You’ve finally come home from a long day at work, and you just want to relax in bed, sippin’ on red wine. Or you’re having a romantic night with a partner, sharing a bottle of red.
But then, cue the *dun dun dun* you’ve accidentally spilt wine on the bed. Suddenly, it’s not relaxing anymore, and you’re stressing about how to clean red wine out of the mattress.
Did you know? In a study where they studied participants’ wine consumption, it was found that 81.3% of females consume wine once a week or more.
This was an increase from 68% before the pandemic. With alcohol venues affected by the pandemic, most of us have had to dust off the old wine glasses and drink from the comforts of our beds.
The longer the stain is left in the fabric, the less likely you can completely remove the stains.
This blog will share how to properly clean red wine out of your mattress, what water temperature to use, materials to use, and how to remove even old stains.
What Materials You’ll Need
Don’t stress too much when cleaning red wine stains on your mattress. These items are probably already in your kitchen.
- Clean cloth, kitchen towel, or sponge to soak up the liquid.
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Washing up liquid (dish soap)
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Stain removing products
How Do You Get Red Wine Out of a Mattress?
Red wines are made from grapes and grape skins containing anthocyanins responsible for the red colour of wines. In fact, research shows wine is a natural dye. So when a glass of wine is spilt on your bed, it’s natural to panic since you’re basically pouring dye.
With that, you have to be careful and intentional in dealing with red wine stains, what ingredients to use and what water to use.
Do you wash red wine stains in hot or cold water?
When there’s a stain, your first instinct might be to toss the beddings or clothes. But what if that will just make the stain worse? In dealing with getting red wine out of bedding or removing red wine stains from clothes, cold water should be used.
One study found out the optimum dyeing conditions for cotton is at 40℃ (104℉). This means that the colour will set at that temperature. So if you expose stained fabrics to high heat washing, you will set the stain even more.
Method 1: Hydrogen peroxide and washing up liquid
Hydrogen peroxide targets coloured stains by breaking down the colour-causing components. It’s like making the stain invisible.
Hydrogen peroxide is actually present in stain-removing products like Oxiclean and Vanish in the form of sodium percarbonate. Washing up liquid or dish soap, on the other hand, helps in removing stains, too, in the same way, it works in removing stains on your plates.
We recommended using 3% hydrogen peroxide like Care+ and SafeSol. For washing up liquid soap, UK top brand like Fairy is recommended. For US brands, Dawn is the popular one among users.
For this method,
- Varying ratios of hydrogen peroxide and soap are used by different people. You can start with a 3:1 ratio and adjust from there. The consistency should be like a paste, so it doesn’t run on the surface.
- Apply the paste to the stain and let it sit for 30 minutes.
- Remove the paste with a sponge or clean cloth for absorption.
- Repeat the process until you are satisfied with the results.
Not only for the mattresses, but you can also use this method in dealing with how to remove red wine from the carpet after it has dried.
Method 2: Baking soda and vinegar
Baking soda and vinegar are powerful combinations in cleaning. I’m sure you’ve heard of it if you’ve dealt with how to remove blood stains out of a mattress.We’ll give you a scientific explanation if you’ve wondered how white vinegar removes red wine stains.
With a pH level of 2, distilled white vinegar is a strong acid that can help break down stains. If you refer to the pH level, wines are usually on the pH level of 3. This means that white vinegar is more acidic and can dissolve away another weaker acid.
On the other hand, baking soda is abrasive, so this can help lift red wine stains, especially if it is dried.
For this method, follow the steps below:
- Make sure all the red wine is soaked up using a clean and dry cloth. Use a tamping motion to absorb the liquid in the mattress or beddings.
- Dab white vinegar over the stained area. This will break down the stain.
- Use the clean cloth again to soak up excess liquid.
- Put baking soda on top of the wine stain.
- Dab white vinegar again to make the mixture bubble up and aid in removing the stain.
- Blot the mixture away using a clean cloth.
- Repeat the steps above if the stain hasn’t entirely lifted.
Note: Please make sure to use only white vinegar in this method. Some vinegar can add more stain to your mattress. We recommend using UK brands like Golden Swan and Jocker Woods for white vinegar.
Method 3: Stain cleaning products
Stain cleaning products should be the last resort since this is not available immediately in most households. But if you happen to have one, it’s worth a shot. Reddit users swear by using a stain removing products such as Oxiclean. Vanish is a UK brand recommended for this.
How do these products work?
Stain cleaners like Oxiclean and Vanish contain sodium percarbonate, another form of hydrogen peroxide. This ingredient targets brightly coloured stains like wine, coffee, and tea by breaking down the colour-causing components.
Refer to the instructions included in the product for proper usage.
Note: These stain cleaning products often involve using water. Otherwise, they are in liquid form. It is recommended that you dry your mattress entirely before putting on new sheets.
Any excess moisture in the mattress may cause mould growth since moulds love a moist environment.
FAQ: Does salt remove red wine stains?
The salt and club soda method is a popular wine stain removal method in restaurants. Both salt and club soda are the most accessible items in restaurants. However, salt can actually set the wine stain on the fabric.
FAQ: Does toothpaste remove red wine stains?
While your favourite toothpaste brand can definitely remove red wine stains on your teeth, it doesn’t do much for fabrics or mattress. There is no ingredient in the toothpaste that can address red wine stains.
Worse, some toothpaste has a colouring ingredient that can add stains to your mattress. So, keep your toothpaste for your dental cleaning purposes only.
Takeaway
There are popular ways of removing red wine stains, but some are ineffective. These methods are backed up by science and are efficient in removing red wine stains
- Hydrogen peroxide and dish soap
- Baking soda and vinegar
- Stain cleaning products containing sodium percarbonate
It is important to clean the stain as soon as possible to avoid the stain setting. By using the everyday ingredients primarily found in your kitchen, you can save the stain from ruining your mattress and beddings.
Sources:
Texas Wine Marketing Research Institute
Markoski, M. M., Garavaglia, J., Oliveira, A., Olivaes, J., & Marcadenti, A. (2016). Molecular Properties of Red Wine Compounds and Cardiometabolic Benefits. Nutrition and metabolic insights, 9, 51–57. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4973766/
Baaka, Noureddine & Ben Ticha, Manel & Haddar, Wafa & Hammami, Saoussen & Mhenni, M.F.. (2015). Extraction of Natural Dye from Waste Wine Industry: Optimization Survey Based on a Central Composite Design Method. Fibers and Polymers. 16. 38-45. 10.1007/s12221-015-0038-5. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276836334_Extraction_of_Natural_Dye_from_Waste_Wine_Industry_Optimization_Survey_Based_on_a_Central_Composite_Design_Method
Yang, Hyuna, & Park, Youngmi. (2015). Optimum Dyeing Condition of Cotton by Fermented Grape By-products with Degraded Protein Mordant. Textile Coloration and Finishing , 27 (3), 202–209. https://www.koreascience.or.kr/article/JAKO201531362062889.page
