Hard Wood Floor Cleaning ·Mar 02, 2023

How to Get Red Wine Out of Wood

Red wine is notoriously a stain you want to avoid, as it can be dark, noticeable, and difficult to remove. It can cause a real mess on the carpet, but it also leaves a nasty stain behind on the wood.

It is key to act fast with a proper cleaning method on hand to remove the wine from hardwood floors or furniture without causing more damage, so you need to know how to get red wine out of wood.

This article shows you exactly how to remove wine from wood surfaces, and how to handle both fresh stains and old stains so that you are prepared for this type of spill.

How To Get Wine Stains Out Of Wood

Fresh Stain

A fresh wine stain can be fairly easy to clean if you act fast enough. Attend to the spill as soon as it happens, and you can effectively eliminate any traces of the wine from the wood in a matter of minutes.

Wipe off Excess

The first thing you will want to do is remove any of the excess wine from the wood as quickly as possible. This will also help to clean sticky hardwood floors.

You can either use an absorbent cloth, a paper towel, or absorbent pads. The Orbot Micro Superzorb Pads from Truck Mount Forum are incredibly fast in absorbing liquid, so this is ideal to remove the wine before it gets a chance to soak into the wood.

Mix and Apply the Solution

Next, you will mix a simple cleaning solution. Combine a cup of water with one tablespoon of liquid soap and mix well. This solution is perfect for any fresh stain, such as removing ink from a hardwood floor while still wet.

Transfer this to a spray bottle, and then spray onto the stained area. Do not apply too many solutions as this could cause water damage.

Use an old, soft toothbrush to gently scrub the solution into the wood. Do not press too hard as this might cause damage to the wood.

Rinse Area

You will then need to rinse out the soap from the wood, as leaving even traces of it on can cause the wood to fade or discolor.

Fill up a spray bottle with plain, cold water. Spray the water onto the affected area, and then use a soft cloth to wipe it down. Do this 2-3 times to ensure you have removed any soap from the wood.

Dry Wood

Finally, make sure the area is dried properly. Leaving moisture on the wood can cause water damage that leads to mold, rotting, or bubbling. This is also key to cleaning wood floors so that they are not slippery.

Immediately after rinsing the area, use a dry cloth to remove any moisture from the hardwood floor or furniture. Check to see if the stain has cleared, and if not, repeat the process from the beginning.

Old Stain

Sometimes you may only notice a wine stain long after it has happened, and this can make it more challenging to get rid of it completely. But with a good home solution and quality tools, you should be able to get the wood looking as good as new by removing old stains from the hardwood floor.

Apply Baking Soda and Vinegar

The first step is to prepare a good cleaning solution that is strong enough to clean an old stain, but still not harsh enough to cause damage to the wood.

how to get red wine out of wooden floors

Home remedies also work best for this, particularly for use on wood surfaces. Baking soda and vinegar are famously effective and natural cleaning agents to use in the home for several things, and when combined, they work exceptionally well together. This works with any old stain, such as removing hair color from a wood floor.

Mix one tablespoon of white spirit vinegar with three tablespoons of baking soda. This should form a paste. Apply this onto the stained area of the wood, ensuring that it covers the entire stain with a thick enough layer that you cannot see the wood underneath. This mixture also works well to clean oil from hardwood floors.

Leave this to sit for about 20-30 minutes.

Scrub Gently

Next, use a soft brush (like Truck Mount Forum’s Hand-Fit Horsehair Brush) to gently scrub the paste into the wood and remove any traces of wine that has settled in. Apply very little pressure so that you do not damage the wood.

You could also use a carpet cleaning brush machine for this step.

Wipe Off Paste

Soak an absorbent cloth in plain, cold water and wring out the excess liquid. Then use the damp cloth to wipe away the paste from the stained area.

You may need to re-dip the cloth and wipe the wood several times to completely get rid of the paste. Ensure there is none of it left on the surface.

Leave to Dry

Use a dry cloth or towel to remove any remaining moisture on the wood, and then leave it to dry fully for a few hours. Once dry, check to see if there are any traces of the stain remaining. If so, you will need to repeat the process.

Conclusion

Red wine is a pesky stain to remove, but cleaning wood can be just as challenging as any cleaning methods or products that are too harsh and can cause even more damage to the surface.

It is important to attend to a wine spill as soon as it happens, as this makes it far easier to clean with a simple solution and quick method. If you happen to miss a spill and can only clean it long after it happened, you may need a slightly stronger solution of baking soda and vinegar to get it out.

Always spot-test cleaners before you apply them to wood, and keep your scrubbing motions light on pressure so that you can clean your wood floors or furniture to good condition.

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