How to Remove Rose and Red Wine Stains: Tips and Guidelines

Roses and red wine set the mood for a romantic evening. They can do great things for your love life, but they are no friends of household surfaces and laundry stains.

Unfortunately, nothing can kill the mood faster than an unsightly red stain. Follow these tips to stop stains in their tracks and keep your sweetheart from seeing red.

The spot-removal techniques below explain how to get rose and red wine stains out of everything from bamboo to burlap.

Below are common fabrics and surfaces that can be stained with red wine. After you identify the stained material, follow these tips to treat the stain:

Non-washable fabrics
Synthetic fabrics
Household surfaces
Alabaster and Marble
Stone surfaces
Burlap, silk and wool
Foam rubber and carpet (natural or synthetic)
Cotton and linen
Felt and fur (natural or synthetic)
Leather and suede
Porcelain dishes and fixtures
Silver
Wood

Non-washable Fabrics

Follow these steps to remove red wine stains from non-washable fabrics, like acetate, fiberglass, rayon or triacetate:

Blot up the excess wine with a clean cloth.
Sponge any remaining stain with water, then apply a wet spotter and a few drops of white vinegar.
Cover the stain with an absorbent pad moistened with a wet spotter.
Keep the stain and pad moist with a wet spotter and vinegar.After the pad absorbs the stain, change it out for a new one.
Flush the stain with water.
Repeat until the stain is completely removed.

Synthetic Fabrics

Follow these steps to remove red wine stains from synthetic fabrics like acrylic fabric, modacrylic, nylon, olefin, polyester and spandex:

Immediately remove the sugar residue or it will cause a permanent stain.
Blot the excess liquid and presoak the stain in a solution of 1 quart of warm water, 1/2 teaspoon liquid detergent and 1 tablespoon vinegar for 15 minutes.
Rinse with water, and sponge with rubbing alcohol.
Launder the item as soon as possible.

Household Surfaces

Follow these steps to remove red wine stains from household surfaces such as acrylic plastic, aluminum, asphalt, bamboo, brass, bronze, cane, ceramic glass/tile, copper, cork, enamel, glass, gold, grout, iron, ivory jade, linoleum, paint (flat or gloss), pewter, plexiglass, polyurethane, stainless steel, tin, vinyl tile, vinyl wallcovering and zinc:

Blot up excess spill.
Wipe the surface with a cloth or a sponge dipped in warm, sudsy water.
Rinse well and wipe the surface dry.

Alabaster and Marble

Follow these steps to remove red wine stains from alabaster and marble:

Blot up the excess wine.
Use a cloth dipped in a solution of washing soda or detergent and water to wipe the surface clean.
Rinse well and wipe dry.
If the stain remains, mix a few drops of ammonia with 1 cup of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide.
Soak white blotter paper with the solution and place it over the stain.
Weigh it down with a heavy object.
Continue applying the solution until the stain has been bleached out.
Rinse well and wipe dry.

Stone Surfaces

Follow these steps to remove red wine stains from stone surfaces such as bluestone, brick, concrete, flagstone, granite, limestone masonry tile, slate and terrazzo:

Mix a solution of washing soda or detergent and warm water.
Gently brush the stain away with a cloth or a soft-bristled brush dipped in the solution.
Rinse with water and allow to air-dry.

Burlap, Silk and Wool

Follow these steps to remove red wine stains from burlap, silk and wool:

Be sure to remove the sugar residue or it will cause a permanent stain.
Blot up the excess wine.
Sponge the stain with water.
Cover with an absorbent pad dampened with a wet spotter of white vinegar. Let it stand until fully absorbed, then change the pad out for a new one.
Flush with water and repeat until no more stain is being lifted.

For stubborn or old stains:

Moisten the area with a solution of 1 teaspoon of liquid laundry detergent that is safe for silk or wool and 1 cup of warm water.
Cover the stain with an absorbent pad dipped in the solution and wrung nearly dry.
Let it stand for 30 minutes, adding enough solution to keep the area warm and barely moist.
When the stain is removed, thoroughly flush the fabric with water and allow it to dry.

Carpet and Foam Rubber

Follow these steps to remove red wine stains from carpet (synthetic or wool) and foam rubber:

Remove the sugar residue or it will cause a permanent stain.
Blot up what you can with an absorbent pad.
Apply a carpet stain remover. Or, flush the stain with a solution of 1 quart of warm water, 1/2 teaspoon liquid detergent and 1 tablespoon white vinegar.
Blot with a clean pad, rinse well with water, then blot up all the excess liquid with an absorbent pad.
Weigh the pad down with a heavy object.
After the liquid is fully absorbed, allow it to thoroughly air dry.

Cotton and Linen

Follow these steps to remove red wine stains from cotton and linen:

Blot up the excess liquid.
Pretreat the fabric by applying a stain-removing agent directly to the stained area.
Launder the item.

For items that are not machine washable:

Presoak the stain in a solution of 1 quart of warm water and 1/2 teaspoon of liquid detergent and let stand for 15 minutes.
Rinse well with water and sponge area with rubbing alcohol.
Rinse again with water and allow to dry.

Felt and Fur

Follow these steps to remove red wine stains from felt and fur (natural or synthetic):

Blot up the excess stain.
Mix dishwashing detergent in hot water and swish to create suds.
Dip a cloth in the foam and apply it to the stain.
Rinse the material with a damp cloth.
Allow it to air dry thoroughly.

Leather and Suede

Follow these steps to remove red wine stains from leather and suede:

Blot up the excess wine.
Mix a solution of mild soap and lukewarm water.
Swish the mixture to create suds.
Apply the foam to the stain using a sponge.
Rinse well with a clean damp cloth and wipe dry.
For leather, let the surface dry overnight, then condition it with a leather cleaner or saddle soap.

Porcelain

Follow these steps to remove red wine stains from porcelain dishes and porcelain fixtures:

Wash the stain with a cloth dipped in warm, sudsy water.
Rinse well and wipe dry with a soft cloth.
To remove any old or set stains on dishes, dip a soft damp cloth into baking soda and wipe away any remaining residue. Rinse well and wipe dry.

Silver

Follow these steps to remove rose and red wine stains from silver:

Wash the silver in hot soapy water.
Rinse in hot water.
Wipe dry with a soft cloth.

Wood

Follow these steps to remove rose and red wine stains from wood:

Mix dishwashing detergent in hot water and swish to make suds.
Dip a cloth into the foam and apply it to the stain.
Rinse well with a cloth dampened with cool water.
Polish or wax the wood as soon as possible.