How to Get Red Wine Stains Out of Carpet

Updated: Oct 16th, 2024

Carpets are popular home flooring for their luxurious feel, but they can pose a major problem: staining. Lighter shades are especially prone to showing spills. However, there is hope — if you can learn how to get red wine out of carpet, you can tackle nearly any stain. Find Carpet and Area Rug Cleaning services in Grand Forks and Fargo, ND.

How To Remove Fresh Red Wine Stains from Carpets

Red wine is notorious for staining because it’s so vibrant and sets quickly. If you want to save your flooring, you need to learn how to get red wine out of carpet when it happens as fast as possible.

Fortunately, we have a few tips for homeowners in the Red River Valley. If you have a wine accident in your living room, you can remove the stain with these seven steps.

Act Fast to Remove Red Wine Stains

The number one thing to remember is that it’s much harder to remove red wine once it sets in the carpet. So you must start cleaning as soon as you realize there’s a spill.

Try Water First

No matter the spill, you should try using water first. In this case, the water dilutes the wine, making it easier to lift away.

Don’t Scrub, Blot Instead

Your first instinct may be to scrub, but that can spread the stain. Instead, blot away moisture by firmly pressing your cleaning cloth into the carpet and allowing it to absorb the wine.

Stick to White Cloth

You can use a towel, washcloth, or rag to blot the stain, but make sure whatever you use is white. Otherwise, the cleaning agents can cause the dye to bleed, further staining your flooring.

Cold Water Time

If the spill is fresh, always use cold water, never warm or hot. Hot water will dilute the wine, but it can also cause it to spread and set.

Use a Cleaning Solution

If water alone isn’t doing the trick, you can use a cleaning solution. There are plenty on the shelves for you to try, or you can take the DIY approach:

• Club soda
• White vinegar and dish soap
• Hydrogen peroxide

Club soda and the vinegar-and-dish-soap solution break down stains, making them easier to remove. However, hydrogen peroxide lifts color (that’s why it’s used to bleach everything from hair to teeth). So only use this cleaning agent if your carpet is white or very light, as it can discolor darker shades.

Be Patient

You may have to repeat these steps multiple times to get all the red wine out of your carpet. While you want to work quickly, you also need to avoid scrubbing.

How to Get Dried Red Wine Out of Carpets

What if you have an old stain, or you weren’t able to clean the spill before it dried? Fear not – there are ways to return your carpet to its former glory. Here’s how to get red wine out of carpet if it’s already dried.

Rent or Buy a Carpet Cleaner

If the stain is old, the red wine has soaked and set into the fibers, meaning you need a deep clean to work it loose. That means you’ll need some heavy-duty equipment. Fortunately, many places sell or rent carpet cleaners.

Steam Cleaner

Steam cleaners use heated water vapor to break down stains. They then suction the moisture and stain particles away, much like a vacuum cleaner.

You can rent steam cleaners from specialty shops or even your local grocery store. However, they can be cumbersome, meaning you should expect a workout if you use one.

Dry Carpet Cleaner

“Dry” carpet cleaning is a bit of a misnomer because there’s moisture involved. However, it’s a much lower level than steam cleaning, which means a lower risk of water lingering in carpet fibers and creating mold or mildew.

So, how does a dry carpet cleaner break down stains? It uses cleaning agents that dissolve stain particles. The downside is that these agents may leave a residue that changes the texture of your carpet.

Get Professional Help Cleaning Red Wine Stains on Your Carpets

Professional cleaners know how to get red wine out of carpet, and they’ve likely done it dozens if not hundreds of times. In fact, cleaning technicians can handle all kinds of stains, even ones that seem impossible to remove. Here in Red River Valley, you can quickly contact companies such as Steamatic of the Red River Valley, which answer emergencies 24/7.

So, is it worth paying a professional when you can try stain removal yourself? Honestly, yes. When you hire cleaning technicians, you’re getting more than convenience — you also get expertise and a higher-quality job.

Benefits of Professional Red Wine Stain Removal:

Minimal Moisture

The best cleaning professionals know how damaging moisture is to houses, which is why they take pains to leave your flooring as dry as possible. Depending on the job, technicians may even employ special equipment to pull moisture out of the air, ensuring it doesn’t settle into the carpet after the job is done.

Stain Expertise

Since cleaning professionals have seen it all, they immediately know the best way to tackle a stain — even dried red wine. They’re also familiar with different carpet textures and weaves, so they understand how to effectively remove stains without damaging your flooring.

Thorough Sanitizing

Cleaning isn’t just about looking nice — it’s also essential to keeping your carpet free of bacteria, mold, pollen, and other factors that can affect your health. As part of any professional cleaning job, technicians thoroughly sanitize the area, ensuring your home is beautiful to look at and conducive to healthy living.

Professional-Quality Equipment

When you hire professionals, they bring all the necessary equipment. Since they’re part of the cleaning industry, these machines are industrial-grade, which would be incredibly expensive to rent or buy yourself. These top-notch cleaners can tackle the toughest stains without harming your carpet and do so in a fraction of the time a retail cleaner would take.

Schedule Service to Remove Red Wine Stains from Your Carpets

Steamatic of the Red River Valley has served homeowners since 1995, and we look forward to many more years of top-notch cleaning. We offer a variety of services, including carpet cleaning and stain removal. To learn more or schedule an appointment, give us a call at (701) 746-1856 or contact us online. You can find us in Grand Forks or Fargo, ND.

Image Source: Lisa-S / Shutterstock