How to Avoid Red Wine Stains in Clothing

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Whether you’re at a fancy dinner party with friends, or just relaxing at home, the last thing you want is a red wine stain on your favorite dress or pants. Here you’ll find steps to avoid getting red wine stains on your clothing.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

Heavy wine glasses
White wine
Hydrogen peroxide
Dish soap

Step1

If you know you’re going to be drinking red wine, avoid wearing any light-colored clothing, especially anything expensive. It’s much easier to get a red wine stain out of a dark blue shirt than a white one.

Step2

Drink your red wine out of a heavy wine glass. If you accidentally bump it, a heavy wine glass is much less likely to tip than the lighter-weight variety.

Step3

Keep a bottle of cheap white wine on hand. If you do spill red wine on your clothing, saturate the spot with the white wine. It will neutralize the red wine color. If possible, immediately throw the garment into the washer.

Step4

If you do not have white wine on hand, blot the spot with a wet cloth to get up as much of the stain as you can. Never rub, as this will simply work the stain further into the material. Then prepare a solution of five parts hydrogen peroxide to one part laundry soap. Apply this mixture liberally to the spot, again only blotting. Unless the item is white, do not allow it to set on your clothing more than a moment or two so as to avoid the peroxide from bleaching the material. Immediately throw it into the washer.

Step5

If you’re not at home and can't put your stained clothing in the washer, simply blot the spot with a wet cloth to get up as much of the spot as you can. Then saturate the spot with the white wine. When you do remove the clothing, check the spot. If it’s still red, apply the hydrogen peroxide-laundry soap mixture described in Step Four. Let it set for a moment, then throw it in the washer.

Step6

When you take the item out of the washer, check to be sure the stain is completely gone before throwing it in the dryer, as the heat will set in the stain. If it is not gone, again apply the hydrogen peroxide-laundry soap mixture described in Step Four. Rewash, recheck, then repeat if necessary.

Tips & Warnings

If you’re going to a party, take white wine along as your gift to the host. That way if red wine is served, and spills are made, your gift will be the saving grace.
Remember to never rub a red wine stain, as it will work it deeper into the fabric. Only blotting will do.
If you do not have immediate access to any of the ingredients for treating your red wine stain mentioned here, simply blot the spot with a wet cloth. Soak up what you can with a dry cloth. Blot again with the wet cloth. Blot with the dry cloth. Repeat several times. Then as soon as you can, apply the hydrogen peroxide and laundry soap mixture described in Step Four.