Removing a red wine stain – ask Decanter

George Foster, Nottingham, asks:

I recently spilt some red wine on our cream carpet and quickly put salt on it because I thought that was the best course of action. It did a reasonably good job but should I have tried something else?

Gareth Ferreira, assistant head sommelier at private members’ club 67 Pall Mall, replies:

There are many ways to clear a red wine stain and although none of them are 100% successful, the method you used was a good response as salt will absorb some of the stain if applied within seconds of the spill. But it cannot guarantee complete stain removal.

Another solution would be to blot up as much of the spill as possible with a solution of dishwashing detergent, white vinegar and warm water.

If there is one piece of advice I would give, it is don’t ‘smudge’ or rub in the stain but rather ‘blot’. Additionally, always act as soon as possible, as the longer the stain sits, the harder it is to get out.

All rights reserved by Future plc. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Decanter.

Only Official Media Partners (see About us) of DecanterChina.com may republish part of the content from the site without prior permission under strict Terms & Conditions. Contact china@decanter.com to learn about how to become an Official Media Partner of DecanterChina.com.

Comments

Your_name:
Submit