Stains are a fact of life – but many people don’t know how to remove wine stains from carpet after it has dried, despite how often this happens.

Even if you’re extremely careful around carpeted areas in your home, it’s only a matter of time before you slip up and spill something that will stain your carpet. And wine, rich in pigment, tannins, and other staining agents, is a prime suspect when it comes to staining carpets. A red wine spill can totally ruin a carpet – and once it’s dried, it’s even harder to remove.

But never fear – if you want to learn how to remove wine stains from carpet after it has dried, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll take a look at 5 simple methods with which you can tackle your pesky wine stains – even on the most delicate carpets. Read on, and learn how to remove wine stains from carpet after it has dried.

1.  The Salt Method

Sometimes it’s hard to know how to get red wine out of carpet once dry – often, a dry stain is much more difficult to deal with than a still-wet stain. However, you can re-wet the stain if you need to for a removal method such as the salt-method, which requires a wet red wine spill.

• If you’ve managed to catch your wine spill before it has dried, that’s good. However, if your wine stain has already dried, you’ll need to wet it again with a small amount of water.

• After wetting the stain with water, apply a large amount of salt, generously, to the area of the red wine spill. Removing dried red wine stains from carpet is difficult, but salt offers a great way to do so, as it sucks out the moisture from the wet stain, drawing out pigment and other discolorations alongside it.

• Leave the salt overnight. It will begin to turn pinkish after a while – that means it’s absorbing the discoloration from the carpet.

• Then, simply scoop up the salt and discard it, vacuuming up any remaining salt. The stain should be greatly reduced in size/intensity – or completely gone.

2. The Vinegar Method

Looking for how to remove red wine from carpet home remedies? The vinegar method is one of the oldest home remedies there is – using an age-old cleansing agent in pure white vinegar.

• Mix 1tbsp of white vinegar, 1tbsp dishwashing liquid, and 2 cups of warm water in a large bowl. Make sure you only use white vinegar – other vinegars like apple cider vinegar can stain your red wine carpet stain, leading to further damage.

• Wet the stain with the mixture, and using a clean rag, dab (don’t scrub!) the stained area of carpet. The mixture will loosen the stain. Use a secondary dry rag to absorb the liquid as you continue to blot. Alternate using the wet rag and dry rag.

• When the stain has been mostly removed, soak a third rag in cold water and press it into the stain. This will further loosen and remove the wine. Continue until the stain is gone.

3. The Dish Soap and Hydrogen Peroxide Method

NOTE: Hydrogen peroxide is a mild bleaching agent. It WILL discolor dark carpets. Use with care.

If you’re looking for one of the best methods on how to remove wine stains from carpets after it has dried, hydrogen peroxide and dish soap is a great way to go. Hydrogen peroxide is a very strong cleansing agent, and is a great way to clean red wine stain.

• Mix a small amount of dish soap with a generous squirt of hydrogen peroxide. Soak a rag corner in the solution, and apply to your red wine stain. Dab it gently – this will allow the solution to soak into the fibers.

• Let the mixture soak for a few minutes to loosen the hold of the red wine stain. Fill a spray bottle with a cold water and dish soap solution. Spray down the entire stain. Blot with a dry towel.

• Blot the entire stain with a new rag that has been soaked in room-temperature water. Finally, blot with a third rag or towel to remove the liquid from the carpet.

4. White Wine and Baking Soda Method

Fight wine with wine! This carpet cleaner red wine method allows you to use the cleansing power of white wine to remove pesky red wine stains. White wine loosens red wine stains quickly and easily, and baking soda allows the stain to be soaked up and removed.

This method of how to remove wine stains from carpet after it has dried is quick and easy – and doesn’t require any specialized cleansing agents.

• Pour some white wine onto the stain – preferably a low-sugar white wine. Vodka also works, if you have no wine available. Grab a sponge, and begin blotting the stain, soaking up as much liquid as possible. Wring it out in a bucket and continue blotting.

• Create a solution of 3 parts water, 1 part baking soda. Spread it over the stain, generously.

• Cover the stain with a clean towel overnight, and weight it down with a dictionary or a heavy bucket. The next day, vacuum up the baking soda, which has absorbed the stain.

5. Know When to Call a Professional

When it comes to how to remove wine stains from carpet after it has dried, you sometimes have no other choice but to rely on a professional cleaning service. Professional services have access to methods of removing dried red wine stains from carpet that are incredibly useful – steamers, exotic cleansing agents, and more.

So if you’re looking at ways of how to remove wine stains from carpet after it has dried – and none of the above methods are working for you – it may be time to call in a professional.

Knowing how to remove wine stains from carpet after it has dried is the entire job description of a professional carpet cleaner, so don’t just rely on home remedies – if you have a carpet in dire need of cleaning, it’s time to hire somebody else to do it.

Each of the above techniques on how to remove wine stains from carpet after it has dried are fantastic home methods to remove red wine stains. So try each one out on your stains – and chances are, you’ll find success.

However, there’s no guarantee of total success – red wine stains are very difficult to deal with. So remember to consult with a professional if you have a delicate carpet or a very intense stain, and are looking at how to remove wine stains from carpet after it has dried. Professionals will be able to quickly understand your situation, and recommend a next step that’s right for your needs.