Let s face it, red wine stains are one of the most notorious household spills. There is essentially no fuss over white wine stains, but red wines can sometimes become the troublesome culprits. You could be having a housewarming party or even just enjoying a glass by yourself, and the unthinkable happens… you just spilled burgundy all over your light colored carpets! Now, there is no need to panic. Just keep in mind the quicker you blot up the excess red wine, the easier it will be to eliminate the stain. There are plenty of household cleaners you can buy at your local grocery store to treat the stain, or you can make a fantastic homemade cleaner with only a few simple ingredients. More than likely, you have these ingredients lying around your house.

First, you will need a couple clean white washcloths to lift the leftover liquid. You will also need to alternate pouring some water onto the stain (it’s best to fill a spray bottle with water); on fresh stains diluting with water will ensure that the red pigments are easier to clean up.  It’s vital to rotate the cloth to a fresh spot after each blot, in order to not transfer red wine back into the carpet fibers. Also, do not scrub the stain! After you have removed majority of the red wine it is now time to mix a soap and hydrogen peroxide mixture.

You will need to mix 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide with 1 tsp. of dish soap or laundry detergent in a small bowl. Take a clean washcloth or a sponge and dip it into the combination, squeeze the excess liquid from the sponge and delicately dab over the red wine stain. You will most likely need to repeat this process until the stain in thoroughly removed. After the stain is gone, take some dry towels and press down on the wet area, in order to dry the treated area.

Another option for treating red wine stains is to use club soda. Simply pour club soda directly onto the stain, then take a clean cloth and perform the similar “blotting process”. After the stain is removed, continuously press down on the affected area for decreased drying time.  If the stain still is not fully removed, a professional carpet cleaning company can usually take the stain out. They have access to powerful, high pressurized machines which makes the job look so effortless!

There is no need to fret when you find your carpet floor splattered with red wine. Remember to act swiftly and get as much liquid out of the carpets as you possibly can. Also, depending on your type of carpet, check with carpet manufacturer on care and maintenance. On one hand acrylic carpet is fairly easy for cleaning, where on the other hand Berber is more difficult for upkeep. If you live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, there are plenty of respected professional carpet cleaning companies you can contact who are experts in stain removal.