How To: Remove red wine stains

Learn how to remove red wine stains.

Thinking of switching to white wine just to avoid stains? Memorize these cleaning tips instead.

You Will Need

* White wine, club soda, or cold water
* A white cloth napkin or clean white T-shirt
* Salt
* Liquid enzyme detergent
* Spot stain remover
* Borax or baking soda
* A clean toothbrush
* A vacuum

Step 1. Use white on red

Pour white wine or club soda on the stain while it's still wet – just make sure the fabric is washable. If you don't have either, use cold water.

Step 2. Blot it

Blot it with a white cloth napkin or a clean white T-shirt.

Step 3. Sprinkle salt

Sprinkle salt on the stain to absorb the remaining moisture. Let it stand for a few minutes.

Step 4. Rinse

Rinse in cold water. If the stain remains, repeat the process until you've removed as much as possible.

Step 5. Pretreat

Dab a little liquid-enzyme detergent into the wine stain; find it at the supermarket. Let it stand for about 10 minutes before rinsing with cold water and rubbing out the stain.

Step 6. Spot-treat

If you can still see the stain, apply a spot stain remover before machine-washing in cold water with a liquid-enzyme detergent.

Step 7.

For carpet spills, blot up as much of the red wine as you can with a clean cloth and then saturate the stain with club soda or cold water and blot that up. Repeat until the stain is gone.

Step 8. Try baking soda

If repeated saturating and blotting does not remove the whole thing, make a paste of three parts borax or baking soda to one part water. Gently rub the paste into the stain with a clean toothbrush and let it sit. Vacuum up the paste when it is completely dry. Repeat as necessary.

Fact: Sales of merlot slumped in the U.S. after a character mocked the grape in the 2004 movie Sideways, but they eventually rebounded.