How to Remove Red Stains From Out Of Carpets?

Any homeowner with carpets in their home knows red dye #40 is one of the most difficult things to remove from carpets. There’s nothing more frustrating than spilling wine, grape juice, or Kool aid on your carpets; especially when they are light in color. Thankfully, there are a few at home solutions to get out this nuisance of a stain, without damaging your carpets. Below we have listed the 5 best methods to get red dye out of your carpet.

1. Rubbing Alcohol Or Peroxide

Both of these solutions are oxidizers and help remove colors from compounds. Dab a bit of alcohol or peroxide on the stain and let sit for a few minutes. When using hydrogen peroxide, you may notice a bit of fizzing or bubbling at first (this is a good sign and means it’s working). After you apply one of these solutions use a cold, wet cloth to blot the stain out.

2. Salt + Vacuum

Salt is an extremely versatile compound, and one of the things people forget that it can do is help pull moisture out of your carpet. While the stained area is still damp, dump a thick layer of salt over the stain and let the salt completely dry. This will allow the salt time to absorb color out of the stain. After it dries, go ahead and vacuum the salt, which should remove the stain with it. Salt can help pull moisture out of your carpet. You can use sea salt or standard table salt for this method.

3. Acetone For Red Nail Polish

Acetone is great at removing a variety of stains, especially nail polish! Standard nail polish remover is usually made from acetone and this will generally get the job done. Dab some nail polish remover on the stain, wait a few minutes and then use a moist cloth to lift the stain out of the carpet. This method is also ideal for makeup stains such as red lipstick or eyeshadow.

4. White Vinegar + Rubbing Alcohol For Juice Stains

Red juices are one of the most common stains that plagues carpeted floors. Weather it’s grape juice, berry juice or wine, these all tend to cause problems to homeowners, especially with kids in the house. For juice stains, try to clean it up as soon as possible before it has time to set in the fibers of your carpet. Mix together about ⅔ cup of rubbing alcohol and 1 tbsp of white vinegar. Wet a cloth with the solution and dab it onto the stain 2-4 times until it is fully covered. Let the solution sit for a few minutes, and then flush the area with cold water. Be sure not to use warm water as this can drive the color compounds deeper into your carpet and make the stain harder to remove.

5. Use A Commercial Stain Cleaner

Unfortunately, sometimes the DIY solutions won’t always work for extra-tough stains. If your stain has an extra-tough red compound or has been sitting for a long time in the carpet, it can make it harder to remove with the above methods. Thankfully, there are some trusted professional carpet cleaners that can remove these, without damaging your carpet. Two of our favorites include Wine Away or Gonzo Wine Out. Simply spray a bit of these solutions onto the stain, let it sit for a few minutes and use a damp cloth to blot it out.