How to Get Red Wine Out of White Linen Tablecloth?

• Red wine spill. Sounds like a nightmare? Well, don't throw away your linen tablecloth or shirt as of yet!
• There are many at-home cleaning solutions that could help you to clean your stained textiles. The most important thing - don't let the stain dry!
• In the article below, we will show you 4 easy and effective ways to clean a red wine stain from different materials.

If you haven't ever got any red wine stains on your clothes or tablecloth - you haven't had a good party yet (okay, maybe you are just really lucky). Red wine stains on the tablecloths are such a common occurrence that it's no surprise that there are so many different ways to remove them.

Spilled wine might seem like a really bad event. Especially when red wine stains are always put into the list of worst stains that are almost impossible to get rid of. Even worse, if the material of your table cloth is as delicate as linen.

Luckily, those days are gone! We have researched lots of different methods to remove a red wine stain completely. So far, we come up with 4 of them that proven to be really effective and successful in removing red wine stains not only from linen tablecloths but also from clothing and carpets.

In the article below, we will elaborate more on those methods - no worries - they all are pretty straightforward.

Things happen - no need to worry! Just keep calm and go to clean that wine stain!

3 Methods to Remove Red Wine Stains

Method No. 1: Red wine stain removal with table salt

Spoiler alert: this method is the best for carpets.

• First of all, you need to act fast here - the second you see the red wine spill - grab a clean paper towel and blot the stain to soak up all the excess wine.
• Secondly, take several spoons of table salt and generously pour it directly on the stain. Cover the stain completely.
• Leave the salt-covered stain for as much as needed - until it will start to absorb the wet red wine stain. Let the stain dry completely.
• Finally, vacuum all the dry salt. At this point, if the process was successful, the salt should have sucked up the red wine stain.

Important: Please note that table salt is a harsh chemical that could easily harm the natural linen fabric if used improperly. We recommend you to always follow our official linen care guide.

Method No. 2: Remove a red wine stain with boiling water

Spoiler alert: this method is perfect for tablecloths (linen too!)

• Bring water to a boil (one tea kettle should be enough)
• While waiting for the hot water, find some pretty large size glass bowl and put it in the bathtub or a sink (wherever you are doing the cleaning process)
• Take your dirty tablecloth and place it over the bowl so that the part with a red wine stain would be in the center. Wrap the bowl with a rubber band or some lace to stretch the cloth out securely.
• Pour boiling water over the fabric with a stain. At this point, the boiling water should wash the stain out of the cloth.

Method No. 3: Remove red wine stains with white vinegar

Spoiler alert: this method is also great for washing clothing

• White vinegar is known for neutralizing red color pigments, therefore it works perfectly while removing spilled red wine out of your favorite shirt or other clothing.
• Simply pour some vinegar directly onto the red wine spot.
• Then, squeeze some liquid laundry detergent on the same area and gently rub it in.
• Afterward, wash everything in the hot water.
• After the stain removal process - drop the clothing in the washing machine.

Important: please make sure you follow our official linen care guide carefully before you try any of the methods.

Tips that could help to remove red wine stains successfully

Tip No.1: Immediate act. The faster you notice the stain and act on it - the higher chance to remove it. The older the stain gets - the more difficult it will be to remove. Fresh stains that are noticed immediately are a piece of cake to remove.

Tip No.2: Emergency solution. If you are dining out somewhere with your friends or family, and red wine has accidentally spilled on your shirt - search for the dish soap! The simple dish soap and cold water mix can really help you with the further stain removal process. Your goal at this point is to blot the stain gently to reduce the stain as much as possible.

Tip No.3: Patience is key. We have to disappoint you but those magical stain removal solutions you see on TV do not work in reality (at least for us). If the stain is not fresh, such stain removal solutions will not get the red wine stain out of your tablecloth or other fabrics just like that. You will have to put more effort into it and try other methods and cleaning solutions, such as the ones we shared with you.

Tip No.4: Look for enzymes. By that, we mean that the simple laundry detergent you use to wash your clothes will not be effective if you want to remove red wine stains. Laundry detergents that contain enzymes reinforce the stain removal process pretty significantly. Search for it in your local store - they are nothing extraordinary.

Please make sure you don't overdo with the enzyme-containing laundry detergents as too much of it might damage the natural linen fabric.

Final Word

As you can see a red wine stain is not the end of the world. Yes, it is tough, but there is always some kind of solution to help you get rid of it. The most important thing to keep in mind though is to treat a stain immediately. No matter which method you will choose, it will only work if the stain is still relevantly fresh.

Also, it is always a good idea to check the care label of your fabrics before you pour any cleaning detergent on them. Especially if the cloth is made of natural materials such as linen or cotton (basics about how to wash linen are here).

Good luck!