Wine Stains: Is There A Difference Between Red And White?

Many of us enjoy a glass of wine with a meal, entertaining friends or perhaps like to sip on a glass of red while snuggling up on the sofa after work. However, as we are all aware, wine stains can make a mess if they spill on table cloths, clothes and / or carpets!

As it’s one of the trickier stains to remove, wine stains and how you tackle them will very much depend on the type of wine spilt and the fabric. Luckily Vanish offer an array of products that make stain removal much easier. 

The different types of wine

Aside from the various flavour notes, the main difference between red, white and rosé is the colour, as determined by the fermentation process. When making red wine the majority of the grape is used to make a juice, including the stems, seeds, and skins. It’s the "tannins" that are found in grape skins and seeds that give red wine in particular its deep colour.

To make white wine the stems, seeds, and grape skins are again used, but instead of being allowed to ferment and add colour, they’re removed from the grape juice as soon as it’s been pressed. 

Somewhere in between red and white is rosé. Made in the same way as white wine, rosé incorporates some colour from the grape skins.

 How wines stain

While the severity of a wine stain will vary depending on what type of wine it is, as all wines contain tannins, their potential to stain is great.

Commonly found in other foods such as tea, coffee, chocolate and fruit juice, tannins can be hard to remove completely. Not sure where those hard to remove rings inside your coffee mugs come from? That’ll be the pigment in the tannins.

Often causing a deep red or purple stain, red wine is noticeable on most fabrics, particularly those that are pale in colour.

While rosé and white wine are more discreet than red wine, if left untreated these yellow, beige and pink tinted stains can have an equally big impact on your fabrics.

 Top wine stain removal tips

Depending on the nature of your wine stain, follow the guidelines below for the right course of action:

•          Red wine

A popular trick is to cover your red wine stain with salt as soon as you spot it to soak up any excess liquid – leaving you with a dry area to treat!

As soon as possible, pre-treat tough red wine stains by dabbing the stained area with a dry cloth and apply Vanish Gold Oxi Action Powder. Mix 1/4 scoop of powder with 3/4 scoop of warm water. Rub the mixture into the surface of your stain and leave for up to five minutes. 

Before washing your garments or linen add a scoop of Vanish Gold Oxi Action Powder to 4L of warm water and soak for up to an hour.

If your red wine stain is on wool clothing or a carpet, treat with Vanish Oxi Action Carpet and Upholstery Powerspray by rubbing directly onto the stain. Leave for up to five minutes and blot, repeating the process until the stain is gone.

•          White wine

While nowhere near as damaging as a red wine stain, white wine can usually be treated effectively on the spot with a little fast action.

To combat a white wine stain, turn your fabric inside out and rinse the back of the stain with cold water before giving it the Vanish treatment. 

Follow the same steps mentioned above for treating a red wine stain with the Vanish Gold Oxi Action product range.

•          Rosé wine

Due to the presence of tannins that give rosé its colorful tint, for the best results treat in the same way you would a red wine stain. Begin by applying salt to absorb any liquid left on the surface, blot with a dry cloth and soak with Vanish Gold Oxi Action Powder for all fabrics, except wool.

Wine stains, whether it’s red, white or rosé can be easily removed by Vanish products. So you can put your feet up, unwind and sip away without worrying about spilling anything.