Red wine stain gets harder to shift the longer it sits. Blot with a dry towel, then use cold water and detergent — not salt.
Red wine is a race against time: its anthocyanin pigments bind to fibre quickly. The famous salt trick absorbs liquid but does nothing to the colour, and often ends up grinding the pigment in. On white fabric, a 1:1 mix of hydrogen peroxide and dishwashing liquid is the most effective home treatment.
Method by fabric
White cotton
What you need
- 3% hydrogen peroxide
- Dishwashing liquid
- Dry towel
Steps
- 1Blot up as much wine as possible with a dry towel.
- 2Mix hydrogen peroxide and dishwashing liquid 1:1 and apply.
- 3Leave thirty minutes, then rinse cold.
- 4Repeat if needed, then wash.
- 5Confirm before drying.
Caution
Do not use peroxide on coloured fabric.
Cotton and blends
What you need
- Cold water
- Mild detergent
- Oxygen bleach
Steps
- 1Blot with a dry towel.
- 2Flush cold water through the back.
- 3Apply mild detergent and wait ten minutes.
- 4Soak an hour in lukewarm oxygen bleach solution, then wash.
Never do this
- Salting and rubbing — it works the pigment into the fibre
- Hot water — it sets the colour
- Pouring white wine on it — the evidence is thin and the stain just gets bigger