Remove Red Wine from Fabric

Whether you're a red wine enthusiast or you're serving it to a group of people (and you know there's a good chance some of it will end up on someone's clothes, the sofa, or the tablecloth) here are some ways you can pull out the stain before it sets. The important thing is to use any of these solutions as soon as possible after the wine was spilled.

Club Soda Method (Wet Stain)

 * 1)  Pour club soda over the stain, letting it bubble up.
 * 2)  Pour generous amounts until wine comes out of the fabric and the stain is gone.
 * 3)  Let fabric dry.
 * 4)  Use paper towels to clean up seltzer that has spilled onto surrounding surfaces.

Salt Method (Wet Stain)

 * 1) If the wine was just spilled, cover the fabric with a thick layer of table salt.  The salt will absorb the wine & can be brushed off in about an hour.

Club Soda and Salt Method (Wet Stain)

 * 1) Before the stain dries, pour club soda liberally on and around the red wine.
 * 2) Pour salt onto the stain, so the red color can no longer be seen.
 * 3) Wait until the fabric dries, and scrape the salt into the garbage.

Milk Method (Wet Stain)

 * 1)  Blot up excess red wine with a tea towel or paper towel. Make sure not to rub.
 * 2)  Pour or blot the stain with milk as soon as possible.
 * 3)  Let as much milk as you can soak into the stain.
 * 4)  The stain should be gone in about an hour or less.

Soap and Hydrogen Peroxide Method (Wet Stain)

 * 1)  Blot red wine out of the fabric using clean cloth or paper towels, making sure not to rub. See Tips and Warnings below.
 * 2)  Mix equal parts of hydrogen peroxide and household soap that is safe for the fabric involved (e.g. ivory dish soap) in a container.
 * 3)  Blot this onto stain, and blot with dry paper towels.
 * 4)  Continue until stain is removed.

Hot Water Method (Wet Stain)

 * 1) Boil water.
 * 2) Stretch the fabric over a pan in the sink.
 * 3) Stand on a chair and pour the boiling water onto the fabric from 3-4 feet above.

Kitty Litter Method (Wet Stain)

 * 1) Lay out the shirt in a dry bathtub.
 * 2) Sprinkle about 1/2" of kitty litter over the entire stain.
 * 3) Press down the kitty litter with your hands softly to absorb the wine.
 * 4) Vacuum the kitty litter off, dont let it go down the drain it will clog.

Shaving Cream Method (Dry Stain)

 * 1)  Use if wine stain has completely dried.
 * 2)  Pretreat fabric with shaving cream, work into stain. Place in washing machine, using hot or warm water.

White Wine and Baking Soda Method (Dry Stain)

 * 1) Soak the red wine stain in white wine.
 * 2) Cover the stain with a thick baking soda paste.
 * 3) Leave it on for a few hours. Spray it periodically to keep it moist.
 * 4) Wash as usual.

Vodka Method (Dry Stain)

 * 1) Soak the stain in vodka.
 * 2) Wash as usual.

Tips

 * Always blot, never rub. Rubbing will work the wine deeper into the fibers, making the stain more likely to set.
 * You can use whatever soap is safe for your particular fabrics. Make sure you use BOTH hydrogen peroxide and the soap for that method to work.
 * Professional dry cleaners have chemicals not readily available to the public, and really good ones have the training and experience to use them, as well as the equipment (steam/vacuum table) necessary to apply and remove the stains and chemicals from the garment and environment. The longer a stain is in, the harder it is to remove.

Warnings

 * Hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent, so you may not want to use it on colored fabrics.
 * Don't apply heat (dryer, iron) to the stained area until the stain is gone.

Related

 * How to Remove Red Wine Spill from Carpet
 * How to Remove Ink Stains from Leather
 * How to Get Salt Stains out of Your Car's Carpet
 * How to Stop Carpet Stains from Resurfacing
 * How to Remove Ink Stains from Leather