How to Get Red Wine Stains Out of Carpet

Immediate steps to take

When red wine spills or splashes onto carpet or upholstery, you need to act fast. While the wine is still wet, grab a clean, dry cloth or paper towel and gently blot the stain to soak up as much wine as possible. This immediate action will make it easier to fully remove a red wine stain.

H3: Blotting vs. scrubbing: What's more effective? 

• When red wine spills on furniture or carpet, blotting the liquid away is more effective than scrubbing.
• Scrubbing should be avoided, as this will spread the stain and push it deeper into the material.
• After blotting, you can start cleaning.

Cleaning with store-bought products

One of the top red wine removal tips is to harness the power of cleaning products created specifically to tackle stubborn stains like red wine. Here’s how to remove wine stains from carpet using chemist-created formulas and an expertly engineered portable deep cleaner.

Best: Carpet and upholstery cleaning machine

For a thorough and reliable clean, you can use a portable carpet and upholstery cleaner or an upright deep cleaner to remove wine stains. Both styles of deep cleaner deliver carpet formula and water to treat the stain, then use suction to pull the liquid from carpet or upholstery fibers, ensuring you fully remove the red wine.

With a portable deep cleaner, you’ll use a handheld tool to clean messes on both carpet and upholstery. With an upright deep cleaner, you will use the foot of the machine to clean carpet. Most upright deep cleaners also come with a handheld tool for cleaning upholstery.

Follow these steps to remove wine stains with a carpet cleaner.

Materials needed

• Upright carpet cleaner – we like the low-priced TurboClean™ Pet Upright Carpet Cleaner
  

• Plus PET PRO OXY Urine Eliminator Formula
  

OR

• Portable carpet cleaner – like Little Green® Max Pet Portable Carpet Cleaner
  

• Plus PRO OXY Spot & Stain Formula
  

Step 1: Set up the cleaner

Prepare your upright or portable carpet cleaner with a cleaning solution designed to target stains like red wine. To effectively remove red wine from carpet, you will need a formula with carefully formulated surfactants and OXY power, such as PET PRO OXY Urine Eliminator Formula for upright cleaners or PRO OXY Spot & Stain Formula for portable cleaners. Fill the tank with clean water up to the water fill line, followed by your chosen carpet cleaning formula up to the formula fill line.

Step 2: Target the stain

After blotting the wine stain and preparing your deep cleaner, you can begin targeting the wine stain. Focus on cleaning the wine-stained area and the two inches surrounding the stain, as the liquid can spread underneath the carpet’s surface. Whether you’re using the tool on the portable deep cleaner or the foot of the upright deep cleaner, you will make one pass over the stain with the sprayer on, disbursing formula over the stain.

If you are using a portable deep cleaner, you’ll use the tool to gently scrub the stain. If you’re using an upright carpet cleaner, the brush roll will agitate the formula into the carpet.

Step 3: Extract extra solution

Next, use your cleaner’s suction function to extract as much moisture from the wine-stained area as possible from your carpet, ensuring the area is as dry as possible and free from the stain. The area won’t be completely dry, so open a window, turn on a fan, or run your AC or heating to speed up the dry time.

Good: Spray stain remover

Some spray stain removers, such as PET PRO OXY Stain Destroyer for Carpet and Upholstery, are designed to break down stains on contact, which helps the stain begin to disappear right away. For example, this go-to spray formula contains oxygen-based cleaners that work well on organic stains like red wine.

Materials needed

• Spray stain remover, like PET PRO OXY Stain Destroyer for Carpet and Upholstery
  
• Clean cloth

Step 1: Blot the area

Start by blotting the wine stain with a clean, dry cloth or a paper towel. Aim to remove as much moisture as possible. Avoid scrubbing to prevent the stain from setting deeper into the carpet or fabric fibers.

Step 2: Test a hidden area

Spray the stain remover on an inconspicuous area of your carpet or upholstery to ensure it doesn’t cause damage, such as discoloration.

Step 3: Apply the spray

Once you determine the spray stain remover is safe for use on the stained item, spray the solution over the wine stain and the surrounding two-inch perimeter.

Step 4: Let it sit

Allow the spray stain remover to sit for several minutes, so it sets into the carpet or fabric fibers and gets to work breaking down the wine stain.

Step 5: Blot and let dry

Use a clean cloth to blot the area, lifting the dissolved stain and any excess cleaning formula.

Step 6: Repeat as necessary

If the stain persists, repeat this process until the stain is completely removed.

Homemade cleaning solutions

For wine stains on a carpet, using carpet and upholstery cleaning machines with specially designed, lab-tested formulas are the best remedy for eliminating deep-set stains. DIY solutions offer no guarantees.
To help save you time and frustration, we cover some common homemade cleaning solutions and asked our chemists how effective they are at cleaning wine stains.

