Spilled red wine on your rug? Act fast and stay gentle. Follow our expert advice to tackle the stain safely, avoid the common mistakes, and protect delicate rug fibres.
What to do — step by step
Red wine contains strongly coloured natural pigments, tannins and sugars. Once the liquid enters the rug’s pile, these begin attaching themselves to the fibres — so speed and a gentle touch matter most.
Act as quickly as possible
Use clean white kitchen paper or a white absorbent towel to blot the spill. Place the towel over the wine and apply gentle, even pressure.
Blot — never rub
Replace the towel as it becomes saturated and continue until little wine transfers onto it. Rubbing spreads the liquid and can distort the pile.
Work from the outside towards the centre
Work around the outside edge of the spill before moving towards the middle. This reduces the risk of spreading the stain into unaffected fibres.
Use a very small amount of cold water
For a colourfast synthetic rug, lightly dampen a clean white cloth with cold water and gently blot the affected area. Do not pour water directly onto the rug and do not soak the pile.
Remove as much moisture as possible
Place a fresh dry towel over the damp area and press gently to absorb the remaining moisture. Repeat using dry sections of the towel.
Allow the rug to dry naturally
Leave the rug to dry in a well-ventilated room. Avoid direct heat, radiators, hairdryers and strong sunlight, as these may affect the fibres or leave a visible tide mark.
