How to get red wine out of clothes

In this article we will go over How to get red wine out of clothes. You are enjoying a nice evening with your friends binge-watching your favorite TV shows with a glass of wine in your hands. Well, you enjoyed it too much, and your wine glass accidentally slips, spilling the red wine on your clothes. Lo and behold!  Your nice evening turns into a horrifying time for you, as you start thinking of ways to get rid of the red wine stains from your dresses. Red wine contains colorful dyeing components called chromogens, and organic substances called tannins.

These cause the red wine stains to instantly spread on the fabric. Since most of the fabrics are porous, the stains spread quite quickly, and it would be good for you to remove them as soon as you spot them. Here are some effective tips for you to get rid of these red wine stains completely, and get back the shine on your clothes.

Using dry materials to get rid of fresh red wine stains

Red wine stains, due to their liquid consistency, move towards any dry materials that they are introduced to.

• Apply a dry, powdery substance on them. Let the powder soak in the fabric for 10 to 15 minutes. The dry powdery substance you use here can be table salt, baking soda, talcum powder, baby powder, dry soap powder, the litter of kittens, or a granular form of hydrogen peroxide.
• Blot with a clean & soft rag to notice that the wine stains have gone completely.
• Rinse the fabric normally and air-dry it thoroughly.

Using a DIY cleaning solution

• Make a homemade cleaning solution by mixing liquid soap and hydrogen peroxide in a ratio of 1:3.
• Test the solution first on a small area to check if it causes any color loss. If it is safe to use, pour the mixture directly on the red wine stains on the garments.
• Allow the mixture to settle in the garment for about 15 minutes.
• Mostly, all the stains would have gone by now. If some stains are still present on the garment, pour some more cleaning solution and repeat the process.
• Rinse the clothes properly to get back fresh-looking clothes devoid of any stains.

Using Kosher Salt

Kosher salt, with its big grains, is a more effective remedy than table salt to get rid of red wine stains from clothes.

• Apply a generous amount of kosher salt on the affected areas of the garment.
• Let the salt mixture settle in the garment throughout the night.
• Pour boiling water directly over the stains after the stipulated time. You will notice that the hot water pushes off the stains that have been broken down by the boiling water.
• Launder as usual. If you notice slight red wine stains, you can repeat these steps.

Using club soda

Here is a disclaimer – you should stick to using club soda only to get rid of red wine stains from clothes. Never replace it with any other carbonated beverage, as the results won’t be as expected. You can follow the same process as mentioned under “using kosher salt”. The only difference is that you will replace kosher salt with club soda, and follow the rest of the steps as usual.

Using white vinegar

If you have red wine stains on white clothes and other delicate garments you can follow the same method as kosher salt and club soda. Instead of kosher salt, you should use a mixture of white vinegar and liquid detergent for this method.

Using milk

Yes, that’s right! One of the most common ingredients in your home, milk, can remove tough red wine stains from garments. Pour warm milk generously over the wine stains on the garment. Allow it to settle down for 15 to 30 minutes, before you blot the stains with a clean and soft cloth.

Getting rid of dry red wine stains from clothes

If the red wine stains on your clothes have dried up, it may take some time to clean them thoroughly. Here are the easy steps that will help you in this process:

• Apply a generous amount of liquid soap or liquid detergent on the affected areas of the garment. Use a toothbrush to rub the soap over the stains nicely.
• Soak the clothes in a tub of cold water for about 30 minutes. You can keep the clothes soaked in cold water overnight as well, if the stains are very dry.
• Use a chemical stain remover on the soaked clothes, and rinse well. You will notice that the stains have vanished from the garments completely.

Generic tips to get rid of red wine stains from clothes

• The table salt of kosher salt method may be more effective in getting rid of fresh stains than dried ones.
• You might have heard that white wine can be used to get rid of red wine stains from clothes. However, this is only a myth, and it hasn’t been proven yet. So, it is better not to follow this method when cleaning red wine stains.
• When cleaning the stains, always blot with a clean & soft rag. Never scrub the stains, as this may lead to the stains spreading to other areas of the garment.
• It is highly recommended to use bleach-containing stain cleaners on white garments only.
• Don’t put the garments in a dryer unless you are sure that the stains have gone completely. When stained clothes are run in a dryer, it may cause the deepening and spreading of the stain marks, making it very difficult for you to clean them thoroughly.
• The club soda trick works well with cotton garments, while white vinegar is the most effective on linen garments. Hydrogen peroxide cleaners help in getting rid of red wine stains from silk garments, whereas kosher salt works for thick garments like denim or jeans. A simple cleaning solution of warm water & liquid detergent is more than enough to get rid of stains from polyester, nylon, spandex and similar fabrics. For woolen clothes, you can make a DIY cleaning solution containing surgical spirit and water in a ratio of 3:1 to remove all red wine stains completely from them.