Proceed with caution: white vinegar, baking soda, and dish soap method

A chemist weighs in: “When you combine baking soda and vinegar, you're negating any advantage either gave you and making salt water,” says Jim Pell, Senior Chemist at BISSELL. Adding dish soap can make the area sticky, so it attracts more debris once it dries.

Materials needed

• 3 tablespoons of white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon of dish soap
• 2 cups of cold water
• Clean cloth

Step 1: Blot up excess wine

With a clean rag or paper towel, blot, don’t scrub, the wine stain to absorb as much moisture as possible.

Step 2: Mix the DIY solution

In a bowl, mix the vinegar, baking soda, dish soap, and water.

Step 3: Apply to the stain

Use a clean cloth to dab the solution onto the affected area.

Step 4: Rinse and blot

Dampen another cloth with water to rinse the area, then blot dry.

May (or may not) work: salt and club soda technique

Many online sources recommend salt and club soda as a quick fix in a pinch, especially right after a spill. However, this method can damage rugs made with natural fibers, and the fine salt can stay trapped in your carpet fibers, causing a gritty texture underfoot.

A chemist weighs in: “There is no chemical reason club soda would work any better at removing wine than plain water, and salt doesn't react with anything, so neither are actual cleaning products,” says Jim Pell, Senior Chemist at BISSELL. “If the club soda removes the visual surface stain, the wine is more likely pushed to the backing, giving it the potential to return later, after drying. To permanently remove the stain so it doesn't return later, you want to use a BISSELL® formula with the power of OXY”

H4: Materials needed

• Table salt
• Club soda
• Clean cloth

Step 1: Blot up excess wine

Using a clean, dry cloth or paper towel, blot the excess wine. Avoid scrubbing to prevent the stain from setting in further.

Step 1: Cover with salt

Pour a generous amount of salt over the wine stain.

Step 2: Add club soda

Pour club soda onto the area, letting it fizz.

Step 3: Blot and vacuum

Blot the area with a clean cloth, then vacuum up the remaining salt once dry.

Preventive measures

While it’s important to know how to remove wine stains from carpet, prevention is always better than a last-minute panic cleanup.

Spill-proofing your carpet

Consider stain-resistant treatments or protective covers to minimize future risks. Products with BISSELL® StainProtect® Technology, such as PET PRO OXY Urine Eliminator Formula, can be used to help prevent future stains by making the carpet fibers more resistant to certain stains.

Regular maintenance tips

Routine vacuuming and occasional deep cleaning can help keep carpet and upholstery in excellent condition. Vacuuming high-traffic areas at least twice a week and deep cleaning every six months with a formula and carpet cleaner can maintain the freshness and extend the life of your carpet. For upholstery, dust should be vacuumed at least every couple of weeks; if furniture is regularly used you will want to deep clean it every month or two.

Frequently asked questions

Is red wine hard to get out of carpet?

If quick action isn’t taken, red wine stains can be difficult to remove from carpet. The longer the wine sits, the more it binds to the carpet fibers, making it harder to lift. Acting fast and using the right tools, such as an upright or portable carpet cleaner with a carpet cleaning formula with OXY and StainProtect® Technology, you can remove a range of accidents, from red wine spills to pet urine and more.

Can you remove dried red wine stains?

While more challenging, it is possible to remove dried red wine stains from carpet. Typically, you’ll need to rehydrate the stain with water or a cleaning solution, such as a spray stain remover. Then, using a portable carpet cleaner with a specially designed carpet cleaning formula with OXY and StainProtect® Technology, you can work on tackline set-in wine stains.

What is the best cleaner to get wine out of carpet?

“To permanently remove the stain so it doesn't return later, you want to use a BISSELL® formula with the power of OXY,” says Jim Pell, Senior Chemist at BISSELL.

What are the immediate steps to take when red wine spills on a carpet?

The first step to take immediately after a red wine spill on carpet is to blot the stain using a clean, dry cloth or paper towel. It’s essential to never scrub the stain, as this can set the stain further into the carpet. Then, you can turn to a portable carpet cleaner with carpet cleaning formula to wet the stain and suction and lift all moisture. Repeating this process several times can help remove the stain and keep it from setting permanently.

Conclusion

Accidents happen, especially when red wine enters the picture. Red wine spills on carpet can feel like a disaster in the moment, but with the right steps and a little urgency, you can tackle the stain before it becomes a permanent fixture in your home. The best way to remove wine stains from carpet is with an upright or portable carpet cleaner, such as the TurboClean™ Pet Upright Carpet Cleaner or Little Green® Max Pet Carpet Cleaner, paired with a carpet or upholstery cleaning formula. Carefully crafted formulas with OXY work best, such as the , which effectively lifts and removes deep set stains from carpet like wine.