The Wine Fact Center

Spilling wine on your clothing or on a carpet is one of those horror moments. First there is a pause whilst everyone puts down their wine glasses, takes in what has happened, and then the suggestions start. Opinions vary across the board and everyone will want to give theirs, even if they all contradict each other. Here we take a look at the best action to take if and when you spill different types of wine

Red wine. This is the dreaded one as red wine stains can cause some serious damage if not handled right. Some people say that wine wine is the best thing to put on a red stain, but this is not really true.What works a whole lot better is pouring over the stain a mix of talcum powder and a little ammonia. After around 60-120 minutes the wine should have completely been absorbed by the talc and you can just suck it up with a hoover. The other option is to use white vinegar and pour this over the wine which breaks up the colouring and makes it easier to mop up. Vinegar works best if its given around 45 mins to work its magic

White wine stains. There is a great deal less tannin (wine colouring) in white wine and so this means it is less of a headache when spilt. The best option for getting up white wine is sponging it with hot soapy water. You can then use the talcum powder technique afterwards to get rid of any wine smell.

Champagne. If you have an accident with champagne, you might want to think about leaving it for a bit until you get round to cleaning it off the fabric. You might want to do this because the bubbles found in champagne work to remove dirt withing soft furnishings by breaking it up and lifting it away from the fabric. Placing glass vases or crystal vases over the spill will keep it from drying out and the cleaning effect will go on for longer.