How to Remove Dry Red Wine Stains from Cotton

Co-authored by Brandon Beckwith

Last Updated: September 7, 2024

It is relatively easy to remove fresh red wine stains: simply pour boiling water onto the fabric until the stain is gone. Removing dried red wine stains is not always so simple, but there are several home methods you can use to tackle the problem.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Hydrogen Peroxide and Dish Soap

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1
Mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide and liquid dish soap. Neither of the ingredients work well on their own, but together, they are the most widely-touted method for removing dried red wine stains.^{[1]
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Research source} The dish soap should be a non-bleach, non-alkali detergent product – although it's okay to use a bleach-based product if your cotton is white. Bleach might help you remove the stain, but it might also remove any other colors from the fabric!^{[2]
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- For a slightly stronger mixture, use one part dish detergent and two parts hydrogen peroxide.
2
Rub the mixture into the stain. First, pour a small amount of the soap-and-peroxide solution onto the stain. Use your fingers to massage the mix into the stained area. Work inward, from the outside of the stain towards the center; this should keep the stain from spreading.
- Before you apply the soap-and-peroxide mixture, place a towel inside of the garment to keep the stain from transferring to the other side. This way, the towel will absorb the stain.
- If you don't want to massage the stain with your hands, or if the fabric is particularly delicate: you can blot the stain instead. Pour the soap-and-peroxide solution onto a clean towel, then firmly dab the stain with the towel.
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Make sure that the stain is thoroughly saturated with the mixture. Leave the cotton to sit for at least 30 minutes before you try to wash out the soap.
Fill a bowl with warm water, then let the cotton soak. Make sure that the material is thoroughly saturated with water. Try running the stain under a warm faucet.
5
Soak the stain in hot water. Transfer the fabric to hot water, then let soak for an hour. A washing machine with a soak cycle is perfect for this.
- Don't add any laundry soap! The fabric should still have some soap-and-peroxide mix in it.
Once the cotton has soaked in the hot-to-warm water for one hour, give it a cold rinse. Don't add any laundry soap. If you don't want to rinse by hand, you can run a washing machine on a cold cycle.
Don't use a drying machine, especially if the fabric is 100% cotton! High heat can dramatically shrink wet cotton. If the red wine stain remains, feel free to repeat the process.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Lemon and Salt

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This step will moisten the dry stain so that it's more likely to come out. You don't need to take long – just enough to thoroughly wet the fabric.
The cotton should be damp, but not dripping. Be gentle, and try not to stretch or tear the material.
Squeeze the juice directly from a lemon, or use a pre-bottled lemon juice product. Soak the stain thoroughly, so that the acidity begins to act upon the wine.
4
Scrub the stain with table salt. As the lemon soaks into the fabric, shake salt onto the area. Use your fingers to massage the salt and lemon into the stain. Work the salt in from the front and the back of the stained area for more dramatic effect.^{[3]
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- Standard table salt is fine, but any salt will do. You may even be able to use coarse sand and other gritty materials to scrub the stain.
5
Rinse and wring out the fabric. Rinse the back of the stain in cold water from a faucet. Wring the fabric out with your hands, and massage it, paying special attention to the stained area. Do not stretch or tear the material, but don't be afraid to vigorously rub the stain. When the stain is nearly gone, wrap the garment in a clean towel to wring out most of the moisture.
- Always rinse from the back side of a stain. Wash it out of the fabric, not through it!
Squeeze more lemon juice directly onto the stain, in a concentrated dose. Lay the cotton out in the sun. Use a flat surface, if possible, so that the fabric does not stretch as it dries. The acidic lemon and the UV rays of the sun make for a natural, fabric-safe improvised bleach.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Other Solutions

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If your clothing is white, you can rub white wine over it. When you want to get rid of the smell, simply hand-wash the cotton.
Mix a paste of equal increments tartar cream and water. Rub the paste into the fabric as you would any other treatment. This mixture should help moisten the fabric and gradually bleach the stain away.
3
Use a solvent and bar soap. First, soak the fabric in water to help maintain a soft texture for the affected spot. Next, apply any solvent material (such as kerosene) to the stained area. Let the solvent soak in. Then, wash the stain with a standard bar soap. Rub the stain with bar soap until it is gone.
- The solvent should ease removal without damaging the material. If you apply detergent immediately, it can harm the material due to its harsh chemical composition.
If your cotton is white, you can use bleach. Otherwise, look for cleaning products that do not harm the material.

Community Q&A

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Question

Can I do this on all colored clothes - or just white clothes?

Community Answer

Hydrogen peroxide is a strong bleaching agent. Method 1 is less removal of the remaining wine, and actually removal of the color. Do not use it on colored clothes.

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Tips

Try to remove the wine stain as soon as possible. The longer you let it dry, the more deeply set it will become!^{[4]
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