How to Remove Old Red Wine From Clothing
Red wine is one of the most staining substances out there. Besides blood, grease and rust, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything that produce as stubborn a stain as red wine. If you spill red wine on your clothing, it's best to treat it immediately. Fresh stains will always come out more easily than those that have set over an extended period of time. If you have clothing with old red wine stains, there are some things you can try to remove the stains. While all old red wine stains may not be able to be removed, you can significantly improve them with these treatments. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Distilled vinegar Baking soda Water Hydrogen peroxide Dishwashing soap Washing machine Bleach Color-safe bleach Bucket
Instructions
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1
Pour distilled vinegar over the old red wine stain. Allow it to set there for approximately 30 minutes before rinsing. Distilled vinegar breaks down acidity in the wine, helping to lift the stain.
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2
Create a paste, mixing 3 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of water. Spread the paste over the stain and leave it there for 1 to 3 hours. As a cleaning agent, baking soda will fade deeply set stains.
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3
Mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide and dishwashing soap. Apply the gel-like solution to the old red wine stain. Depending on the stain's severity, allow it to work on the area for 1 to 4 hours. Hydrogen peroxide will act as a mild bleaching agent, thereby removing the stain. Be careful using it on dark-colored clothing, as it may lighten the fabric's color.
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4
Wash the clothing in the washing machine after you have spot-treated the stain. Opt for a cold wash cycle. Hot water further sets stains.
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5
Repeat your treatment if the stain is still noticeable. Oftentimes, it takes repeated treatments to fully remove old red wine stains. The first treatment may simply lighten the stain.
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6
Add 1/4 cup of bleach to one gallon of cool water. If the clothing article is white, soak it in this solution for approximately 30 minutes. If the piece of clothing is colored, opt for a color-safe bleach instead of traditional bleach.
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Tips & Warnings
Be persistent. It may take repeated treatments to get rid of old red wine stains. Be aware that some old red wine stains cannot be removed. It depends on the severity of the stain and the clothing's fabric.
Never use undiluted bleach. It can seriously damage clothing.
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Comments
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iltkh
Sep 13, 2009
This worked! A very old red wine stain on a cream-colored wool sweater has completely disappeared. I did not do the steps in the suggested order, however. Instead, I did them in reverse. First I did step 3, then after rubbing the mixture into the spot for a bit, I rinsed it out and repeated it, rinsing again. Then I combined steps 2 and 1, rubbing baking soda into the spot and adding vinegar, repeating this several times. (Fun,fizzy chemical reaction!) When I rinsed out the baking soda and vinegar, there was no trace of the stain. Total time spent: about ½ hour.
