red wine stain remover

The other night, I had a mishap opening a bottle of red with a cheap hotel corkscrew. I panicked, but had the good sense not to go at it with the liquid soap/shampoo combo from the wall dispenser before strategizing my approach.

The internet suggested removing it using salt, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, Oxy-Clean, and many other things I didn't have have onhand, and couldn't get due to everything being closed for the Easter holidays.

By the time I finished researching and freaking out, the stain had dried. I'd pretty much made peace with the demise of my beloved pink chemise, but I decided to rinse the stain in cold water, then soak it in rubbing alcohol. I figured alcohol was probably a safer bet than nail polish remover, the soap/shampoo, or nothing, and I'm glad I did because by the next morning, the stain was gone!

If you ever have to remove a dried red wine stain, try pouring a bit of rubbing alcohol into a cup or bowl, then soak the stained area overnight. I used this on a nylon/spandex blend. The garment in question was light pink and there's not a trace of red wine anywhere :)

Necessity is indeed the mother of invention...