Get the Red Out

When it comes to pesky stains, few can match the staying power of red wine. You know that moment when your hand graces the edge of your wine glass and everything slows down as you helplessly watch the glass tumble over onto the table or the inevitable dinner party elbow-bump that sends a perfect ribbon of red down the front of your shirt.

Don’t say goodbye to that tablecloth or your favorite shirt just yet. As with all stains, the sooner you can get to it the better. And the universal stain removal tip applies here: Blot, don’t rub!

According to the experts at U.C. Davis, known for its viticulture and enology programs, the best overall stain remover for red wine from laundered materials is an equal mixture of Dawn dishwashing soap and Hydrogen Peroxide. That’s the secret! As with any stain removal effort, always test first on an inconspicuous area, but none of the colored fabrics tested in the study were damaged by this solution.

Have a stain on Nylon? Believe it or not, you can combat red wine with white wine! It will help offset some of the staining properties of red wine and make the stain a little easier to remove. Just dab a bit of white on and blot gently. This method is not effective on other materials and may actually do more damage, so keep that in mind before you break out the chardonnay.