First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Blot, don't rub: press a clean, dry white cloth or paper towel onto the wine.
- Sponge with cool water, or club soda if you have it.
- On a fresh spill, sprinkle table salt on the stain to absorb some of the wine.
Cement grout takes stain into its body, so wine can settle into it within a short time once it dries. A fresh spill usually lifts with cool water and a nylon pad, but the type of grout decides how far you can go. Epoxy grout can be brought back to its original shade, so check which one you have before you scrub hard.
If the mark has dried, a gentle cleaner rated for grout will do more than a splash of water when you clean wine stains out of it. Test it on a small hidden spot first, then work it in with a soft brush. Stop the moment the color stops moving, since heavy scrubbing can wear the grout face.
Before you start
What grout can take
Safe to use4
- Water
- Hot water
- Enzyme cleaners
- Heat, once the stain is out
Use with care5
- Soaking
- Chlorine bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
7 items
What you'll need
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- Clean, dry white cloth or white paper towelsThey lift the wine without adding color. (opens Amazon)
- Table saltIt soaks up some of a fresh spill before you start scrubbing. (opens Amazon)
- Club soda (optional)It can replace cool water for the first sponging. (opens Amazon)
- White nylon padNylon scrubs the grout without scratching it or wearing down the sealer. (opens Amazon)
- Soft nylon brushIt works the cleaner into the grout lines. (opens Amazon)
- Mild cleaner made for tile and groutIt lifts what the water scrub leaves behind without harming the grout. (opens Amazon)
- Mop or wet vacuumIt picks up the dirty solution before it dries. (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Blot up the wine
Lay a clean, dry white cloth or white paper towels over the spill and press to lift the liquid. Don't rub, because rubbing spreads the wine across the grout lines.
Tip. On a fresh spill, sprinkle table salt on the stain to absorb some of it, then blot again.
Step 2 of 6
Sponge with cool water
Sponge the stain promptly with cool water, or with club soda if you have it. Blot thoroughly after each pass so the wine lifts out rather than soaking deeper.
Step 3 of 660 seconds
Scrub with warm water
Scrub the stain with warm water and a white nylon pad for at least 60 seconds. Work along the grout line rather than across the tile, so the pad stays on the grout.
Careful. Abrasive cleaners and scrubbers can damage grout and reduce sealer stain repellency.
Step 4 of 6A few minutes
Apply a mild tile-and-grout cleaner
If the stain is still visible, test a mild cleaner made for tile and grout on a small hidden spot and let it dry to check the result. Then apply it to the stain, let it sit a few minutes without drying, and work it with a soft nylon brush.
Careful. Don't let the cleaning solution dry on the grout.
Step 5 of 6
Lift and rinse the solution
Pick up the dirty solution with a mop or wet vacuum before it dries. Rinse the area with clean water, then let it air-dry.
Careful. Leftover cleaner leaves a sticky film that attracts dirt.
Step 6 of 6
Check the grout once dry
Look at the grout in good light once it has fully dried. If a shadow of the wine remains, repeat the mild cleaner and rinse, then move to the set-in options.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for red wine on grout
Choose a mild cleaner labeled for tile and grout for routine use, and a separate alkaline tile-and-grout cleaner for greasy soil. Use a white nylon pad rather than a scouring pad.
Amazon Basics Microfiber Cleaning Cloths
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on grout, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
The wine is gone when the grout color matches the grout around it once it has dried. If a reddish shadow stays in the grout lines, the stain has bonded in and needs another round of cleaner and scrubbing.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your grout
Epoxy grout
Epoxy grout can take hot water, so you can use hot water in place of warm for the scrub. A damp mop with clean hot water and a final rinse keeps the surface clean once the wine is gone.
Because epoxy can always be cleaned back to its original color, keep working with the nylon pad and the mild cleaner rather than reaching for a harsher product. Rinse everything out before you change products.
Sealed cement grout
Cement grout is alkaline, and acids dissolve it, so vinegar and lemon are off the table here. Ammonia-based and general bathroom cleaners also break down the sealer, so stick to the mild tile-and-grout cleaner from the steps.
