Date night disaster? How to get red wine out of carpet in 5 steps

Posted on by James Higgins

With cold nights still ahead of us, many are having their date nights at home, enjoying romance-filled evenings from the comforts of their living rooms. 

While enjoying a glass of wine, having a massage, or creating a romantic evening at home can be a real treat, we at Online Carpets know that accidents can happen, especially in the heat of the moment. We’ve previously shared how to get wax out of carpet, in case you knock over any of your candles while setting a romantic mood. 

But what about the most pesky of stains? Wine. To fix red wine on carpet or your soft furnishings you’re going to need some help. 

So for those wanting to keep their carpets in their best shape, knowing how to clean carpet stains is a must, and will save you from stressing out after any accidents. 

 We've detailed how to avoid a date night disaster and save your carpet from red wine, oil, and even rose petal stains. 

Check out our removal tips below.

What you’ll need 

  • Sparkling water or cold water

  • Paper towels or cleaning cloths

  • White vinegar

  • Baking soda

  • Table salt

  • A hoover

How to clean red wine from carpet? - 5 easy steps for red wine stain removal

Image of wine glasses tipped over on surface

Red wine stains are particularly difficult to clean because of the natural compound in them, called anthocyanins, that makes red wine, well, red. These have dying properties that want to stick to your carpet, so you should act fast when it comes to any red wine spills. 

  1. Act fast

Time is of the essence when it comes to any red wine stains–so act quickly! 

If you aren’t able to tend to the spill straight away, pour some sparkling water on the stain. It’s said the bubbles will help break down the pigments that are in your carpet. 

  1. Blot – do not rub – the stain

It might be tempting to put plenty of elbow grease in when it comes to red wine stain removal , but you shouldn’t rub at the stain at all. 

Scrubbing at a wine stain can actually work the stain further into the pile of your carpet, which is the opposite of what you want, it may even damage the fibres of your floor. 

Instead, blot the stain. Pressing down lightly  with either cloths or paper towels, working from the outside to the inside of the stain to prevent spreading. 

  1. Use cold water 

To help when blotting, you can add tap or sparkling water to the stain. Make sure you only use cold water on a red wine spill, as this can help break down the tannins in your wine. 

  1. Try homemade solutions

There are plenty of items that you can use on a red wine stain, and you probably already have them in your cupboards! 

  • White vinegar

After blotting at your stain, squirt white vinegar onto the stain.

Leave this for 30 minutes, then wash the area with cold water and a cloth. 

When it comes to stain cleaning, not all vinegars are built the same. If you don’t have any white vinegar at home, you can’t substitute it for a malt or balsamic vinegar–you’ll just add more stains to your carpet!

Luckily, there are some other homemade options.

  • Baking soda

Baking soda is stain removing superhero that can be used to tackle plenty of problems, including red wine stain removal. 

Mix three parts baking soda to one part water to form a paste. Apply this paste to any red wine on carpets, and leave this to dry. 

After your baking soda paste has dried, you can then hoover away the mixture.

  • Table salt

You can also use table salt on any spillage. Don’t try this with kosher or himalayan salt as it won’t work–you need regular table salt. 

After blotting the stain to remove excess liquid, cover the area with plenty of salt. Gently scrub this into the carpet to loosen up any remaining stains.

You can then leave the salt on your carpet while it  pulls the colour out of the  fibres. After a few minutes, clean up either with a dustpan and brush or hoover. 

  1. Repeat as needed 

You may find that one treatment isn’t enough and you need to do another round on your stain. 

Be careful about over-treating your carpet. If it’s starting to look a little tired, leave it to dry out before cleaning again. 

How to get oil out of carpet and treat rose petal stains 

Rose petals in a bowl

If any oil-based products end up in your carpets it’s key to immediately blot away any excess oil with paper towels.

You should then cover the stain with baking soda or cornstarch, so that the oil can be absorbed.

Leave this for 15-30 minutes before hoovering the mixture away.

If you have any stains left over, you can use washing up liquid and water, blotting from the outside inwards to tackle any remaining marks. 

While rose petals can create a very romantic atmosphere, they can also create staining. Preserved rose flowers contain natural dyes and leave stains on light fabrics and carpets. 

To remove any rose petal stains, mix one tablespoon of white vinegar with two cups of cold water, and a few drops of washing up liquid. Again, blot the area instead of rubbing until the marks are lifted. 

If in doubt, opt for freeze-dried petals instead of preserved ones for a safer option. 

Other tough household stains? 

With everyday life, household stains can happen but that doesn’t make them any less frustrating, especially if you’ve just fitted a new carpet. 

Check out our other advice blogs on household cleaning to ensure you always know your plan of action to tackling any stains before they set: