Red
Wine Stain Removal
One of the unfortunate side effects of a life
devoted to wine is the abnormally high rate of wine stain
accidents. Shirts, table clothes, white carpets – they all at some
stage seem to draw red wine towards them.
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So what is the best way of removing red wine
stains? We have all heard the urban myths and old wives tales
like soaking a red wine stain in white wine. As a vigneron,
however, I can tell you that there are no chemicals in white
wine that remove red wine stains from carpets. If there were, I
for one wouldn’t be drinking white wine! |
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Well, in July 2004, the Washington
Post ran an article by staff writer Leef Smith. She had found
herself with a red wine stain on her new beige sofa. The story
followed her search of the Internet for the best way to remove
wine stains. Now this must have struck a chord, because in the
weeks that followed, the story was picked up by the South Bend
Tribune, the Modesto Bee, the Duluth News Tribune, the Winnepeg
Free Press and the Contra Costa Times.
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Ms Smith came across research by Andrew L.
Waterhouse, professor of enology at the University of
California, Davis.
The study’s researcher used several fabric
types and tested out all the most talked about red wine stain
remover systems on the market, in home remedy books, and off the
Internet. |
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The World’s Best Red Wine Stain Remover Is…
So what is the best red wine stain remover?
Well, it’s a homemade miracle from none other than “Patty S.”
who heard it from “Nancy O.”
Patty S. randomly posted it on a wine,
gardening, and arts web site about four years ago, and the site
got rave reviews on the simple household staple mix.
The best stain remover is equal parts of
plain old hydrogen peroxide and Dawn dishwashing soap (or Patti
recommends using a soap that’s suitable for the fabric; i.e.,
carpet cleaner for carpets, Woolite for wools, dish soap for
washables, etc.).
You then take this mixture and apply it to
the red wine stain. |
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Nancy O. via Patty S.’s simple recipe for red wine stain
removal:
- A little suitable soap
- A little hydrogen peroxide
- You must use BOTH ingredients
- Spray, pour, or dab the mixture on the stain
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| One warning: Since
peroxide is a bleaching agent, the remedy could potentially
bleach some colored fabrics. Always test a small patch before
using this miracle recipe! Try it on:
- Clothing
- Carpet
- Tablecloths
- And more!
Other red wine stain removal systems such
as the age-old “add white wine to red wine” miracle method only
seem to make matters worse.
The Patty S. miracle juice really works. UC
Davis believes in it, and it worked for Leef Smith. Plus, this
red wine stain remover is being touted nationally in the media
and internationally on the Internet.
More on Patty S.’s concoction can be found
at
Strat's Place, a fine web site for wine aficionados.
Two More Solutions!
If you are concerned about the hydrogen
peroxide bleaching out your colour, here are some other
solutions. They are products designed specifically for red wine
stain removal:
StainRx
and...
Wine Away Red Wine Stain Remover  (if
this link doesn't go directly to the product, type "stain" in
their search box)
There is also a product called “Oops”
available in some wine stores that claims to remove red wine
stains. |
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