101 Ways To Clean A Red Wine Stain
A few weeks ago, we used Instagram to crowd-source help for our customer Judith after she’d spilled red wine on her brand new Scandi Candy tablecloth, leaving a nasty red wine stain.
The enthusiasm from our Insta followers was massive, and the comments section filled up with everyone’s favourite fabric cleaning tip. We almost broke the Internet!
We haven’t tested any of these tips, but it’s definitely on the To Do list to slosh some red wine around, with the sole purpose of fixing the consequences!
Scroll down all the way to the end to find out the solution Judith eventually used.
Sunlight Soap
- Sunlight soap…..wet and treat the affected area until there’s a good covering of green soap over the mark. Leave to dry in the sun and then wash. – Yolandi
- Green sunlight soap 🧼 Put in the sun on green grass. Wash again. @elbedkk:
- Wet the cloth and coat with Sunlight soap (green bar in detergent section of supermarket). Make a frothy solution under slow running tap and leave to soak in the lukewarm water. Works well with any fresh stains like curry, wine etc. – @clarekidger:
- Sunlight bar soap shaved. Make a paste and apply over stain. Leave overnight and then wash. –@yellowpapaya
- I swear by sunlight soap bar rub it leave it wash in warm water rub again should work – taken the worst stains out of our things including baby clothes. – @rooi_rok_bokkie
- Green sunlight liquid and a good soak and rubbing might work. Take it from this art teacher, very few stains can’t be fixed by that miracle dish wasing soap. Hope it works. – @dedrevictor
- Green bar sunlight and So Pure stain remover. – @katyakarakashian
- Try sunlight bar soap. – @karendavidson9023
- Green sunlight soap, scrubbed- leave in sun to dry. Then wash as normal. Swear by this 👏 – @janineanah
- Sunlight soap is magic. Have you tried bicarbonate of soda and sunlight liquid…rub it on and then throw it in the machine. – @muds14
- I’d just soak it and wash with a sunlight soap bar or Vanish soap bar. – @lyndylu
Boereseep
- I always use Boere seep on my red wine stained tablecloths. It takes out the stains even if you leave the said table cloth overnight. – Carly
- Try boerseep…My son does Enduro and if it can get grease and muck out red wine will be a walk in the park – @anel_dreyer
- Boere seep is amazing, even blood stains on hospital scrubs. – Susan
- Soda water if the white wine didn’t work and then boerseep if there is still any marks – @beastrauss
- BoerSeep. And then soak in hot water… magik ✨ – @backpackingjac
- Boere Seep works 👌 – @karoocheryl
- Boerseep all the way! I’ve taken out many wine stains and even dried blood out with boerseep. Easy. Just use a soft bristled brush and cold water. – @the_foodfox
- Boere Ouma seep for the win! – @lize.marie.dag
- Ouma se boerseup – @amandasevasti
- https://www.instagram.com/juliainginteriorsTry Boereseep. – @juliainginteriors
- Boerseep and maybe bicarb mixed with vinegar as a paste, leave for 15 minutes then scrub. – @pecanut
- Ouma soap works wonders. It’s available at some farm stalls or Klein Joostenberg also stocks it. – @heleenmeyerfood
- Boere seep. Padstals have and some markets. – @madelizemcd
- Boerseep and Woolworths stain remover! Works wonders. – @megan_dp
- Boer soap. Wash it with Boer soap in hot water (preferably), then with a laundry detergent and hang out in the sun. Must be in the sun ☀️ – @alessandra_beretta_87
Vanish
