A glass of red wine tipping over during a cozy evening — it happens to everyone. The good news: a fresh wine stain can usually be treated yourself, as long as you act fast and follow the right method. Below is the same step-by-step approach we use as professionals.
What you’ll need
- Clean, white cloths or paper towels (no colour, as it can transfer)
- Cold water
- A little dish soap or a special upholstery stain remover
- Optional: baking soda or soda crystals for stubborn stains
Step by step
- Blot, don’t rub. Grab a clean cloth right away and gently blot the stain dry. Rubbing pushes the wine deeper into the fibres and spreads the stain — the opposite of what you want.
- Rinse with cold water. Avoid hot water: it actually “bakes” the colour pigment into the fabric. Blot the spot with a cloth dampened with cold water.
- Apply a mild soap solution. Mix a few drops of dish soap with cold water and dab it gently onto the stain, working from the outside in so it doesn’t spread further.
- Let it sit, then blot dry again. Give the soap solution a few minutes to work, then blot the spot dry once more with a clean cloth.
- Repeat if needed. For a stubborn stain, sprinkle baking soda on the damp spot, let it absorb, then gently brush it out and vacuum it up.
- Let it dry properly. Make sure there’s good ventilation so the upholstery doesn’t stay damp for long — that prevents musty smells or, worse, mould.
A word of caution
Always test any product on an inconspicuous part of the upholstery first (for example, on the underside). Not every fabric reacts the same way, and leather or suede needs a completely different approach than fabric upholstery.
When should you call a professional instead?
Has the stain already dried in, does it cover a larger area, or does a faint mark remain no matter what you try? Then the wine has likely worked its way deeper into the fibres than household remedies can handle. Our deep sofa cleaning service uses professional steam and extraction equipment to lift out even stubborn, older stains completely.
For those smaller accidents, by the way, a handy solution is on its way: we’re developing our own line of professional stain-removal products, made specifically for moments like these. Curious? Take a look at our products page.
