How to Remove Red Wine Stains

Three of the things that can ruin a carefully planned dinner party, are red wine on the tablecloth, red wine on the carpet, and red wine on you!

Spilled wine looks bad, mostly because of the dense color. But it's not the disaster it may seem. For a temporary solution to the dinner dilemma (at least until dinner is over), place a non-absorbent surface under the tablecloth, such as a vinyl placemat. Blot the wine as much as possible, dampen it with warm water, and cover with a plate, to keep it damp.

If you happen to have some white wine too, that's all the better. White wine will make red wine vanish in an instant. Follow the same tips as above, but dampen the stain with white wine. Remove the cloth after dinner and sprinkle with table salt. Give it 10-15 minutes to work, while you check any manufacturer's instructions, then wash it. If the stain is still there, apply a paste of baking soda, let set for half an hour and wash again.

When the glass floweth over in your living room and the wine ends up on the carpet, blot up the excess before doing anything else. If you have white wine, apply some to the damp stain and blot up the extra. When you don't have white wine, go from blotting to sponging with a well-dampened cloth. Blot again to remove any extra moisture, then shampoo. You might also want to try a wet/dry vac to help suck any wine out of the carpet before applying pressure on paper towels. Remember not to rub when using paper, so it doesn't work shreds into the carpet.

Removing a wine stain while out at a party or restaurant can be tricky, depending on where it spilled. A spot on the sleeve, or skirt of a dress is far easier to deal with than something right on the chest or abdomen. If there is white wine available, take some to the restroom where you can apply it to the stain, and blot with paper towels. If there are cloth towels available, and the stain is in a location that you can do this, rinse the area with water, then roll it up in the towel and lean on it to remove excess water. Keeping it damp until you get home will make it easier to remove any color that remains.