How To Remove Red Wine Stains From Tile Grout

There are few things better than a glass of red wine with dinner, but there is nothing worse than spilling that wine.

Red wine stains almost everything it touches, including your tile grout.

Tile grout is porous, so it is especially susceptible to stains.

These stains can leave your grout looking dingy and dirty.

Luckily, you don’t need to worry the next time a glass of wine spills on your tile floors.

We’ve done the research, and learning how to remove red wine stains from tile grout is achievable in the comfort of your own home.

All you need are some household cleaning supplies and determination to remove red wine stains from tile grout. 

What You’ll Need

You’ll need a few essential household cleaning items to remove red wine stains from tile grout.

Now that you have everything you need, read on to learn how to get red wine stains out of tile grout.

1. Blot any unabsorbed liquid from a fresh spill

Red wine spills are easiest to handle when they are fresh.

As soon as you realize that red wine has spilled on your tile floor, grab some paper towels or a cleaning cloth and blot the liquid up.

The more wine you can blot now, the smaller the stain will be.

Paper towels are usually recommended when cleaning red wine because the wine will stain cleaning cloths. 

2. Combine dish soap and warm water

Mix three cups of warm water and two tablespoons of dish soap.

3. Scrub thoroughly

Using a paper towel or a sponge, scrub the affected area with the mixture.

The wine will stain the sponge, so we recommend using a paper towel.

If the stain is fresh, this may be all you need to do altogether to remove the red wine stain from your tile grout.

If so, rinse the area with cool water and allow it to dry.

If the stain is older and has set into the grout, proceed to the next step.

4. Combine baking soda and bleach And Apply

Mix one part baking soda with one part bleach.

Doing this should form a paste.

Apply the paste to the stained sections of your tile grout and allow it to sit for five minutes. 

Pro tip: Remember to work in a well-ventilated area, especially whenever you are using bleach.

The vapors can be harmful if inhaled, so take all reasonable precautions to protect yourself and others.

5. Scrub the stain and rinse the area

After the baking soda and bleach paste has sat on the affected area of the grout for about five minutes, take a toothbrush or a grout brush and scrub the affected area.

Then, rinse the area with warm water.

You may have to repeat steps three and four a couple of times to remove the red wine stain altogether, especially if the stain has sat in the grout for a while.

Pro tip: We recommend having a toothbrush specifically for cleaning. Having a dedicated cleaning toothbrush will help to prevent any potential mix-ups or confusion around having multiple toothbrushes in the house.

6. spray hydrogen peroxide on the remaining stain

If the red wine stain persists on your tile grout, put some hydrogen peroxide in a small spray bottle and spray the affected area liberally.

Allow the hydrogen peroxide to sit on the red wine stain for about 30 minutes before rinsing it off with fresh water.

You can repeat this step several times if you find that the first application of hydrogen peroxide does not altogether remove your old red wine stain from your tile grout. 

The following video demonstrates how to clean tile grout and remove tough stains, like red wine stains.

0:28—If your grout is rather dirty, start cleaning it by applying a commercial grout cleaner.

0:37—To make your grout cleaner, mix ¾ cup of baking soda, ¼ cup of hydrogen peroxide, and one tablespoon of dish soap.

0:46—Scrub the grout with a toothbrush using the grout cleaner of your choice.

0:52—Work and rinse in small sections.

1:05—Mop the affected area once you have finished washing it.

1:07—To address stains, mix two tablespoons of oxygenated bleach and two tablespoons of warm water.

1:16—Apply the mixture in small sections, allowing it to sit for 15 minutes at most.

1:21—Scrub and rinse the grout.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to take any special steps to remove red wine stains from my colored grout?

Yes, you do need to take different cleaning steps if you have colored tile grout.

Most tile grout is white, so the above steps are intended for white tile grout.

However, if you have colored tile grout, you can still remove red wine stains from it.

To remove red wine stains from colored tile grout:

  1. Combine four tablespoons of ammonia, baking soda, and white vinegar with 1 ½ quart of warm water. You can combine the ammonia, baking soda, and white vinegar before adding the water to ensure that everything is well mixed.
  2. Spray the mixture onto the affected area of the tile grout liberally.
  3. Allow the mixture to sit on the stain for about 15 minutes.
  4. Rinse the area with warm water and allow it to dry.

Why is tile grout challenging to clean?

Tile grout is porous, and it is not permanently sealed.

That means that liquids can be quickly absorbed into the tile grout, settling in through the natural holes and pockets in the material.

This makes tile grout difficult to fully clean because the dirt and stains you are trying to remove can settle deep within the grout itself.

Of course, it is not impossible to clean tile grout, and it is easy to maintain if you rinse it weekly.

With tile floors, mopping is generally sufficient to ensure your tile grout stays clean from general dirt and build-up. 

If you have hardwood floors and have spilled red wine on them instead of tile flooring, check out our article that’s dedicated to teaching you how to remove red wine stains from wood.