- Vanish bar soap– the liquid is a waste- but you wet the stain, lather it with soap, and leave it. The wine turns a neon green colour and then you just rinse it out. When my uncle visits from Germany, he buys a year’s supply and when he travels for work, he always has a bar in his suitcase. – @lizamarie.meyer26
- Vanish! For colour fabrics (pink tub) put whole tablecloth to soak a while, should do the trick! Good luck. 👏 – @christine.b.dek
- Vanish … in the pink bottle at P&P… works like a charm. – @michellebartman
- Vanish soap bar. I had a shirt with a wine stain that had even been washed and dried. The vanish bar took it out and didn’t ruin the colour of the shirt. – @gensavagery
- Pink Vanish stain remover onto stain for 5 mins then soak(before washing). Works for all my stains 😊 – @the_coral_branch
- Just spray Vanish stain remover on it prior to washing. Boerseep will work as well you can get it from Takealot. – @runettelouw
- I used to work in the cellar in a red wine producing winery. There’s nothing a little Vanish won’t remove… and it’s never damaged any of my clothes. – @winesalittle
- Having worked serving wine – a second + third “normal” wash with no fancy tricks often does the trick. Pretreat with a paste of washing powder or Vanish. – @jossiesideways
- Vanish and warm water soak.Run it through a normal warm cycle in the washing machine afterwards. Works like a bomb 😊 – @ver_y_unique
- I don’t know why, but I find the Vanish bar works better for stains than the spray etc! – @rebeccajackmanctI love my vanish bar or bicarb of soda , good luck. – @ilonadrewthis
- Make a paste with a Bicarb and Vanish mix!! – @alexa_vg
Natural products
- Glycerine. Works both as a solvent and draws moisture from the air to the fabric softening the stain. For best results you need to saturate the stain with glycerine, massage it thoroughly and then leave for 24-48h before washing like normal. This needs to happen BEFORE you mess around with high pH soap like boerseep. Vine is acidic and soap being alkaline tends to fix the colourant to plant fibre. – @capeguildofweavers
- Hydrogen Peroxide 30%. – @maridelport
- Try dishwashing liquid, bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar. Leave in a paste overnight then give a gentle rub. Wash in washing machine. 🙏 – @klcarlisleparker
- Wash in the washing machine, and dry in the sunshine, sunshine bleaches stains out. – @griffiths_c
- Try white wine vinegar or bicarbonate of soda. Or more red wine! – @moremadi
- I was recently advised to use scalded milk. – @afroboho.co.za
- One of the best tricks I’ve tried (and it works every time), soak the stain in a big bowl with warmed milk overnight. Next day wash out and hang in the sun. Works like a charm! – @anria_kolbe
- Try Soda water….I have a friend who uses the Soda on her Persians..if need be. – @sally.underwood
- White Wine Vinegar… & Liquid Detergent and soak in hot water. – @batho.n
- Soda crystal as a paste an the soak and wash per usual, or bicarb for cooking if you don’t have washing soda crystals. – @bigsky.surfacedesigns
- An old french recipe : pour salt on the fresh wine stain, let it soak until the salt gets a red color and wash the cloth normally. But as I read the answers, I am totally buying in the red wine overdye process 😍😍 – @pat.raja
- Soak in borax before washing. – @stella.taute
- Lemonjuice and leave in the sun and then rinse a few times 😂😂😂😂 – @shelley.space.solutions
- Make a mixture of bicarb and your washing power / liquid and rub it on generously. Leave it on and put it into the waching machine on a full wash cycle. Throw in some Vanish stain remover into your washing machines detergent drawer for some extra cleaning power.
