Vino-Club For Wine Lovers
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It’s a nightmare when you’ve had red wine spilt all over your newly fitted carpet, or down your brand new white top. Here are some tips from our members, no guarantees on their results!
A common way to get stains out
As soon as a stain occurs, blot it immediately with paper towels. Make sure you use white paper towels and not coloured ones, otherwise you will just add to the stain. Avoid scrubbing or rubbing the stain excessively, as this can cause the stain to further penetrate the fabric. Mix together one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and one cup of hydrogen peroxide into a small bowl. (Always test a small patch of fabric before using peroxide, as it is a bleaching agent and could potentially bleach some coloured fabrics. We also recommend the wearing of protective rubber or latex gloves). Soak a clean sponge in the mixture squeezing it halfway dry. Then, gently blot the stain. Continue doing this until the stain lifts. Sponge the stained area with warm water and blot dry with a clean cloth or paper towels.
For garments: after blotting the stain, check to see if the stain has gone through to the back of the fabric. If it hasn’t, place a dry towel between the front and back of the garment. This will prevent staining on the back of the material. Check the washing instructions on the label of the fabric. If machine washable, wash in cool water and air dry. If the fabric is hand-wash only, wash gently in the sink with a mild detergent.
Some alternative methods
White wine
This is great for fresh or dried stains as it helps bleach out the red colour. Just pour it over the stain and let it work its magic into the stain. If you have spilled red wine on a tablecloth, cover the stain with white wine. Run the tablecloth through the wash and voila, no stain. This works a treat, and is a great excuse to keep stacks of white wine in the fridge.
Commercial wine stain remover
There are many of these on the market and it is certainly worth having one around just in case. Why not grab yourself a bottle of “Wine Away”. It is a red wine stain remover which works on fresh stains as well as set-in stains. Check out this website here to find out more.
Salt
This is great to use on red wine stains. Dab the stained area with clean water and soak with salt, a lot of salt. When it’s dry, vacuum up the salt or wash.
Soda water
As soon as you spill any wine on a tablecloth, use paper towels to blot up as much as you can, then pour soda water onto the stain and leave for 10 to 30 seconds. Blot up and repeat.
Shaving cream
Foam it over the stain and leave for a minute or so, then rub it in. This works wonders on stains.
Milk
Soak the stain in milk over night, and in the morning wash as usual. Surprisingly enough this does actually work!
Talcum powder
Cover the stain with talcum powder, allowing the area to soak it up. Either vacuum or wash afterwards.
