Badly stabilized glass, late-night rush… and here is your white shirt, copiously washed down with red wine. It is often in these moments of haste that we are reminded of the most stubborn of received ideas: coarse salt, hot water, detergent illico! Be aware that these three tips are mistakes that should not be made.
Indeed, if the coarse salt absorbs humidity, it also fixes the tannins of red wine on the fabric. A fortiori on a silk shirt or a wool sweater. Same consequence for the heat of the water: the reddish color of the wine will perhaps diminish, but will persist.
Clearly, refrain from putting your garment in the laundry without first removing the red wine stain. Ideally, remove the garment and dab the stained area with a paper towel. Then dab with a gentle cleanser, such as Marseille soap. Once the soap has soaked in, rinse thoroughly with cold water.
In case of wine stain, do not rub with a sponge
On silk or a delicate fabric, the best idea is to avoid the worst, because the too fragile fabric will only be more damaged by being rubbed insistently. On wool, continue the treatment with a little milk, cold of course: if the fibers turn pink, it's time to immerse the sweater in cold water accompanied by a special wool product.
In any case, do not rub the garment with a sponge. This repeated action would only embed the tannins in the red wine. If the stain persists, the next step is to use fresh water with white vinegar added. Indeed, white vinegar is known to fight against all types of stains: ink, blood, red wine.
If you can't take your garment off right away, use sparkling water. Pour a little on the blemished area then dab with an absorbent tissue. Once at home, you can put your garment in the washing machine. Again, you will understand, do not raise the temperature. If necessary, prefer several consecutive washes.
Read also :
⋙ How to remove a stain from a carpet?
⋙ Garden furniture, tools… Our tips for cleaning them properly
⋙ Our tip for cleaning a wine carafe