- I would try hydrogen peroxide and a tiny bit of Dawn. – @slembaz
- Handful of salt into washing machine. – @simpleman_ct
- Bicarbonate soda, white spirit vinegar and dish washing liquid. Make a paste and rub it on the affected area. Wash as normal after. – @nomtha.klassen
- Sunlight dishwashing liquid with baking soda rub it on the stain then spray some vinegar on it and leave it for a while then give it a gentle scrub and wash it. – @adameveandpaula
- If none of the tips work… Make an art project and paint with acrylic paint on it…. But before that try a generous amount of baking soda or salt and leave it and watch if it is lifting… Then wipe it off. Good luck! – @sunetsnyman
- Soak in some soda water for an hour and then rinse out thoroughly and wash? Or…. As a last stop alternative… maybe soak it in some red wine and salt to dye the white bits pink all over so it matches? – @jadefairyholland
- I use a bio cleaner called Ultra Clean from the clean shop https://cleanshop.co.za/. This product is gentle and has remove all stains I have treated in the past. – @terra_plus
- So Pure Naturally spray, then leave it in the sun – @megsmacnabharvie
Boiling Water
- Pour Boiling kettle water over it, drops right out usually (although best done right away). – @designer_jess
- Pour boiling water through it – @daybreaktextiles
- Soak in Boiling water after some of the soap treatments others suggested. We tease my mom about her boiling water trick, but her white tablecloths are always stain free 😁 and sparkling white. – @janaestitches
- Ive had success pouring boiling water over wine stains. It seems counter intuitive but it worked. – @otterlox
- A lot of boiling water over the stained cloth ,stretched over a big basin. Had a lg glass red wine spill on a white table cloth last week and this is the one that worked! – @hhrisch
- Put cloth over your basin! Pour boiling water directly from the kettle onto the stain! You willl see the stain vanish before your eyes ! You can thank me later … – @martinedebeerable
White Wine
- I’ve heard white wine on red wine but not sure if it works. – @stellamarie_seastar
- My brother once spilled red wine on his shirt… he thought “hmmm maybe white wine will rinse it out”… it did 😮 so maybe try rinsing out with white wine? – @littlelassen
- I use white wine to remove red wine stains. You have to soak it overnight. Works like a charm! – @centralparkinteriors_sa
- Pour white wine just enough to cover the red wine stain, rinse and put it in the washing machine. Done! – @kassiani_kostira
- White wine works really well (tried & tested ✅) as a stain remover for red 🍷- it may need to be immediately though?! Or if all else fails, next time perhaps drink it instead?! 🤪 – @sallycooper_art
- White wine on top of red wine. – @jax_sxm
- White wine usually does the trick on red wine. And Bicarb 😢 – @liz.rochat
- Immediately soak it in white wine ! – @liliane1945
- Soak in in white wine for dayzzzzzz. Then rub handy Andy into it and wash as per normal. White wine should be applied immediately, for future refs. 👌 – @char_harvey77
- At particularly raucous dinner parties we pour white wine onto the red wine stain. The only problem now is in our advanced age we all drink red and knock over glasses more frequently. – @marian_in_stanford
- The one thing I’ve tried that worked for me was putting some white wine on it. Worked for me. – @spinster_gallery
- Pour white wine on it! Poof! – @pstewartjolin
- Use white wine on it – it’s removed red wine stains for me before and I was amazed !! – @amigtheo
- Dry white wine neutralizes it if done immediately, like magic. – @botanicatrading
- white wine only takes red wine stains out, if you catch it when it is still wet ! – @martinedebeerable
- White wine! Apparently works wonders on red wine stains. – @air_billy
- Dip the whole thing in red wine – new colour pattern 🍷🌼 – @nicolasmaison
- Soak them all in red wine. – @loisfisher
- Spill way more wine, and get all the whites gone. Less pressure and a new look 😎🤩 – @elanae45
Other Branded products
- Woolworths stain remover spray for 30 mins, then soak in washing powder for 30 mins, then wash. – @sehwalks
- Haven’t tried on wine stain since I don’t drink, but I have a spray bottle of a product called “Purrfect Potion-Catastrophe Remover” which works really well on removing kitty accident stains (the company says it works well for wine stains too, or any organic stains). – @happydoodleland
