Even though doctors recommend a glass of red wine for health, the same cannot be said for your furnishings or carpets. During parties or the holidays wine often flows like water, increasing the risk of red wine stains or spills. Some red wines are mixed with red dye during production, making the spill much harder to remove from fabrics. But do not panic just yet. By using red wine’s lighter counterpart -- white wine -- and a few common household items, you can remove those annoying red wine stains.

Necessary Supplies Before attempting to remove the red wine stain from carpets or upholstery, collect a few household items first. Gather a few clean terry cloth towels, table salt, and a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment, very mild liquid dish soap, water, laundry detergent and white wine. If the stain is on a slipcover, cleanup is easier and faster as you can use your washing machine. For other furnishings or your carpet, you can still tackle the red wine stain successfully. For the best results in removing red wine stains, treat the stain immediately.

White Wine and Salt Rescue Immediately blot the spill with a dry terry cloth towel. Do not vigorously rub the stain because that pushes it deeper into the fabric's fibers. After blotting, pour white wine on the spot and blot it with a clean, dry towel. White wine neutralizes the stain, so it is important to work quickly. White wine lifts the red hue from your carpets or upholstery. Sprinkle salt on the stain and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Salt absorbs the stain faster than the fabric can absorb it. After letting it sit the prescribed time, vacuum the salt and stain using the brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner. Do not wait longer than 15 minutes, as salt also produces stains on your fabric if left too long.

Wash and Dry Cycles Wash the stained slipcover of your sofa in your washing machine on a warm setting with half a capful of laundry detergent. If your sofa does not have a slipcover, or the stain is on the arm or back of your sofa, create a mixture that combines two tablespoons of dish soap with two cups of warm water. Apply the mixture to the stained area. Allow the area or the slipcovers to air dry. Reposition your couch if sits in direct sunlight. The sun can fade the damp fabric.

Treat the Smell Because both white and red wine are on your upholstery fabrics or carpet with the white wine cleaning method, a residual odor often lingers despite the use of dish soap or laundry detergent. This naturally diminishes with time. But when the smell is unbearable, regularly run the vacuum cleaner over the area. If you have a lighter colored sofa, you can absorb the odor by sprinkling baking soda on top of the offensive smell. You can absorb the odor on dark sofas with coffee grounds.

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