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Persistent and difficult to remove stains from wine very often remain after a feast. It is almost impossible to remove old dirt with ordinary powder, since natural pigments literally eat into the fabric. There is no need to rush to throw away the damaged item. To remove wine stains from clothes, furniture or carpets, home remedies can be made using readily available ingredients.
Why are wine stains so difficult to remove?
The color of the wine depends on the grape variety. Anthocyanins, substances that are concentrated in the peel of berries, give bright red shades to drinks. These pigments are extremely persistent and cannot be removed with alkali and alcohol-based solvents. Molecules of vegetable dye penetrate deeply into the fabric and are absorbed into the fibers.
Aggravate the process of tannins, which are rich in all wines. One of them is tannin, which is similar in action to acids. The substance, remaining on the fabric for a long time, partially destroys its upper layer, facilitating the penetration of the pigment.
If wine has been spilled on clothes, tablecloths or furniture, it is important to start removing the stain as soon as possible. In this case, the chances of getting rid of it will be much greater.
First aid
Fresh wine stains on clothes are easier to remove. Do not immediately rinse the fabric with hot water – the pigment can change color and penetrate even deeper into the fibers. A first aid remedy that has been tested for centuries is table salt, a gruel from which is applied to the place of contamination and kept for 15-20 minutes. Crystals actively absorb moisture and do not allow the wine to soak deeply.
The action of the dye neutralizes a couple of drops of vinegar or lemon juice, which need to moisten the stained area. White wine stains are washed with cold water or rubbed with ice cubes.
How to get rid of old wine stains
The hardware store sells a variety of chemicals designed to remove stains. But in practice, folk methods work just as effectively. The precautions in both cases are the same – the agent must first be checked on an inconspicuous area and applied only after making sure that it does not change the color and structure of the fabric. So that the stain does not blur, the area around it must be moistened with plenty of water, and a paper towel should be placed on the inside.
Recipes for removing white wine stains:
- Wipe the stain with a cotton swab soaked in vodka.
- Dissolve 5 grams of crushed baby soap and a teaspoon of soda in a glass of water, moisten the contaminated area, leave for several hours.
- Mix 2 parts of turpentine, 1 part of ammonia and 10 parts of a good laundry soap, wash the fabric with the resulting composition.
How to remove a red wine stain:
- Stretch the thing on the pelvis and spill the tissue area with plenty of boiling water.
- Prepare a solution of 3 tablespoons of soda and a liter of water, soak the item before washing (suitable for cotton).
- Soak clothes in warm milk or kefir (for wool and silk).
- Clean the fabric with a composition prepared from equal parts of egg yolk and glycerin (colored fabrics).
- Squeeze the juice from a slice of lemon onto the stain and hold in the light (for a cotton tablecloth).
- After processing, all products must first be washed off with plenty of water, and then proceed to washing the product.
Wine stain on carpet and furniture
Apply a layer of table salt to the contaminated area, and after drying, collect with a vacuum cleaner. Partially neutralizes the pigment with ordinary soda, which should be sprinkled liberally on the stain.
An iron will help to finally remove the wine from the carpet or upholstered furniture. Often professional cleaning companies use this method.
Procedure:
- Dilute 50 ml of vinegar in a glass of water, pour into a spray bottle.
- Soak a piece of cloth in hot water, wring it out well.
- Preheat the iron to the highest temperature.
- Spray the prepared composition on the soiled area.
- Cover with damp cloth.
- Iron with an iron until the complete disappearance of pollution.
Instead of vinegar solution, you can use dishwashing gel. In this case, 5-6 drops of the product should be dissolved in 0,5 liters of warm water, soak a towel in it, put it on the stain and apply the iron in steam generation mode.
Removing wine from wallpaper
If the drink has got on the wallpaper, before cleaning it is necessary to make sure that the coating is stable in an inconspicuous place. Wine stains are well removed by bleaches that are added when washing clothes – Vanish, “Whiteness”. A small amount of the product is applied to the dirty area, left for 15-20 minutes, then washed off with a sponge and water. The method is only suitable for light-colored coatings.
For colored wallpaper, you can use dishwashing gel. The liquid is diluted in a small amount of water, foamed and applied to the contamination, then excess moisture is removed with a paper towel. On non-woven wallpaper, a melamine sponge does a good job with stains, but you need to use it very carefully due to its high abrasiveness.