How to Remove Wine Stains

Host without the stress of the mess

No red stains here, or white either

Let’s set the scene: you’re hosting an event worthy of pulling out the nice tablecloth you rarely use because you’re terrified of it getting ruined. You even feel so bold as to wear a brand new top you haven’t taken the tags off yet for the same reason. Red wine is the obvious choice to pair with the food and energy of your party, but that one guest* (maybe it’s yourself) swiftly spills a heaping glass onto the special tablecloth, your new top, and the rug under your table…yeah, worst case scenario here. 

A seemingly costly debacle. But the story doesn’t have to end there. Read on for ten ways to easily remove wine stains after disasters unfold.

If you’re rethinking who to not invite to your party…see here: How To Make Your Guest List

Kidding…maybe.

1. Wine Away

Wine manager experts say that Wine Away spray is their go-to when getting rid of red wine stains. It can be used on many surfaces, upholstery, rugs, and clothing included.

Spray the product to completely cover the stain, and let it sit for several minutes. Dab (don’t rub!) the stain until it is gone. The best part about this stain remover is that it works on fresh, wet stains as well as ones that have set in for who knows how long.

2. Try another brand of spot remover

There are a few products that work just about as well as wine away: Folex Carpet Spot Remover and Stain Devils (sounds about right) Fruit and Drink are viable options known to work wonders on tough red wine stains.

3. Keep a Tide pen handy

If you are a regular red wine spiller and have thrown away one too many shirts and pants, sporting a portable Tide To-Go pen could save the day and your outfit. 

4. Spill white wine…? (yes!)

As crazy as it sounds, this isn’t a joke. After a spill of red, immediately pour white wine right on top, blot the spots, and it should cancel out the red color. By some chemical phenomenon, the white wine dissolves the compound that gives red wine its hue. Note: This must be done right away.

5. Or seltzer, or soda water

Similar to the white wine, seltzer water and soda water cancel out the red wine color. So, if the party also has mixed drinks with either of those options, you are in luck. Again, this must be done right away.

6. Check for white vinegar

In most homes, white vinegar is somewhere in the cabinet—maybe tucked behind plenty of other liquids—but it’s there. When using vinegar, first blot the stain as much as you can, then soak it in vinegar before washing the material with cold water.

7. Hydrogen peroxide

Not recommended for delicate clothing, hydrogen peroxide is better served to help with red wine stains on white tablecloths. Continuously blotting and soaking the stain should mostly remove it.

Warning: Do not place stained material in the dryer or it will turn reddish pink forever. We recommend air-drying. You’ve been warned.

8. Dawn dish soap (blue only!)

 Specifically the blue Dawn dish soap can work some magic on fabrics, but it’s best to try this only if all else fails. 

9. Boiling hot water

Boiling water and pouring it over stains slowly could do the trick if you can be patient, giving it a couple tries. Doesn’t sound very party-friendly to us though, so only if you’ve now transformed this party into a wine-stain experiment gathering…

10. Salt and/or baking soda

Start with blotting (again, not rubbing) as much of the stain as possible. Then sprinkle salt and/or baking soda over it. Let it sit for three minutes, then run cold water over it. Repeat if the stain hasn’t completely disappeared.

*Sigh of relief* as your tablecloth, top, and rug are restored to their initial states. Worst case scenario turned best case scenario; a happy end to your red wine stain story is bound to be when you have ten options to choose from. But, we really hope your party doesn’t turn into a science experiment. Though if you’re shooting to go viral on TikTok…

Happy holiday season. And happy “wine for any reason in every season” of course.

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