How to remove red wine stains from clothing

The quickest way to ruin a dinner party is for a guest to spill red wine on him/herself or another guest. Red wine sets in and is difficult to remove from fabrics if you don’t act quickly. Furthermore, if you attempt to remove the stain using certain methods, the result may be that the stain is set in more permanently and the garment is ruined. If a clothing item is dry-clean only, don’t attempt to clean the wine stain yourself or pre-treat the stain. Blot the stain to remove excess liquid and take the garment to a dry cleaner as soon as possible. Actually, that’s the first step for removing a wine stain no matter what method you use –. – blot the stain with a white paper towel or white cloth to soak up as much of the red wine as possible.

If you’re working with a synthetic fabric such as polyester, spandex or acrylic fabric, this method works well to red wine from the garment. Make a pre-soak solution of one quart warm water, ½ teaspoon liquid detergent and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Soak the garment in the warm water solution for 15 minutes,  and rinse thoroughly. Using a sponge and rubbing alcohol, blot the stain to any remaining wine and launder according to the manufacturer’s washing instructions. Hang to dry rather than using a dryer in case you need to repeat the process again for a stubborn red wine stain.