Let’s continue our glossary of stain removal from a to zeta by completing the category of stains beginning with the letter “A”(which began by discussing ADHESIVES and glues in general) and then addressing another type of stain that is rather tough: alcohol stains.

We will cover their stain removal in general and then focus on the most dreaded: red wine stains.

In general, how do you remove alcohol stains from fabrics?

Basic premise: If possible, do not let wine and alcohol stains in general dry out, but treat them right away!

If the fabric is washable, wet the stain immediately with warm water; then, when you can, proceed with the usual washing.

If, on the other hand, the fabric is not washable, immediately wipe the stain with a sponge wet with warm water, then wipe the area dry and with a cloth wipe the dampened stain with liquid dish soap, and finally wipe it clean with a damp wet cloth.

In the case of alcohol stains that are already dry, however, it is not sufficient to pre-treat with warm water, but a specific expedient is required.

One must, in fact, resort to the help of denatured alcohol: apply a few drops of denatured alcohol to the stain, leaving it on for at least ten minutes, then proceed with the usual washing.

What if we find the dreaded red wine stains on the spotless tablecloth?

No fear! With the right steps, even the dreaded red wine can be defeated!

Let’s start by recalling an old (but still useful) trick: as soon as wine was spilled on the tablecloth, our grandmothers used to immediately sprinkle the stain with salt–why? The basic reason is that salt has the ability to prevent the stain from expanding and thus … contains the damage!

Having learned how to contain the damage, let us now address the treatment of red wine stains, depending on the type of fabric on which they form.

Let’s start with the worst situation: the drop of red wine falling on the carpet.

In the case just described, you must proceed immediately with a “containment” action: pour water on the wine stain and then wipe it off with paper towels.

Next, as soon as you can, proceed with the actual treatment: pour a solution of glycerin and water (equal parts) on the stain and leave it for about an hour. Alternatively, take the juice of 1 lemon and pour in 1 tablespoon of baking soda, mix well and apply the mixture to the stain, leaving it to work for about an hour. Then rinse with clean water and pat dry.

What if the surface is not washable? How to remove red wine stains from a non-washable cloth or fabric covering?

After blotting the red wine stain with paper towels, wipe a sponge with warm water and blot again, then (while still damp) sprinkle the remaining halo with talcum powder, wait 10 minutes then brush off the talcum powder and, if necessary, repeat the operation until the traces are completely gone.

On washable fabrics, it only takes small steps to make red wine stains short-lived.

Immediately rinse the wine stain with warm water.

Next, before proceeding with the usual washing, it is ideal to soak the garment and let it soak in a solution of warm water and perborate (1 tablespoon per half liter of water) for about ten minutes.

In case the wine has stained wool or silk, however, instead of perborate better to opt for 20-volume hydrogen peroxide diluted in cold water (1 part hydrogen peroxide for every 6 parts cold water).

What if the incriminating alcohol is not wine but beer? How to get rid of alcohol stains such as beer?

In this case, we recommend that you always soak the stained garment (before proceeding with the usual washing) in a solution of 20-volume hydrogen peroxide diluted in cold water (1 part hydrogen peroxide to every 6 parts cold water) and let it soak for about ten minutes.

With these “little” tricks, you will make the art of stain removal your own and no alcohol will ever scare you again–not even the dreaded red wine!

If you want to know more, don’t miss the next installment of our very useful s.o.s. stains column : we will talk about another rather “hot” topic… burn stains on fabrics!