'Brilliant' 65p hack lifts stubborn red wine stains in just minutes

22 October 2023 , 17:21

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Red wine stains can be a pain (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

One of the most dreaded stains you can get on yourself or anywhere else is red wine. Due to its mix of acids and natural dyes, getting the stains out of fabric can be a nightmare.

But that doesn't mean all is lost if you by some chance manage to spill some of the alcoholic beverage. According to cleaning expert Joyce French at HomeHow.co.uk, the 'best' method for getting rid of red wine stains is just plain old salt.

Joyce explained: "Any type of salt will do. However, some people claim that kosher salt provides the best results. Salt is brilliant at absorbing the wine and lifting the red colour away."

You've no doubt already got salt in your cupboard, but if you don't, you can pick some up at any local supermarket for pennies. For example, you can buy a whopping 750g of table salt in Asda for 65p, which will no doubt last you a long time and save you from many red wine panics.

Joyce explained that all you have to do is blot the area first to soak up any excess liquid, and then spread salt over it, let it sit and then rinse it off. She said: "Begin by blotting the affected area to get up as much of the liquid as possible. Avoid rubbing the stain, as this could cause it to spread. Once blotted, spread a good amount of salt over the stain and allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes to absorb. If the stain is fairly large or stubborn, it would be best to leave the salt on it for several hours or overnight.

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"Once the time is up and you're ready to remove the salt, give it a good rinse with some cold water. If the stain is still visible, repeat the above steps by gently blotting the affected area, applying the salt, and rinsing it away once an appropriate amount of time has passed".

A so-called cleaning hack that has been doing the rounds recently claims that white wine can be used to clean red wine stains, but Joyce says this is a complete myth and should be avoided. She explained: "Unfortunately, the white wine hack is actually a myth. It may seem like it's working at first. When you place the white wine on the red wine, the stain will seem like it's lifting. However, all it is actually doing is diluting the stain rather than getting rid of it.

"When you return to the stain after it's dried, you'll find it is still there. It may have just lightened a little in colour due to the white wine staining it. So, white wine is not the way to go if you want to remove a red wine stain."

Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz