, we are going to look at the ways you can eliminate those stains from a rug.

Old and Antique Rugs Are an Exception

Before we look at the best methods for removing wine stains from rugs, let’s consider antique and Oriental rugs. They are a bit of an exception to the rule. While the first few steps (blotting up the wine and gently dabbing with water) are appropriate, the use of any sort of cleaning solutions should be seen as the ultimate no-no.

Why? Most fine rugs are made of natural fibers (silk, wool, or cotton) and the strong chemicals in the cleansing products can damage or destroy the fibers as well as removing the natural, often vegetable based, dyes used in these artisan pieces.

The Basic Method

So, no matter what sort of rug has recently been bathed in red wine, the first step is to soak up the wine and excess wine as soon as possible. You’ll need nothing more than dry, white towels that you can use to blot the stain from the outside inward. This prevents you from inadvertently expanding the stain and forcing the fluids outward.

Blot gently and keep turning the cloth to a clean and unused area with each press to ensure maximum wine absorption. When the cloth consistently comes up clean, and yet there is still a stain, the next step is to turn to clean, cold water.

Dip the cloth in some cold, clean water and dab at the stain’s outer edges. Be careful that you do not soak the carpet but instead get the water to bind a bit to the wine and then dab with a dry cloth to absorb it all.

Test Your Cleanser

For most people, the blotting method can eliminate a lot of the stain, but it may not get it all. This means you can turn to DIY solutions that may work. You must always do a tiny test of your chosen formula before applying to the rug. The most common formulas include baking soda and water in a 3:1 ratio. This makes a paste that can be applied to the stain, allowed to dry and vacuumed away.

Club soda is often used, as is vinegar diluted with water, dish soap and a few drops of peroxide can be used, as well as a paste made of salt.

Should you use any of them? That is up to you. However, if your rug is valuable, you may want to limit your interventions to the blotting and water treatment, and then call in an expert. They can preserve the carpet’s stability and quality while using effective methods to remove the stain.