You were terrified to serve red wine at your dinner party, and then the worst happens: someone ends up gesturing too wildly or clinking glasses too forcefully (both unfortunate, but also, we must say, signs of a successful soirée) and now there’s a scarlet stain on your upholstery. What to do? Enter Vanessa Da Silva, a certified sommelier and the wine program coordinator for the International Culinary Center®. Here, she reveals the best methods for removing red wine stains (and in what circumstances you should give them a try).
No matter how you go about this, there are a few basic rules to go by: “It’s generally accepted in all these methodologies to dab, not rub, as this will only spread the stain and possibly damage the material which has been stained,” she says. “It’s also always a good idea to wash or dry-clean the fabric after any of these tactics, if possible.”