Red wine is one of the stains we deal with most. Spills happen at dinner parties, in restaurants and in hotels, and a fresh spill is very different from one that has been sitting for weeks. This post shows what we can do with a professional clean, using real jobs from around Cheltenham.
If you have just spilt wine, start with our step-by-step guide on what to do in the first few minutes: blot, do not rub, and use cold water, never hot.
When it is time to call a professional
- The stain is still visible after blotting and rinsing.
- The carpet or rug is wool, silk or viscose. These fibres are easily damaged by strong household stain removers.
- The stain is old, or someone has already tried a shop-bought product and it has spread or left a ring.
- It is a large area, a pale carpet, or stairs where every mark shows.
Why shop-bought products can make it worse
Many supermarket stain removers are strong and alkaline, or contain bleaching agents. On wool they can strip colour, change the feel of the fibres or leave a lighter patch that is more noticeable than the original stain. They also leave a sticky residue that attracts dirt, so the area turns grey again within weeks. We choose the cleaning products for the fibre in front of us and test them in a hidden spot first.
Real job: red wine on a wool hotel carpet
We look after the carpets for a hotel that is a regular client, and red wine spills come with the job. Wool carpets are hard-wearing and look beautiful, but they need the right approach. We treat each stain with a wool-safe product, work it gently from the outside in, and rinse and extract it so nothing is left in the fibres.
Real job: red wine on a stair carpet
Stairs are one of the worst places for a stain, because every mark is at eye level as you walk up. This pale stair carpet had a red wine stain. With the right spotter and careful extraction it came out, as you can see in the photo.
Real job: red wine across a bedroom carpet
This pale bedroom carpet had wine spilt and walked across it, leaving large patches and splashes between the bed and the drawers. We pre-treated each mark, worked the stains out carefully and extracted the residue, then cleaned the whole area so it dried evenly with no rings.
Will every stain come out?
We will be honest with you. Most fresh red wine stains come out completely. Old stains, or stains that have been treated with the wrong product, can usually be removed or greatly reduced, but sometimes the dye has bonded permanently. We will test first and tell you what to expect before we start. If you are not happy with a cleaned area, we will come back within 7 days and re-clean it free of charge.
Book a stain removal or carpet clean
Send a photo of the stain on WhatsApp or call 07377 693 355 for a free quote. We clean carpets and rugs for homes, hotels and businesses across Cheltenham and Gloucestershire.
