There’s not much worse than the sinking feeling you get when a glass of red goes tumbling. The shattered glass and liquid clean-up is one thing, but we’re often left with a stubborn stain to try and get out of our carpets and flooring. It’s an age-old dilemma, and one that’s often difficult to coin a comprehensive solution for.
Different flooring and fabrics also present a hurdle for any home or business owner, with grained wood flooring and linoleum offering crevices for liquid to seep into and create lingering odours. Homeowners are far from the only ones affected, with businesses in the hospitality and leisure sector seeing floods of reds, rosés and whites every single day.
You’ve got options, though, and Vanguard Cleaning are on hand to help. As part of our ongoing series which has seen us tackle everything from sofa cleaning hacks to streak-free window shines, we’ll be equipping our readers with the ideal suggestions for how to remove those difficult wine stains, as well as the science behind why those ideas work.
Of course, while there’s a range of different methods you can adopt to remove wine stains from your clothing, flooring and soft surfaces, there’s also several things those strategies share. Make sure you consider these ideas before you charge in armed with sprays and scrubbing brushes:
All of these tips are common across a huge range of stains and splodges – we’ve explored this in much more detail in our comprehensive Stain Removal 101.
We’ve put together a handy list of hacks for getting those wine stains out of your soft and hard flooring, as well as clothing and other furnishings. You’ll find the less-intensive options first, before graduating to cleaning options for those hard-to-remove spots.
It’s arguably the simplest technique, but it’s one we so often overlook in favour of the more heavy-duty methods. Cold water helps dissolve the tannins – a naturally occurring compound found in the grapes used to make wine – which allow the stain to bind more readily to the fibres of your carpet or soft furnishings.
If you’re really looking to step it up with your cold water, cold carbonated (or sparkling) water provides an additional level of stain fighting power. The bubbles of carbon work overtime to help lift the stain from the fibres, giving it that extra bit of lift a deeper pile carpet may need, as well as extra punch of acidity to truly aid in removing the stain.
Regardless of whether you use still or sparkling water, ensure it’s cold (ideally below room temperature), and dab at the wine stain gently using an absorbent paper towel or damp cloth. This can be time-consuming, but it’s viewed as the gentlest approach you can take to removing wine stains.
Often only associated with cakes and sweet treats, baking soda is one of the most potent yet most overlooked options when it comes to cleaning on a budget. While we’ve covered those in extensive detail in our deep dive into baking soda and cleaning, it’s also an ideal way to draw out those stubborn wine stains.
A paste that’s 3 parts baking soda (say, 75ml) and 1 part water (25ml) can be applied liberally across the whole stain and left to soak for 5 to 10 minutes. The “dryness” of the baking soda makes it a metaphorical magnet for the wine, attracting the liquid particles and infusing them into the paste you’ve made.
Once that’s soaked for a short while, you’ll simply hoover up the paste, leaving you with a pristine floor. This is equally applicable to both wood flooring and soft carpeting – the dry element allows an easy and unintrusive way to draw out the stains.
Another kitchen staple turned wine stain vanquisher, soaking a cloth in vinegar is often an ideal way to introduce a strong element of acidity (a key defender against staining) without the strength that comes with bleaching agents or harsh chemicals. That doesn’t even touch on its cost-effectiveness, which only adds to the method’s appeal.
You’ll simply need to place that soaked cloth on the offending stain, and allow the vinegar to do its magic. This only needs to be simple white wine vinegar (avoid the balsamic at all costs!), and you’ll leave it as long as you feel comfortable. It’s a good idea to check periodically (say, after 10 minutes), and check on the progress of the process.
Once the stain has lifted, and you’re able to see some staining on the cloth, remove it, and use another cloth also soaked in vinegar to gently dab at the floor. You’ll also follow the same process for solid wood, linoleum and hard flooring that’s stained, too.
Of course, while the options we’ve offered so far for getting out wine stains out are excellent and cost-effective, there’s little substitute for a ready-to-go option. It’s where many of us turn when that dreaded glass of red takes a tumble to the carpet, and for good reason – it’s convenient, and most of us will have some squirreled away in our cupboards.
