Removing red wine stains – advice from a professional carpet cleaner

How do you get a red wine stain out of a carpet? With a little help from the professionals of course!

How to clean a red wine stain

There are very many variables to consider when trying to remove a red wine stain from a carpet such as the type of carpet BUT one of the most important questions is whether the red wine stain is recent or fresh if you like, or if it’s been there for some time and whether a well meaning family friend or family member has inadvertently worked the stain further into the carpet by trying to clean it without considering the consequences. If the red wine stain is old and has dried in or has been worked on then call Red Kite Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning on 01494 531283 because the chances are you’re going to need the help and support of a carpet cleaning professional.

There are very many over the counter products you can buy to remove red wine stains, in fact many of these products claim to remove all manner of stains from your carpets…but don’t be fooled.

Having been trained by the experts in carpet cleaning and red wine stain removal by the NCCA and Woolsafe, and with many years experience in dealing with this type of stain we would recommend that you don’t reach for any over the counter products that promise the removal all manner of stains. Professional carpet cleaners such as ourselves have an arsenal of professional products at our finger-tips and there are very specific stain removing products for red wine. Why would you expect any one product to successfully remove make up, ink, urine, and red wine stains when they are all so different?

But there is something you can do in the aftermath of a spillage.

Follow these simple steps if the red wine stain on our carpet is fresh and you don’t have a professional carpet cleaning spotting or removal product to hand. First of all don’t panic and take the time to assemble your “kit” before tackling the red wine stain and be patient and meticulous.

Using a white cotton cloth or kitchen towel blot the red wine stain using a consistent pressure and its important that you don’t rub or scrub. Continue to blot the area absorbing the spillage until the excess is removed.
Mix up a solution of white wine vinegar and water in the ratio of 1 part white vinegar to 4 parts cold water and put the solution into a spray bottle.

Lightly mist the area of the red wine stain and, using your white cotton cloth or kitchen towel, continue to blot the area and repeat this process as required.

When you are satisfied that no further wine is present place a weight such as a a dictionary on top of the white cotton cloth or a wad (of 6 or 8 pieces) of kitchen towel and leave overnight.

Woolsafe have produced some handy 90 second videos as a visual aid just click on the advice page on our website if you are in any doubt about how to proceed.

NB: Unfortunately, there can never be a 100% guarantee of complete removal of any stain, but the correct remedial process will give your professional carpet cleaner the best possible chance of success.

Good Luck.