The holiday season officially kicks off with next week’s Thanksgiving celebrations. Soon your home will be packed with friends and family toasting the good times shared in 2010. Wine and other celebratory beverages are common at holiday parties, but unfortunately, there are times when the fun goes too far and spilled red wine stains your holiday festivities.
Don’t let a vino stains put a damper on your seasonal fun. Rather, arm yourself with these cleaning tips aimed at removing red wine stains from a variety of surfaces:
Salt: If red wine spills on carpet or fabric upholstery tend to it immediately. Treat the stain by sprinkling salt on it, and then rinsing with cold water. In most cases if you act fast enough this method will remove the stain.
Cold Water: If the red wine stain is on your shirt or pants, then you will need the assistance of a washing machine. Place the affected clothing item on a flat surface and pretreat with a commercial stain remover. If the stain is large, then allow it to sit for a while before washing it. Before you add the stained garment to the washing machine make sure that the water temperature is set to “cold.” Warm or hot water can cause the stain to set. Once the clothing item is run through a regular wash cycle, check it to see if the stain is gone. If it is not, then repeat the cleaning process. It is important that the entire stain is gone before you place the garment in the dryer.
Baking Soda: Another cleaning option is to combine water and baking soda to make a paste. The mixture can be used to eliminate red wine from a variety of different fabrics. Simply mix together three tablespoons of baking soda and one-quarter of a cup of cold water. Next, gently apply the paste, making sure that you don’t rub or scrub it into the fabric. Allow the paste to sit for a while; then rinse the area with cold water.
Your final option is to use commercial cleaning solutions. There are a number of cleaners designed specifically to remove red wine stains from various types of fabrics, though the most popular are Wine Away, See No Vino, and Wine Out.