5 Tried & True Ways To Get Red Wine Out Of A Carpet

Have you tried white wine? No, I mean, like, to treat the stain.

Getting red wine out of carpet is, like, the most stereotypical cleaning trope ever—except maybe scrubbing crayon off the walls. The kids, they color on the walls. And the adults, well, they spill wine on the carpet. Classic.

• Blot the red wine stain with a clean, dry rag to absorb any excess liquid.
• Mix 2 cups of warm water with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Yes, we know we said not to use warm water, but when diluting vinegar (or anything, really), it’s best to use warm water. The acidic vinegar will negate the water’s temperature, trust us. Vinegar effectively neutralizes red wine’s pigments.
• Dip your rag into the water/vinegar solution and get to blotting.
• Continue blotting until the red wine stain has dissolved.
• Once the stain is gone, finish by blotting the spot with a rag soaked with dish soap such as Dawn and water to get rid of any residual vinegar or funky vinegar odor.
• Finish by dabbing the spot with a clean, damp rag to get rid of soapy residue.
• Blot with a dry rag, and let the spot air dry completely.
• Still smelling that vinegar? Hit the spot with a spritz of Febreze Fabric to clean away the odor and get your carpet smelling fresh.

4. Hydrogen peroxide & baking soda

• Disclaimer: Hydrogen peroxide has the potential to majorly discolor your carpet. Test it out first on a discreet section of the carpet before applying to the stain, or you might just make it way, way worse.
• Blot out excess wine from the stain with a clean, dry rag.
• Spray or carefully pour hydrogen peroxide onto the red-wine-stained carpet.
• Dollop a spoonful of baking soda on top of the hydrogen-peroxide-soaked stain.
• Let the whole mixture sit for about 5 minutes.
• Vacuum up dried-out baking soda residue.
• Blot the spot with a clean, damp rag to finish.
• Let the spot air dry.

5. White wine

• You obviously prefer red wine, but hopefully you keep a bottle of white on hand, too. White wine actually neutralizes the pigment in red wine! It’s true.
• Pour some white wine directly onto the red-wine-stained carpet. Don’t get crazy with it—just use enough white wine to completely cover the red wine stain. (Save the rest for a celebratory glass once you’ve successfully removed the stain.)
• Get to blotting. Using a clean, damp rag, blot the stain until the red fades away.
• If the red wine stain is particularly stubborn, try adding some salt or baking soda on top of the white wine, and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
• Vacuum up salt or baking soda residue and continue blotting until the stain is gone.
• Once the stain is gone, finish by blotting the spot with a rag soaked with dish soap like Dawn and water.
• Finish by dabbing the spot with a clean, damp rag to get rid of soapy residue.
• Blot with a dry rag or let the spot air dry completely.
• Does your carpet still smell drunk? Hit the spot with a spritz of Febreze Fabric to freshen it up.

No harm, no foul. But next time, try to keep the wine in your glass, will ya? And getting red wine out of your carpet with white wine is a really fun party trick to have up your sleeve. After all, who hasn’t had to order a club soda at the bar to address an embarrassing red wine stain on their shirt?

While we’ve got your attention, did you spill wine anyplace else in your house? Maybe on the kitchen floor —or perhaps even on the wall or your countertops or kitchen cabinets? Hey, spills happen. And when they do, we’ve got you covered.

Oh, and real quick before you go: those wineglasses may be dishwasher safe, so double-check, pop them in the machine and have one less cleanup to worry about.