How To Get Red Wine Stains Out Of Wood

You were settling down with your evening glass of red wine, getting ready to enjoy the remainder of your day.

Your cat had other plans and knocked down your drink and spilled red wine all over your hardwood floor and your wooden table.

Now you are faced with an unfortunate cleaning dilemma and probably wonder how to get red wine stains out of wood.

Don’t worry, we’ve been there and have done some research to find out how to do it.

Continue reading below to learn how to get red wine stains out of wood.

What You’ll Need

Now that you have compiled all the items you need, continue reading for step-by-step instructions on how to get red wine stains out of wood.

1. Soak Up Spill 

The best course of action with a fresh spill is to soak up as much red wine as possible to avoid any stains.

Soaking up the stain needs to be the very first thing that you do.

The longer you leave the red wine on the wood, the higher chances of a more challenging red wine stain to remove.

2. Create Cleaning Paste

After soaking as much of the stain as possible after the spill:

  • Create a baking soda paste and white toothpaste.
  • Use equal parts of baking soda and white toothpaste to create this paste.
  • Make sure you do not use gel toothpaste as that will not have the same effect as white toothpaste.

3. Apply Cleaning Paste To Red Wine Stain

Once you have made a mix of baking soda and white toothpaste to create a cleaning paste, apply that cleaning paste to the red wine stain.

Using either a cloth or a sponge, rub the cleaning paste onto the stain in a circular motion.

Doing this should remove the stain as you rub the red wine stain. 

4. Remove The Paste

After removing the red wine stain, use a clean damp cloth to remove the paste from the red wine stain. 

5. Dab Red Wine Stain With White Vinegar 

If the red wine stain persists on the wood, there are additional steps you can take to continue to remove the red wine stain in its entirety.

You can take a clean cloth and soak it with white vinegar.

Take that soaked cloth and then dab the red wine stain on the wood.

Doing this should help to remove any stubborn red wine stains on the wood.

I recommend using Lucy’s Family Owned – Natural Distilled White Vinegar.

It comes from a family-owned business and gets excellent reviews on Amazon.

6. Brush Hydrogen Peroxide On Red Wine Stain

Even after dabbing the red wine stain with wood, some red wine may remain on the wood.

This is more likely to happen if the wood does not have a finish or coating and the stain has been there a long time without being addressed.

Daily, you will take a clean toothbrush and brush the red wine stain with hydrogen peroxide.

The peroxide cleaning should continue for about a week or until the red stain is entirely removed from the wood.

Video Instructions To Get Red Wine Stains Out Of Wood

  • Step 1 (:23) — Soak up stain
  • Step 2 (:35) — Make paste
  • Step 3 (:48) — Apply paste
  • Step 4 (:55) — Remove paste
  • Step 5 (1:01) — Dab with white vinegar
  • Step 6 (1:09) — Brush with hydrogen peroxide

FAQ

Can I Use Salt To Clean Red Wine Stains Out Of Wood?

Some recommend using salt and lemon to clean wooden cutting boards.

Salt is abrasive and will help lift off stains from a wooden cutting board when used to scrub the board.

The lemon is used to help remove germs but also leave it smelling fresh.

This method, however, should not be used on other wooden surfaces, such as tables and hardwood floors.

Only use this method if red wine is spilled on a wooden cutting board or similar surface.

On other wooden surfaces, the acidity of the lemon mixed with the very abrasive salt will harm any finishes on these wooden surfaces.

Can Oil Soap Be Used To Remove Red Wine Stains From Wood?

Yes, for more mild red wine stains on wood, you can use oil soap to remove the red wine stain.

It is not necessarily a common cleaning item in your home, but it is readily available among other cleaning solutions in the grocery store.

To use oil soap, you will want to mix it with hot water according to its packaging and then use a clean cloth to scrub the red wine stain on the wood with the oil soap cleaning solution. 

Oil soap is also good for the wood itself and will help to treat and condition the wood. Using an oil soap will not only clean the wood but give it shine as well.

Can I Use Bleach To Clean Red Wine Stains From Wood?

Yes, but with caution. Some bleaches will end up doing more harm than good on certain wooden surfaces.

Bleach is a very harsh chemical and will likely harm the natural finish and synthetic finishes of wooden surfaces.

If bleach is used on a wooden surface, you will probably need to re-apply a finish or even sand and then re-apply a finish.

However, if you wish to use bleach still to remove red wine stains from wood, be sure to dilute the bleach with water.

First, test a small area that is not easily noticed to ensure that if it harms the wood, you don’t damage a large piece of wood front and center in your home.

In the end, bleach should only be used as a last resort to remove red wine stains from wood.

Does Club Soda Remove Red Wine Stains From Wood?

Some often use club soda to help remove red wine stains from fabrics.

The club soda’s acidity can help lift the red wine stain from a piece of fabric.

However, it does not seem that using club soda on wooden surfaces will be helpful or detrimental.

The club soda could help dilute the red wine stain, but likely the club soda would not be able to penetrate the stain as well as vinegar and baking soda.