It’s also incredibly effective. Most cleaning sprays (including those that are specifically marketed as targeting wine or fruit juice stains) will predominantly be water, with additional chemicals and bleaching agents that are designed to dissolve the particles that cause the stain.
This will usually be a mild form of chlorine bleach (such as sodium hypochlorite), a disinfectant, and an oxidising agent. This allows for the stain to be “dragged” out of the carpet fibres, as well as the carpe to be properly cleaned and returned to its proper colour. More eco-friendly cleaning products will have different make-ups, but the core principles remain the same.
While the product you opt will have its own specific instructions, the majority will ask you to spray the affect area, allow the spray to soak in for a few moments, and then wipe with a damp cloth or paper towel.
This is arguably one of the more hazardous options for cleaning up wine stains, but it certainly has its place in any hygiene arsenal. Our advice would be to save this for wine stains that have perhaps been forgotten about, or that have had the time to set into your carpet, and even then tread with caution.
Hydrogen peroxide is a strong form of bleach that’s often associated with dyes and heavier-duty cleaning, but diluted forms can and do have their place in everyday cleans. It’s usually a good idea to mix it with a small amount of washing up liquid to dull any potential bleaching effects, and keep a close eye on the stain as the hydrogen peroxide works its magic.
After around half an hour, you’ll take a cloth or paper towel and dab or blot the stain. This allows any excess fluid to be absorbed, as well as cleaning the floor more thoroughly.
If you’ve tried all of the above methods and nothing seems to be shifting the wine stain, a carpet cleaning machine could be the ideal option. These are tools that are specifically designed to dig deeper into carpet fibres or the grain of your wood, and “flush” out the remnants of staining from the wine.
They essentially operate on a combination of the principles above, using hard bristles and rapid flowing water to press into the carpet, as well as oxidisation and bleaching agents to provide the deeper clean that more engrained stains need to fully be removed.
This can be an expensive option though, and especially so if it’s persistent problem at your business. You’ve got options available, however, and a professional floor cleaning service could be the best way forward.
The science behind red wine’s infamous staining properties is actually quite interesting, and there’s multiple factors at play that contribute towards the reputation wine has built. Chief among these is the obvious fact that it’s a liquid. This ensures it’s able to move rapidly, and in multiple dimensions, spreading quickly downwards into the floor, and outwards across a wider area.
When spilt on a fabric floor, the carpet essentially acts as a porous surface, meaning that the wine is able to very quickly seep into the fibres, and down to the hard floor below. When spilt onto a wooden or laminate flooring, there’s less chance of this happening, but it can still fill the cracks and gaps between boards or tiles.
Breaking it down into wine’s chemical components, we find two key compounds – tannins, and chromogens. Let’s look at how they contribute to the staining properties of wine:
It’s also true that many of us have neutral-coloured carpets in our homes, or lighter wood flooring, which in turn makes those stains stand out even more.
With our leisure and hospitality sector gearing up for the busiest time of year, and house parties and get-togethers very much in full swing already, there’s never been a more pressing time to learn about how to remove wine stains. There’s little doubt we’ll see at least one or two glasses toppling over the coming months, and it’s all about how we deal with the aftermath.
While we’ve given practical and highly actionable tips on removing wine stains in our guide above, the truth of the matter is that, if you’re operating a restaurant or café and you see multiple incidents a day, it’s impossible to keep pace. That’s where Vanguard’s expertise, experience and consummate knowledge come to the fore.
With our extensive range of services, we’re able to provide the protection your carpets, flooring and soft furnishings your premises needs this party season. Whether you’ve had a major spillage at the wine fridge, or a guest has sent a glass of the house red plummeting, Vanguard are on hand to ensure your floors don’t take the brunt of it.
Get in touch today to discuss your options in much more detail, and to find out how Vanguard Cleaning could be your saviour over the autumn and winter months.
