how to get red wine out of carpet

Blot with a clean white cloth. Press, lift, move to a dry spot. Never rub. Cold water only. Heat sets the tannin permanently.

The method

1. Blot with a clean white cloth. Press, lift, move to a dry spot. Never rub.
2. Work from the outside edge inward so you don't spread the ring wider.
3. Cold water only. Heat sets the tannin permanently.
4. White cloth only, so no dye transfers back into the fiber.
5. Blot dry, weight a dry towel on it, then call a pro before it sets.

Why the common fix backfires

Scrubbing drives the pigment down into the backing and the pad. Once it's in the pad it wicks back up every time the carpet gets damp, so the stain reappears a week later.

The honest limit

Once wine is in the pad, topical cleaning can't reach it. That needs extraction equipment that pulls from the backing up.

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