Red Wine Stain Removal Hacks

Maybe you got a little overzealous with your hand gestures. Maybe your pal next to you knocked into you. Maybe the table was jostled and sent your glass flying. At this point, how the red wine got all over you is no longer important. What matters now is getting it out before it stains!

As with most stains and spills on clothing, the sooner you can get to work removing it, the better. Tending to a spill as soon as possible increases your chances of avoiding long-term damage to your clothing. But do you know how to remove a red wine stain? Luckily, it’s simple! Read on to learn the easiest red wine stain removal hack to get your garment looking good as new. The items needed are so basic that you can even get them when you’re out on the town.

Gather Your Materials

You only need two items to successfully remove a red wine stain from fabric. First, track down some tonic water or club soda. Next, find a clean rag. In a bind, if you’re at a restaurant, for example, a clean cloth napkin will also do the trick.

Prep the Stain

If you are at home, or somewhere you’re able to change your outfit, remove the article of clothing and lay it flat on a clean surface. You can put it on top of a towel, if you’d like, to protect both the clothing and the surface under it, but this is certainly not necessary.

Once you’ve laid out the garment, thoroughly soak it in the club soda or tonic water, making sure to wet it all the way to the edges of the stain. Allow it to sit and soak in for a couple of minutes, or until the stain is completely saturated. During this process, it may look like the stain is starting to spread, but that’s okay. In the next step, you’ll take care of it.

Remove the Stain

Using your clean rag, begin to blot the pigment out of the fabric. It may help to also wet the rag with your club soda or tonic water if the stain is especially stubborn. We advise against trying to rub or scrub the stain out, especially on white or light-colored fabrics. If done incorrectly, this can actually drive the pigment of the wine further into the fabric, making the stain more difficult to remove. Instead, stick to blotting, so as not to spread the stain. Be sure to blot all the way to the edges, so the stain doesn’t continue to spread.

Depending on how much wine was spilled onto the clothing and how long it was able to sit and soak in, you may need to keep at this step for a while. If you notice your rag is starting to become red-tinged, switch it out for a clean one. Continue to do this until the stain is completely gone.

Allow the item to dry completely. Don’t put it through a dryer cycle, or you could risk permanently setting the stain if it isn’t completely gone.