10/17/2018

Removing a Red Wine Spill on Clothing

Now that my niece has turned 21, we’ve taken to gifting each other some of our favorites wines.  Recently, Kaysie gave me a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, which is by far my favorite type of wine.  I saved it for a special Saturday night dinner where I made braised short ribs and polenta.  After we blessed the food, Matt and I had a quick cheers, and somehow I missed my mouth and poured nearly half the glass down the front of my white top.  Ugh.

While I didn’t really know what to do, I knew what not to do:

1. Don’t treat with club soda.  Even though my t-shirt was machine washable, I knew that club soda could cause the wine spill to spread and any residue left over from the club soda could caramelize during the drying process and leave a yellowish stain.  Club soda is especially a no-no if the garment is dry clean only.
2. Don’t rub the stain.  Doing so will only push the stain deeper into the fabric ultimately making it more difficult to remove. 

Here’s what I did do: blotted the excess with a white paper towel, put on a fresh shirt, and placed my wine covered shirt on top of the washing machine.  I know that we say the sooner you address a stain the more likely it is to be removed, but red wine is one stain I do not attempt at home.  When it comes to wine stains, I always recommend dropping the garment off at your favorite A Cleaner World location. 

Many times, if I don’t know how to address a stain at home, I call one of our resident experts and get advice.  But certain stains and spills, like red wine, take even the best spotters time to master.  If the garment is special, then don’t risk it, simply take it to one of our trained professionals; they’ve bailed me out of a wine catastrophe before.