Wine is a fantastic drink. It’s refreshing, relaxing, and great to have with company. However, wine can stain carpets in a big way!
When you have wine stains on your carpet, you may feel embarrassed because of the red blotches on the floor. Thankfully, there are ways you can remove those wine stains from your carpet so that you don’t have to worry about them any longer.
Red wine is a common stain on carpets because it contains high tannin content. Tannins are polyphenolic compounds found in many plants, trees, and vines like grapevines. They are also soluble in water as well as acids.
When red wine is left to sit on the carpet for too long, tannins begin to seep into the fibers and cause discoloration and staining. Keep reading to learn tips on how to remove pesky red wine stains from your carpet!
White Vinegar
White vinegar is an excellent cleaner for all kinds of stains. It is a mild acid that breaks down tannins and other stains.
How to Use it:
- Use a clean white cloth or sponge and soak it in white vinegar.
- Apply the vinegar to the stain
- Let it sit for about 10 minutes (Follow the instructions on the back of the vinegar bottle for the appropriate amount for your type of carpet)
- When the time is up, use the same cloth or sponge and rinse the area with water.
Depending on how much wine has spilled, you might need to repeat this process more than once. Be careful not to let the vinegar sit on the carpet for too long because it can destroy the carpet’s fibers.
Baking Soda
Baking soda is an excellent cleaner and a natural deodorizer. To clean the wine stain, take fine sandpaper and lightly sand over the stained area of the carpet. This sanding will help scratch up the stain so that the baking soda can more easily work to remove it.
After you’ve sanded the stain, take the baking soda and shake it on top of the stain. Then, take a clean white cloth or sponge and pour water over the baking soda. Let the baking soda and water sit on the stain for about 30 minutes.
For best results, follow the instructions on the back of the baking soda box.
Dish Detergent
Using dish detergent to remove a stain from your carpet can be a great idea because it has a potent cleaning agent that can break down the stain.
How to Use it:
- Before applying the detergent, blot up as much of the stain as possible with paper towels.
- Use a bowl of ice water and a clean rag to blot the wine.
- Sprinkle dish detergent on the stain
- Let it sit for at least 15 minutes.
- Use a spatula or your hands to gently rub the stain in small circles until it is gone.
- Take a clean white cloth or sponge and pour a bit of dish detergent on it.
- When the time is up, use the same cloth or sponge and rinse the area with water.
Depending on how much wine has spilled, you might also need to repeat this process more than once. Be careful not to let the dish detergent sit on the carpet too long because it can also break down the carpet’s fibers.
Dry-Erase Markers
Dry-erase markers are usually used to write on whiteboards and blackboards. However, dry-erase markers also can work on red wine stains.
How to Use Them:
- Take a dry-erase marker and put it on the stain.
- Let the dry-erase marker sit on the stain for about 30 minutes.
- When the time is up, take the dry-erase marker off the stain.
Ammonia
Ammonia is a common household cleaning ingredient, so it isn’t surprising that it can also be used to clean wine stains!
To begin, add one ounce of ammonia to a solution of five ounces of warm water. Soak the stain in this solution for at least 15 minutes, then blot it up with a white cloth and rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water. Repeat as needed until no more stains appear.
The ammonia should cause the stain to break down and be absorbed into the carpet fibers. The resulting discoloration should dissipate over time if you follow the steps outlined above.
When mixed with a bit of water, it can remove substances such as red wine and grease from your carpets and rugs. If left on the carpet for too long, it can damage the pile and make it look worn or uneven.
Bleach
While many believe that bleach is the best way to clean red wine stains out of carpets, it isn’t the best solution.
It can actually make things worse! When you use bleach to clean a carpet stain, it can react with the polymers in carpet fibers and cause them to break down. This can permanently damage the carpet fibers, making them less able to soak up liquids or handle high temperatures in the future.
In addition, bleach tends to dry out your carpet by removing crucial oils from the fibers. To avoid these problems, consider testing a small carpet area first before using a lot of bleach on the entire carpet. If you decide to use bleach, dilute it with water first, so it doesn’t affect the carpet fibers too much.
Conclusion
Now you can relax the next time you invite your friends over for drinks! It’s easy enough to clean the stains away before they have a chance to dry and become a permanent stain on your carpet. If the stains have set, you still have a good chance of getting them out using the tips mentioned above.
If you don’t feel like going through the hassle of cleaning out the stains yourself, or you have a pesky stain that won’t come out, try a professional carpet clean! Here at Queen Bee Cleaning, we specialize in high quality carpet cleaning services. Click here to learn more!
