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 own wine glasses, considers what has happened, and then the suggestions start. Everyone has an opinion on the best action to take, and it’s hard to know which is right. Here we take a look at the best action to take if and when you spill different types of wine
Red wine stains. This is the dreaded one as red wine stains can cause some serious damage if not handled right. There is an old wives tale that you should pour white wine on a red wine stain to get it out but this is rarely the best option.What works a whole lot better is pouring over the stain a mix of talcum powder and a little ammonia. Give the powder a good couple of hours to soak up all the wine and another couple to dry out itself, before hoovering the whole lot up. 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. The colouring in wine called tanning is not as present in white wine as it is in red, meaning stains are not nearly so bad. The best option for getting up white wine is sponging it with hot soapy water. Then, like you would with red wine, break out the talcum powder and cover well to absorb the smell.
Champagne. This is whole different ball game altogether as you shouldn’t necessarily rush to clean up a champagne spill. 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. Holding glass vases or crystal vases over the spill will keep it from drying out and the cleaning effect will go on for longer.