How to Get Red Wine and Cranberry Out of Table Linens

Step by step

1. 1

   Get to it while it’s wet

   The American Cleaning Institute says the sooner you treat a spot, the easier it comes out. If you can, pull the napkin or tablecloth while the spill is fresh.

2. 2

   Red wine: salt, then cool water

   Sprinkle table salt over the fresh wine. Then sponge the spot with cool water or club soda, and blot with a clean white cloth. Press and lift, don’t rub.

   What it looks like: the spot gets lighter each time you blot.

3. 3

   Cranberry: cool rinse, no soap

   Scrape off any sauce with a spoon. Then run cool water through the back of the stain. Don’t rub in bar soap or dish soap here, because soap can set a fruit stain.

   What it looks like: the bright red fades to pink as the water runs through.

4. 4

   Soak it

   For red wine, mix 1 quart of warm water with 1/2 teaspoon of liquid laundry detergent and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, and soak the spot for 15 minutes.

   For cranberry, put on gloves and soak the cloth for 15 to 30 minutes in warm water with oxygen bleach. The OxiClean Versatile label says to fill the scoop to line 3 for each gallon of water.

   What it looks like: the water turns a little pink, and the spot looks paler.

1. 5

   Wash it

   Rinse, then wash the linens at the temperature the care label allows. For cranberry, use a heavy-duty detergent.

2. 6

   Check it wet, before the dryer

   Hold the spot up to the light while it’s still wet. The American Cleaning Institute says drying can set a stain for good. If you see any pink, treat it again.

   What it looks like when it worked: even color all over, with no pink ring where the spill was.

When it will not work, and what to do instead

Red stains can take a second round. Here’s what to do next.

• A pink shadow is left from the wine. Sponge it with rubbing alcohol, then rinse and wash. Test the alcohol on a hidden hem first, because it can lift dye. University of Georgia Extension says alcohol can damage acetate and acrylic, so check the label.
• The cranberry is still there after one soak. Soak it again in oxygen bleach. The OxiClean label allows up to 6 hours for a tough stain.
• It already went through the dryer. Heat can set a stain, but it’s worth another try. Repeat the steps, then do a longer oxygen bleach soak, 1 to 6 hours as the OxiClean label says.
• It dripped on the rug under the table. Blot right away and sponge with cool water. For wine, University of Georgia Extension says to pour on a little club soda, sponge it up, then sponge with cool water and blot dry.
• The cloth is silk, wool or dry clean only. The OxiClean label rules those fabrics out. Blot, keep it out of the dryer, and take it to a dry cleaner.

Why it works

Here is what is going on. Red wine and cranberry get their color from the fruit, and fruit color sets in with time and heat. That is why both start cool and fast.

The salt on wine is simple. It soaks up the liquid that’s still sitting on top, so less of it sinks in. The vinegar soak and the oxygen bleach then work on the color that’s left.

Soap is the trap with cranberry. University of Georgia Extension says soap can set a fruit stain, so the cool rinse comes first and the soap waits.