How to Get Wine Out of Linen: Tips for Saving Your Favorite Linen Tablecloth

Whether you're entertaining guests or just relaxing at home with your partner, there's nothing like enjoying an evening with a glass of wine. But what happens when your favourite white linen shirt or tablecloth becomes stained with red wine? And can those stains ever really be removed? Read on to learn more about getting wine out of linen, so you will never have to throw away stained linens again!

Dab the wine spill with a dry fabric.

Using a cotton pad or paper towel, dab the wine stain to remove excess wine. This is particularly crucial when coping with spills on white linen cloth, as you do not want any colour to transfer. If you push too firmly, the wine will absorb into the cloth. Instead, use forceful yet moderate pressure until no more fluid is extracted.

Sprinkle salt over the wine stain.

Cover the discolouration with a substantial amount of sea salt. This will absorb any remaining wine and effectively help clear the stain. And once the liquid has been completely absorbed, sweep away the salt and proceed to the next step.

Utilise a cleaning solution.

If you have a cleaning solution, lay the soiled linen item flat and treat it according to the product's directions. Also effective as a cleaning solution is white vinegar; apply it to the discolouration and let it settle for a few moments before proceeding to the next step in the wine stain extraction technique.

Mix washing bleach and peroxide using cool water in a big tub or pan. You may also bleach linen with oxygen, but it is not recommended to use chemical bleach since it might harm the fibres in the linen fabric.

Both cold and hot water may probably spread the spot, so always rinse and clean a red wine smudge with lukewarm water.

Soak for 15 to 60 minutes, based on how long the spot has been there. You may also use sparkling water to remove the stain by soaking the stained fabric in the water for around 12 hours until it has been completely absorbed.

Rinse the cloth.

The last step in removing red wine discolouration from clothing or table linen is to rinse them. If you typically wash your linens in a washing machine, continue on a cold cycle with mild detergent.

Hang it to dry.

Avoid using a drying machine on red wine discolouration since the heat may permanently fix the stains in the fabric. Alternatively, hang it to dry outdoors, since the sun will help remove the stain, or on an interior clothes rack.

Conclusion

With a little patience and the right method, you can save your favourite tablecloth from a wine stain. Make sure you use the right cleaning and stain-removing products (you can get them from a linen fabric store) as some can actually damage the fabric of your linen cloth, and make sure to avoid machine drying a recently stained linen cloth as this will only serve to make it permanent.