Old Wine Stain in Carpet
I have a hand made carpet from India that I love. I bought it when I was a young man for several thousand dollars in the early 1980s. I expect it is worth twice what I paid now. However being foolish and fond of wine back then I spilled a bottle of wine into the…
I have a hand made carpet from India that I love. I bought it when I was a young man for several thousand dollars in the early 1980s. I expect it is worth twice what I paid now. However being foolish and fond of wine back then I spilled a bottle of wine into the central lighter field of the carpet – about one square foot in diameter. I had the carpet professionally cleaned a couple of years ago and it was rolled up ever since. Now I just unrolled it and I see the stain is still there. It looks like rust now. I presume there is nothing to do to restore it being that the stain is so very old?
Trust me, if the stain is on a light portion of the rug, it will never look the same, you can spend hundreds of dollars and it will come back looking just as bad if not worse. Let it go.
It would be a white whine, wouldn’t it? DAMN my clumsy fingers …
On a FRESH red wine stain, white whine or vodka often helps as an immediate first aid. You’re diluting the substance with a lighter version of itself and the color will normally lighten somewhat. Drinking the vodka and calling the pros probably makes more sense though.
On something as old as the stain you’re describing, the substance has probably oxidized so none of the emergency remedies would work. Pros can sometimes remove bad stains, and if the rug is of sufficient quality or emotional value, sometimes they can be re-woven.
I use Kalfaian, which used to be on Atlantic Ave. They have fixed different stains, and also re-finished the ends of unraveling rugs for me. They aren’t cheap, but they do pick up and deliver.
Kalfaian carpet cleaning 718-389-9384
i think the more you do to it, the harder it is for the porfessionals to get it out. i’ve heard from cleaners that they have a much harder time getting out stains because people try home remedies and actually make the stain set more so. salt is a great suggestion if the spill is still fresh, but in this case is way too late. i think meurice cleaners does rugs. i know that my friend had a terrible red wine stain on a white patterned dress and they got it out like new even though the stain had set. meurice ain’t cheap but they do miracles.
Ecover powder bleach (it comes in a box) is the best thing for red wine stains. Make a paste and let it sit, but I have no idea how it will work on an old stain.
It may be too late, but try SALT…Lots of it. I had someone spill a full glass of red wine on a handmade carpet. She then dashed into the kitchen, took a whole canister of salt and poured it copiously into the still-wet stain. She let it sit for a while, then we picked it and the stain up. I was so amazed that I’ve wanted to see it again, but don’t dare, just in case it was her magic and not the salt.
Carpet Culture on Crosby Street has saved several of my antique carpets from self-inflicted ruin.
You have to learn to let go.
I had a great handmade carpet that I brought back from a visit to Teheran. It cost me a fortune. Later on, I got a very sweet but dumb puppy. I spent hundreds on professional carpet cleanings. Nothing helped. It was hopeless. I kept the dog and ditched the carpet. It was a relief.
Do not do anything on your own. The rug can be repaired by a professional. All it requires is some strategic bleaching. This is often done to match wools when repairing old carpets. If you use baking soda (a caustic solution) you can degrade the carpet fibers which would cost even more to repair. If you want to preserve the rug, then go to a professional restorer (not a cleaner, a restorer).