If a stain on cement grout is deep, the set-in options are the next move rather than a stronger cleaner.
Grout with greasy soil
If the wine has mixed with grease, as on a kitchen floor, use an alkaline cleaner made for tile and grout instead of the mild one. Dampen the grout first, let the cleaner dwell for 3 to 4 minutes, then scrub with a white nylon pad for at least 60 seconds and rinse.
Repeat if needed, and skip oil- and wax-based cleaners, which leave a film in the grout.
Grout with mold or soap scum
Mold and soap scum are a separate problem from wine, so they need a cleaner made for those deposits. Use that cleaner on its own after the wine is gone, and rinse it fully before you check the color.
If the spot is only wine, skip this and keep to the steps.
Old, dried or set-in stains
A stain that has been sitting for days is harder to lift, because the wine has been bonding into the grout. On cement grout, the color can become part of the grout itself, so the sooner you treat it, the better your chances.
Epoxy grout can always be cleaned back to its original color, so it's the easier case once the stain has dried. Cement grout is the one that keeps a stubborn mark, and that is where the repeat cleaner comes in.
For a deep stain on cement grout, repeat the alkaline cleaner: dampen the grout, let it dwell 3 to 4 minutes, scrub for 60 seconds, and rinse. If it still shows, pressurized steam can remove some stains that resist conventional cleaners.
Chlorine bleach is only for epoxy grout, as the very last step after everything else is rinsed out. Realistically, you may lighten a cement grout stain rather than erase it, so aim for an even color.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on red wine on grout?
Most home remedies for wine on grout are either unnecessary or unsafe here. A warm water scrub, a mild tile-and-grout cleaner and a thorough rinse do the job, so there's little reason to reach for anything harsher.
Works1Helps1Skip5Avoid1
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't rub bar soap or natural soap into the stain.
Natural soap makes a tannin stain like red wine harder to remove, so it can set the color further. Check the ingredient list on any cleaner for soap before you use it.
Don't use strong acid solutions on grout.
Strong acid makes grout lose its color or turn powdery or sandy, and it dulls glazed tile. Keep to the mild cleaner in the steps, even when the stain looks stubborn.
Don't use ammonia-based cleaners for routine care.
Strong alkaline, acidic and ammonia-based cleaners can damage grout and greatly reduce sealer stain repellency. The mild tile-and-grout cleaner in the steps is gentler and does the job.
Don't put heat on the stain too soon.
A hair dryer, iron or hot air sets the wine deeper into the grout, so keep heat away until the stain is gone. Let the area air-dry and check it before deciding what to do next.
When to call a professional
If the stain is still there after the set-in options, contact the grout manufacturer's technical support team. They can advise on deeply set stains and on what your specific grout can take. Acid cleaning, such as for efflorescence, needs extreme care, so leave that to a professional.
Questions
How do you clean wine stains out of grout?
Start by blotting the wine, then sponge with cool water or club soda and scrub with warm water and a white nylon pad. If a stain remains once it's dry, a mild cleaner made for tile and grout, rinsed away fully, handles most of what's left.
Does red wine permanently stain grout?
It can, especially on cement grout that has been left to dry, because the color becomes part of the grout. Epoxy grout can always be cleaned back to its original color. Act quickly, and most fresh wine comes out with the first steps.
Is epoxy grout easier to clean than cement grout?
Yes, for wine. Epoxy grout can be cleaned back to its original color and can take hot water. Cement grout is alkaline, takes stains into the grout itself, and depends on an intact sealer.
How long can wine sit on grout before it sets?
There is no fixed time, so treat it as urgent, because the longer it dries, the more it bonds. Blot as soon as you see it, since a fresh spill comes up far more easily than a dried one.
What if the wine stain is still there after cleaning?
Let the grout dry fully and look again in good light. If a shadow remains, move to the set-in options, and expect that a deep stain on cement grout may only lighten.
What about wine on a countertop next to the tile?
The material decides which cleaners are safe, so a countertop needs its own approach. See the Countertops guide for the right method for that surface.
Red Wine on other materials
Other stains on grout
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.