How to Get Red Wine Out of Clothes, Carpet, and Couches

Red wine looks like it will never come out. Usually it does, as long as you skip hot water and don’t rub.

In this guide

1. What you’ll need
2. Why wine stains
3. How to remove red wine from clothes
4. How to remove red wine from carpet
5. How to remove red wine from upholstery
6. What about a dried or old stain?
7. Mistakes to avoid
8. FAQ

What you’ll need

• Clean white cloths or paper towels
• Cold water
• Liquid dish soap (clear, no dyes)
• 3% hydrogen peroxide (the brown drugstore bottle)
• Salt or baking soda (optional, for fresh spills)
• Enzyme or oxygen laundry booster (optional)

Why wine stains

Red wine gets its color from grape pigments called anthocyanins and from tannins. Heat sets both of these, which is why hot water and the dryer make the stain permanent. Cold water and a mild oxidizer such as hydrogen peroxide break the pigment down.

How to remove red wine from clothes

1. Blot right away. Press a clean cloth on the spill to soak up the liquid. Rubbing pushes the wine deeper into the fibers.
2. Flush from the back. Turn the garment inside out and run cold water through the back of the stain. This pushes the wine out the way it came in.
3. Apply the soap-and-peroxide mix. Stir 1 teaspoon of dish soap into 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide. Dab it onto the stain and let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes.
4. Rinse and check. Rinse with cold water. If you still see color, repeat step 3.
5. Wash cold. Wash as usual in cold water, adding an oxygen booster if the care label allows.
6. Air-dry. Put the item in the dryer only after the stain is completely gone.

Test first: peroxide can lighten some dyes. On colored fabric, try it on an inside seam first. On silk, wool, or anything labeled “dry clean only,” blot it and take it to a dry cleaner.

How to remove red wine from carpet

1. Blot from the outside of the spill toward the center so it doesn’t spread.
2. Pour a little cold water on the stain and blot again. Repeat until the cloth comes up barely pink.
3. Cover a fresh spill with salt or baking soda. It pulls out the remaining liquid. Let it dry, then vacuum.
4. Treat what’s left. Mix 1 tablespoon dish soap, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, and 2 cups warm (not hot) water. Sponge it on, then blot.
5. For stubborn color on light carpet, dab on 3% hydrogen peroxide, wait an hour, then blot with cold water. Test it in a closet corner first.
6. Rinse with plain water and blot dry. Soap left in the carpet attracts dirt.

How to remove red wine from upholstery

Check the cleaning code on the tag under the cushion:

Code	Meaning	What to use
W	Water-based cleaners OK	Use the carpet method above. Use as little liquid as possible.
S	Solvent only	Blot, then use a dry-cleaning solvent or call a pro
W/S	Either	Water method first
X	Vacuum only	Blot and call a professional

What about a dried or old stain?

1. Soak the item in cold water with an oxygen booster (such as an OxiClean-type powder) for 1 to 8 hours.
2. Then use the soap-and-peroxide method.
3. Old stains can take two or three rounds. Be patient. The dryer is what makes a stain permanent, so keep the item out of it until the stain is gone.

Mistakes to avoid

• Hot water or the dryer. Heat sets the stain.
• White wine “to cancel it out.” It just adds more liquid and spreads the stain.
• Rubbing. Grinds the wine into the fibers.
• Bleach on colors. It will leave a pale spot.

FAQ

Does club soda work? It’s basically water, so it can help flush the stain. Plain cold water works just as well.

Can I use vinegar? Yes, on carpet, mixed with dish soap. Never mix vinegar with bleach.

Will the stain come out of a white tablecloth? Usually. Soak it in cold water with an oxygen booster, then wash it. For white cotton, chlorine bleach is a last resort. Follow the label.