Removing red wine stains from a rug

Red wine combines three problematic components. First, anthocyanins, plant-based dyes that embed directly into the wool fibre. Second, tannins, which form binding bonds in the same way as coffee. Third, organic acids and residual sugar that add stickiness on top.

Unlike water, wine sinks into the fibre much faster, because alcohol acts as a carrier. After only 60 seconds part of the dye is bound in the wool fibre. After 5 minutes the uptake is largely complete.

The good news: as long as the stain is still wet, it remains reachable. Once it has dried, the chemical bond changes and part of the colour stays visible for good.

Never rub, always blot. Reach for a white absorbent cloth or kitchen paper and blot up the excess wine, from the outside in, always with a fresh side. Press the cloth firmly, without wiping.

Immediately afterwards: sparkling mineral water. Pour a generous splash of mineral water onto the spot. The carbon dioxide loosens the dye from the fibre and lifts it to the surface. Continue blotting at once, until the cloth no longer picks up colour.

Alternative if no mineral water is to hand: sprinkle fine salt generously onto the wet stain. The salt absorbs the wine along with the dye out of the pile. Vacuum after 10 minutes, then blot with a damp cloth. Salt only works as long as the stain is still wet.

Step 1: Blot up the excess wine, several times with fresh cloths.

Step 2: Mineral water or salt as described above. Repeat until the liquid runs clear.

Step 3: Mix a solution of cold water and mild wool detergent, one drop per glass. Dip the cloth, wring it out well, continue blotting the spot.

Step 4: On light wool rugs, lightly run a cloth with a white vinegar and water mixture (1 tablespoon vinegar per 500 ml of water) over the spot. The vinegar neutralises any remaining tannin discolouration.

Step 5: Follow up with clear cold water so that no detergent stays in the pile.

Step 6: Weigh down the spot with dry cloths and let it dry flat. Never use a hairdryer, never iron, that fixes any remaining colour.

If the wine has already dried in, mineral water no longer helps. Prepare a paste of baking powder and cold water, about two tablespoons of powder with a little water until you have a thick paste.

Apply the paste thinly to the stain, cover it loosely with a damp cloth and let it sit for 30 to 60 minutes. The baking powder binds the residual colour and loosens the tannin bond.

Then pick it up carefully with a damp cloth, do not brush. Rinse the residue out with clear water, blot thoroughly, let it dry.

For deep red or long-dried stains, a second application helps. If the second round also brings no visible improvement, stop the self-attempt. Bleach or hydrogen peroxide are not an option for naturally-dyed or colour-sensitive rugs, they ruin the wool permanently.

White wine as a counter-remedy: a stubborn myth. White wine does dilute the red wine stain, but at the same time it adds its own acids and residual sugar. Mineral water is superior in every respect.

Hot water fixes the colour pigments in the wool fibre. Never on a wine stain. A warm steam cleaner is also taboo.

Glass cleaner, bleach, hydrogen peroxide: no. They bleach the wool and damage natural dyes immediately and visibly.

Rubbing with a sponge under heavy pressure: destroys the fibre structure and spreads the stain. Only blot.

Hairdryer or hot air: dry quickly, but at the same time fix any remaining colour.

Degreasers or washing-up liquid with additives leave foam and attract dirt over time. One drop of mild wool detergent is the only safe soap.

On silk rugs, immediately. Wine and water leave irreversible water rings on silk. Blot only the excess, leave the spot alone and call a specialist.

With large-area spills, for instance an entire bottle of red wine. Here the wine reaches the backing and has to be washed out professionally. Treat the surface with mineral water, cover it and wait for the cleaner.

With old naturally-dyed pieces. Home remedies can cause their own discolourations here, which look worse than the wine itself.

A Hamburg rug wash costs 80 to 200 euros for a medium-sized piece and lifts a red wine stain fully out in 80 to 90 percent of cases, even if it has already dried in.