Your upholstery is a canvas for disasters like stains and spills. Among these stains, nothing worse or more common occurs as a red wine spills. Whether it’s your sofa, chair, or bed, the stains of red wines can leave an unsightly appearance. These stains are also extremely tricky to remove. The pigment of red wine sets deep within the upholstery fabric and needs prompt action.
Today, we will tell you how to get red wine out of upholstery. You will learn all the right techniques for stain removal and the prevention tips against future incidents.
What Makes Red Wine Stains So Difficult to Remove?
Red wine contains plant compounds called tannins that bind to other surfaces. This is why red wine leaves such stubborn stains on sofa upholstery. These tannins tend to seep deep within the fabrics, and the deeper they seep in, the harder it is to clean them. If the wine is left to dry, it gets oxidized, and the tannins bind to the fabrics more tightly.
Step By Step Guide To Get Red Wine Out Of Upholstery
No technique for removing red wine stains is effective if you don’t act fast. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to get rid of red wine out of upholstery.
Step 1: Prompt Cleaning – Blot The Stain
Whenever you or anyone spills the wine, there is a sudden urge to scrub the stain away. Hold that urge because doing so will cause the stain to spread further and seep deeper. You need to blot the fresh spill using the following steps.
- Take a clean piece of cloth or paper towel, preferably white to see how much wine is absorbed out of the upholstery fabric.
- Start blotting the stain from its outer edges towards the center to prevent it from spreading further.
- Blot as many times as possible until no more liquid can be lifted from the fabric.
- You have only absorbed the spilled wine from the upholstery, but the stain will remain. Now, you need to treat it.
Step2: Treating Red Wine Stain With A Home-made Stain Remover
There are many homemade stain removers for furniture upholstery. Most of the ingredients are already in your kitchen. Below, we have listed our proven home-made removers.
(1). Water & Baking Soda
Baking soda has amazing properties for absorbing liquids, making it ideal for removing red wine stains from upholstery.
- Mix cold water and baking soda to make a vicious paste that you can spread.
- Apply this paste on the red wine stain on the upholstery and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- After the paste has dried, vacuum it off the upholstery or wipe it clean for a stain-free surface.
(2). Vinegar & Dish Soap
This is an amazing combo of a stain remover ideal for red wine stains.
- Mix 1 tbsp of Dish soap in 1 tbsp of white vinegar and 2 cups of cold water.
- Soak a clean white cloth or paper towel and dab the stained upholstery.
- Take another clean cloth dipped in cold water to blot the area until the stain lifts.
- Once the stain is removed, let the upholstery air dry under a running fan.
(3). Salt
Yes, salt is effective in treating red wine stains because it has incredible absorbent properties. Salt easily draws out the most moisture from fabrics.
- Pour plenty of table salt on the red wine spill.
- Let this salt rest for about a few hours, and it will turn pink, a sign of wine absorption.
- Vacuum the salt when it has absorbed enough wine.
Getting Dried Red Wine Stains Out Of Upholstery
Unluckily, you were not able to clean a fresh red wine stain, and now it has all dried up. These stains are stubborn, but they can still be removed with the right technique. We have 2 proven methods for them.
Method 1: Using The Dish Soap & Hydrogen Peroxide Solution
You might have heard about hydrogen peroxide, which is a bleaching agent. If you plan to use it, use it carefully, especially for dark-colored upholstery fabrics.
- Mix dish soap and hydrogen peroxide to make a cleaner in 1:2.
- Apply this cleaning solution directly to the stain and blot it.
- Let it rest for 20 minutes, and rinse it with cold water.
You can repeat it a few times, but be careful of the fabric losing its color.
Method 2: Baking Soda & Club Soda Solution
You might have seen it in many cleaning tutorials; Club Soda is a wonderful way to remove old stains. Carbonation in the soda helps break those wine particles.
- Spread some club soda on the stain.
- Start blotting it with a clean piece of cloth. Following this, apply the baking soda paste to it.
- Now, let it rest for half an hour before wiping away the dried-up paste.
Prevention Tips Against Red Wine Stains
Prevention is always better than treatment, a great proverb that we agree with. This is why we recommend using these tips to prevent future stains from occurring.
- Make use of slipcovers on your upholstery, particularly the expensive, delicate ones. These slipcovers can be cleaned easily in the washing machine.
- Accidents are bound to happen, so you need to clean them promptly. For that, you need to keep a bottle of quality stain remover underneath the sink.
- Use wine markers or drink covers to serve wine to your guests. This small detail allows the guests to know their drink and prevents them from knocking over glasses by accident.
Final Say
That was all about how to get red wine out of upholstery. There is no way around it; red wine stains are brutal to remove. However, the right cleaning techniques can save your precious furniture upholstery from looking awful. Use this cleaning guide and the prevention tips afterward to keep your upholstery looking fresh.
