Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Removing stains from red wine

Older people can extend their lives by drinking several glasses of red wine in the evening. A hazard is that red wine spills occur. In my case, I often have an unfinished glass on my bedside table. During the night, I reach for the nose drops and accidentally knock over the glass of wine, which spills on the bedclothes and floor.
Remedy 1: Cursing helps relieve tension. I usually say some combination of goddamit, fuck.
Remedy 2: Don't leave the wine glass anywhere near where you are sleeping.
Remedy 3. Step 1.Remove all the stained bedclothes, clothing, etc., ASAP, and soak in water. You'll notice that the bright red turns purple. Attempt to flush the stain.
Step 2. Some people recommend soaking the cloth with white wine. I have never tried this. Others recommend using a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, which is a mild bleach, and vinegar. (Of course, we all know that we can use regular bleach if the cloth is white.)
Step 3. After vigorously flushing material in sink, applying remedies such as HP, bleach, stain remover, etc., we use regular hot water washing cycle (not overloading but underloading to provide maximum flushing action).
Red wine can extend our lives but can be messy. Prompt action after an accident can prevent stains or the need to replace permanently stained fabrics.
p.s., I don't have any white, shag carpets, which can be hell, but only have finished wood flooring all over my house, so that's not a problem. Also, the last couch we bought at Rooms to Go has some kind of miracle petroleum fabric that is impermeable to wine spills if you wipe and flush.