What NOT to do if you spill Red Wine!

It was a great dinner party. Everyone had a great time and loved all your food and wine. Problem is, you’re tired and want to go to bed, but you realize that one of your guests spilled red wine on your beige carpet! It can wait until morning…right? Red wine is better with age, but red wine spills are not! Sorry, but the best thing to do with a red wine stain or just about any spill is to work on it as soon as possible. Putting it off will only make the task harder.

Here are a few tips you can use to keep the red wine flowing in your house without too much worry!

• Blot the stain with a clean white cloth and soak up as much as you can as fast as you can! Remember, don’t rub. Blot.
• Add a little water to stained area on the carpet and continue blotting.
• Make a paste of baking soda. 1 part baking soda to 3 parts water. Apply the paste directly to the carpet stain and wait for it to dry. Once dry, vacuum up the dried paste.

Interestingly, you can even use white wine after a red wine spill! Be sure to blot the red wine as much as possible and then treat and blot with white wine to pull out the stain.

If you didn’t notice the spill until it was dry, cleanup will be more difficult. Mix 1 tablespoon of liquid hand dishwashing detergent and one tablespoon of white vinegar with 2 cups of warm water. Sponge the stain with the solution, then blot with a clean white cloth. If the stubborn stain still persists, call in a professional as soon as possible. Depending on the age, material, color, pile and age of the stain, results will vary. However, most often you’ll be amazed at the results they can achieve…keeping your carpet clean and ready for the next party!