We’ve all experienced it – a wonderful glass of wine and then that scary moment when it topples over the table and spills onto the carpet. Yikes! It’s definitely one of those stains that knows how to leave its mark. And unless you know how to remove red wine out of carpet, that stain may be sticking around a little too long.

But not to worry – we have offered some step-by-step solutions to help you with red wine stain removal at home.

As with most household stains, the sooner you act, the better. If you can start removing the stain before it fully sets into the carpet, you’ll have a better shot at getting rid of it.

1. With a white cloth, try and blot as much of the red wine stain as you can. The more you can soak up, the less you’ll have to remove.
2. After you finish blotting, pour a bit of cold water directly onto the wine stain. Doing this helps dilute what remains of the stain, making blotting a bit easier. Continue blotting until you find that no more of the stain will come out.
3. Now prepare a baking soda paste by mixing a three to one ratio of water to baking soda and applying it to the affected area. Once the paste is dry, vacuum the stain.