Spilling something dark-coloured on your carpet isn’t the end of the world.

It’s a tale as old as time, or at least the time during which carpet has existed. Someone places a glass of red wine dangerously close to the edge of a table, someone else is a little free in their movement, and the dark liquid ends up on the fluffy, absorbent carpet.

Spilling red wine on a light-coloured carpet feels disastrous, but it doesn’t have to be in the long term. Some stains are destined to remain as a reminder of a life well lived, of course. But many can be mitigated with a few simple tricks. So drink your pinot noir or your blackcurrant juice with no fear.

Here’s how to get those stains out of your carpet!

 First, blot

Don’t rub, as that will push the liquid further into the carpet and can even damage it. With a clean cloth—or even better, an absorbent sponge—blot as much of the excess liquid as possible. This stops the stain from spreading and prepares the site for the next steps. Pour a small amount of cold water onto the area to dilute it, and blot some more. Some people swear by pouring a little white wine on during this process, as well as water.

Pick your path

Once you’ve mitigated the stain with blotting and diluting, you need to choose your stain removal method. There are several schools of thought on this, and an array of specialist stain removal products that each have their own instructions. We’ve picked some top options that can be done with normal household supplies.

• Make a paste with a 3:1 ratio of water and baking soda. Apply it generously to the stain, and let it sit. Put something heavy on it and leave it as long as it takes to dry, which could be overnight. Once the paste has dried, vacuum it up—the baking soda should take a lot of the wine or dark liquid with it.
• Mix together one tablespoon of white vinegar with one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid, and add it to two cups of water. With a sponge, dab the vinegar-and-soap solution into the carpet, and then blot it up with a dry rag. Continue until the stain is gone or reduced. This method comes recommended for wool carpets.
• Once you’ve done some blotting but before the stain gets too dry (pour a little more water on it if needed), take your container of salt out of the pantry and coat the entire stained area thickly with it. Let the salt soak into the stain, and then let it dry for several hours. The salt should soak up the wine—once it’s dry, vacuum it away.
• Use a small amount of a mild solvent—nail polish remover can work in a pinch. Put this on dry carpet, after blotting and soaking up as much liquid as possible.

 Bring in the big guns

The three methods outlined above can be done with products you most likely have on hand, and are surprisingly effective, even against the inkiest Shiraz. However, some stains are stubborn. While these tricks are almost guaranteed to hugely improve the state of your carpet, they may not take the mark away entirely. If the stain is not discovered until the next morning or a few hours later, it could prove harder to shift.

If you are faced with a stain that’s sticking around, you may need to find a specialist stain removal product, something like Vanish or the Rug Doctor range. Failing that, you can call in the professionals—professional stain removers, that is.

Calbeni Flooring can provide and install a range of quality carpets, but we can’t prevent anyone from spilling wine or drinks on them at some point down the road. We hope that these tips will help you keep your flooring looking top-notch! We also have a range of cleaning products in-store and easy-to-follow practical advice, so give us a call, we are happy to help.