- Woolies Scouts Honour (usually for animal pee) is my now go-to! Got red wine out of a yellow wool carpet that nothing else helped with – salt, white wine etc) – @moonandbackct
- Clean Green my absolute favorite but don’t leave too long. – @hohummmmmm
- I hate to advertise but GNLD super ten works wonders on wine stains been using effectively for years! – @penjane_jack
- PURACY stain remover does MAGIC. I sprayed my husband’s shirt that had red wine on it days later and it disappeared instantly. Puracy is an all natural stain remover in USA and works far better than shout, etc. I couldn’t live without it. – @patriciakaegi
- Lux white body soap worked for me on an old redwine stain. – @cleilapceramics
- White Lux soap removed all stains. Rub. Soak. Wash. – @bofredcpt
- Fels Naptha soap. It’s a bar. Wet area, get some soap on the area (you can also use toothbrush), rub the fabric vigorously on itself. Wait a few minutes. Rinse. Repeat. I think with wine you will have to repeat a number of times. – @_michelle.engel_
- Napisan should fix it. – @lucyhreid
- Norwex laundry booster would probably work. – @buildhousehome
- Astonish range (from pick n pay) the grease lifter spray. I use it on all my toddlers clothes. – @bonbon_muller
- Dishwasher soap block. Dissolve in water and soak. – @f8tops
- There’s only one thing that works for every single stain. The magic soap from Masquerade that they import from France. – @sealizzya
- I’m sorry I’d use Dr Beckmann stain remover, but I have no idea if it’s obtainable in the US. They have a range of products and they all work magic, wine & berries; blood & protein; grass cuttings; rust; ballpoint ink etc. – @duifkruid
- Try and get hold of a bar of Sard Soap. It is a miracle stain remover. Especially for this situation. – @johalse
- Lemon juice & Handy Andy & put in the sun 🌞 – @derynweavermunro_architect
- Handy Andy. – @ursuladehaas
- Use Dragonfly Clean, buy at Makro. – @blackpod.art
- Biotex if it’s still available. – @what_the_blazers_
- Mix Tide laundry soap powder and dishwashing liquid to make a paste apply paste to stain and let sit a bit then wash. – @kikimagner
- My go to, which works wonders for all stains and red wine, is TRIPLE ORANGE Wonder Gel. Good luck x – @my_love_for_africa
- Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover! – @athomestorefairfield
- A brand called “Grandmas secret spot remover” has saved me so many times. I use the concentrated small bottle. I’ve had success removing wine, permanent marker, oil stains, etc. best of luck to you. – @rebeccasgore
OxyClean
- Oxygen bleach with boiling water is brilliant. – @craigandruth
- Bio Oxy Bleach – its a great household item to have. Safe to use on anything that needs stain removal – colours included. – @jaznag
- Oxiclean is my LIFE!!! – @suzannerasic
- My favorite stain soak (be aware, I have never used it on red wine) is 1/2 cup Biz, 1/2 cup OxiClean, a little squirt of blue Dawn dishwashing liquid in hot water. Soak for 24 hours, dump water and repeat if needed. – @jenkaa55
- Green Bee’s Oxygen Bleach is a game changer for stain removal- it uses the rapid release of oxygen instead of chlorine so it’s safe on colour fabrics. – @green_bee_biodegradables
Alternative solutions
- Toothpaste and cold water or Dawn Dishsoap and cold water. Let soak. Wash in cold water cycle. No hot water or dryer heat until stain is gone. – @dawnmcardona
- Apparently Gillette shaving cream? I’ve seen it in videos but haven’t tried it myself. Rub in into stain with fingers , maybe leave set a bit if stain is dried , and then use a cloth with warm water or soda to dab it out . Good luck! – @underks
- It is very wabi sabi with the red wine stain… it is lovely what it does to the fabric. It is a memory of happy time. – @sabi_wabi
- Tie dye it? Just in time for summer whimsy!😂 – @katwvincent
- Outline the pinkish flowers with the orange red. – @susanna_liebeberg
- You must URGENTLY consult #nancybirtwhistle – she’s brilliant and has ways of getting any stain out of any fabric ( and beyond) she’s a treasure trove of information which she share freely. In fact she is a treasure! – @callmeclare
- I’d happily use it like that. Sorry don’t have any magic tricks. – @kristenmcclarty_art
- Best advice for you Judith… buy a new Scandi Candy cloth and take care with the red wine! – @dojomoore
And in the end, this is what Judith did:
Thanks soooo much to everyone who sent through their tips. We learned a lot, and can’t wait to try some of them out.
Want to add your own fabric-rescue tip? Please leave a comment below this post. We’d love to hear from you!