Wine and coffee stains on a rug

The first five minutes

Blot up as much as you can with a clean white cloth or plain white paper towel. Press straight down and lift. Do not rub, which spreads the stain and drives it into the base of the pile.

Pour a little cool water onto the spot and blot again. Repeat until the cloth comes up nearly clean. Work from the edge of the stain toward its center.

Red wine

After blotting, a mild mix helps: a small squeeze of clear dish soap in two cups of cool water, with a spoonful of white vinegar if you like. Dab it on, wait a few minutes, then rinse with plain water and blot dry.

Salt or baking soda sprinkled on a wet spill can draw some of the liquid up. Vacuum it away once it dries.

Coffee and tea

Treat black coffee and tea the same way as wine: blot, rinse with cool water, then dab on the mild soap mix and rinse again.

If the coffee had milk or cream in it, keep the water cool. Warm water can set the milk into the fibers.

If the stain has already dried

Dampen it with cool water and let it sit a few minutes to soften, then repeat the soap and rinse steps. Several gentle rounds work better than one hard scrub.

Hydrogen peroxide is sometimes suggested for old wine stains, but it can lighten dyes. Try it only on a synthetic rug, only after testing a hidden spot, and never on wool, silk or a valuable rug.

What to avoid

Hot water and steam can set wine and coffee stains for good. Avoid bleach, colored cloths that can transfer dye, and soaking the rug, which can leave a ring or reach the pad and cause mildew.

On a handmade wool or silk rug, if a stain does not lift after a couple of careful tries, stop and take it to a rug cleaner. Home experiments often make a stain harder to remove.

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