How to Get Red Wine Stains Out of Clothing

How to Treat a Fresh Red Wine Stain

Begin by blotting the stain with a clean cloth or paper towel. Press gently and dab—do not rub. Scrubbing will set the stain. Once the stain is blotted, you're ready to treat it using one of the following non-toxic home cleaning solutions.

1. Kosher Salt

   Sprinkle salt generously onto the stain (kosher salt has bigger, flatter grains than table salt with more surface area for absorption). Then, try one of the following options:

   • Leave the salt overnight to soak up as much wine pigment as possible.
     
   • If the fabric of your clothing is sturdy, like denim jeans or heavy linen, place the fabric over a bowl so the stain is centered; if necessary, secure the fabric with a rubber band. Then, carefully and slowly pour boiling water over the wine spot from about 8 inches above to allow the force of the water to help push out the stain.
     
   • If the stain has vanished, launder the clothing as usual.

2. Club Soda

   Pour a generous amount of club soda over the stain and allow it to sit overnight. Do not replace club soda with seltzer or any other carbonated beverage. While there is no solid scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of club soda, plenty of personal anecdotes insist it works—sometimes.

3. White Vinegar and Laundry Detergent

   This method is a good way to get red wine out of white clothes and other fabric items. Cover the stain completely with white vinegar and as many drops of liquid detergent as needed. Vinegar's acidity dissolves the bond between the dye and the fabric fiber, making it easier for the detergent to clean away any remaining pigment. Let the fabric sit overnight.

4. Dishwashing Liquid and Hydrogen Peroxide

   Mix hydrogen peroxide and dish soap (3 parts peroxide to 1 part soap). Test a small amount of the solution on an inconspicuous area, as hydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent. If your test spot looks fine after drying, pour the mixture onto the stain and let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Wash the garment immediately or rinse it with cold water.
   

5. Laundry and Cleaning Products

   Try professional stain removal products. Soak clothing in OxiClean powder mixed with the warmest water your fabric can handle. Other choices include Biokleen's Bac-Out Stain and Odor Remover, Ecover Stain Stick, and Spot Shot. Several sprays are made specifically for removing red wine stains, such as Chateau Spill and Wine Away. Always read the labels for correct soaking times and other directions.
   

   Tip

   You may need to resort to chlorine bleach for red wine spills on pure white clothing and other all-white linens. Cover the item in bleach for 10 minutes then launder it in hot water to remove the stain. (If you prefer, cover only the stain in bleach but covering the entire item can result in a more uniform cleaning.)

6. Baking Soda

   A dry ingredient such as baking soda used on a fresh wine spill can pull the liquid out of the fabric. A liquid naturally wants to soak into anything dry, pour a liberal amount of baking soda on the stain and let it sit for a few minutes to absorb the wine. As soon as the baking soda becomes damp or soggy from the wine, use a dull knife or the edge of a credit card to remove it and replace it with another liberal amount of fresh, dry baking soda to continue soaking the wine up.

   Another method is to pour baking soda to cover the fresh wine stain. Then pour white vinegar over the stain to cover it. The bubbling action of the baking soda and white vinegar may dislodge the wine stain from the fibers. Blot up or rinse out the baking soda and vinegar in cold water after the bubbling stops and repeat if necessary.

How to Treat an Old Red Wine Stain

If you have a red wine stain that you did not treat immediately, you may still have luck removing or reducing it. An old wine stain needs a long soak in cold water to have a chance of removal.

1. Rub Stain with Soap

   Start by rubbing a liberal amount of liquid laundry detergent or dish soap on the stained area.

2. Soak Item

   Next, submerge the clothing in a bowl or bucket of cold water to soak for 30 minutes or overnight.

3. Apply Stain Remover

   Apply a stain remover (per the label's directions) to the wet stain and wash the piece of clothing on a normal cycle.

When to Call a Professional

If the garment is labeled dry clean only, take it to your dry cleaner as soon as possible. Point out and identify the stain to help your professional cleaner choose the proper treatment. The same applies to a red wine stain that damages silk or vintage upholstery; you need to contact a professional cleaner, or else you are likely to do more damage if you try to remove the stain yourself.

Additional Tips for Handling Red Wine Stains

Wine stains are tough to remove, so be prepared to try—and try again. All of these methods can be effective, so start with a cleaner you have on hand. It helps to know what makes red wine so tough to remove. Red wine contains tannins, a natural substance found in plants, like red grapes, that stains anything it touches, including absorbent fibers (it's also used in leather dyes and inks). Fresh tannin-based stains are somewhat easier to clean than set-in tannin-based stains.

If your results are unsatisfactory, try another of these cleaning techniques. Because wine stains are stubborn, and fabrics differ in their fiber types and permeability, multiple methods—and repeated steps—may prove more successful than just one attempt.

Just remember—after washing, do not machine dry your garment until the stain has vanished (or is greatly reduced). After drying, the stain will set and may never fade.