First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Blot the wine with a clean, dry white cloth or paper towel; don't rub, which spreads it.
- Sponge the spot with cool water, or club soda if you have it, then blot thoroughly.
- On a fresh spill, sprinkle table salt on the stain right away to absorb some of the wine, then blot.
Red wine on sheets is a tannin stain, and heat is what turns a small mark into a permanent one. Fresh wine responds well to cool water and a detergent pre-treat, while old marks need more time and may not lift fully. Hold off on the dryer until you can see the mark is gone.
Check the care label before you work on wine stains out of sheets, since silk and dark fabrics need gentler handling than cotton. Dab an enzyme laundry pretreater into the spot and give it time to act. If the color is still there after one round, repeat the pretreat rather than just scrubbing harder.
Before you start
What sheets, towels & table linens can take
Safe to use3
- Water
- Soaking
- Enzyme cleaners
Use with care6
- Hot water
- Chlorine bleach
- Oxygen bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
Avoid1
- Heat, once the stain is out
8 items
What you'll need
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- Clean white cloth or paper towelsBlot up the wine without spreading it. (opens Amazon)
- Cool water or club sodaThe first sponge that lifts the fresh wine. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid laundry detergentPre-treats the stain and makes the soak. (opens Amazon)
- White vinegarGoes into the warm soak, where it helps lift the stain. (opens Amazon)
- Rubbing alcohol, 70% isopropyl or 90% denaturedFor a stain that remains after the soak. (opens Amazon)
- Oxygen bleachThe fabric-safe bleach for the wash. (opens Amazon)
- Basin or bucketHolds the warm soak while the sheets sit in it. (opens Amazon)
- Chlorine bleach (opens Amazon)
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6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Sponge the wine with cool water
Blot up any liquid you can with a clean, dry white cloth first. Then sponge the stain with cool water, or club soda if you have it, and blot again until the cloth picks up less color.
Tip. Work from the outside of the stain toward the middle so it doesn't spread.
Step 2 of 6
Pre-treat with detergent
Dampen the stain and gently work in a few drops of liquid laundry detergent, or spread a paste of granular detergent and water over it. A commercial pre-wash spot remover can take the place of the detergent if you have one.
Careful. Check the detergent's ingredient list for soap. Bar soap and natural soap make tannin stains harder to remove.
Step 3 of 615 minutes
Soak in warm vinegar solution
Mix 1 quart of warm water, 1/2 teaspoon of detergent and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in a basin. Submerge the stained area and let it soak for 15 minutes, then rinse with plain water.
Tip. Use white vinegar only, since colored vinegar can leave its own stain.
Careful. White vinegar can weaken cotton and rayon and may change color, so test a hidden seam first.
Step 4 of 6
Spot-treat any stain left
If the stain is still visible after the soak, dab rubbing alcohol onto it with a clean white cloth. Use 70% isopropyl or 90% denatured alcohol with no added color or fragrance, then rinse the area thoroughly with cool water.
Careful. Alcohol damages acetate, triacetate, modacrylic and acrylic; on acetate, dilute it with 2 parts water and pretest. If you don't know the fiber, test a hidden spot before you use it.
Step 5 of 6
Wash with fabric-safe bleach
Wash the sheets with oxygen bleach added to the wash, which is the safe default. Test it on a hidden spot first. If the sheets are white, colorfast and the label allows it, chlorine bleach can be the final wash instead, added once everything is rinsed out, at the hottest temperature the label recommends.
Careful. Never mix chlorine bleach with ammonia, vinegar, other acids or rubbing alcohol; rinse each product out with plain water first.
Step 6 of 6
Check, then air-dry
Look at the sheets in good light once they're out of the wash. If any color remains, repeat the soak or the alcohol step and wash again. Once the stain is gone, air-dry the sheets.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for red wine on sheets, towels & table linens
Choose an enzyme laundry pretreater or a prewash stain remover spray or stick labeled safe for colorfast fabrics, and check the label for soap. Either one can pre-treat the stain in place of liquid detergent before the wash.
Shout Triple-Acting Laundry Stain Remover
Puracy Laundry Stain Remover
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on sheets, towels & table linens, 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 before using any heat. 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 stain should lighten after the soak, and each blot should pick up less color than the one before. If it is still visible after the wash, the stain isn't finished, so repeat the soak or the alcohol step before drying.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your sheets, towels & table linens
Cotton sheets
Cotton can take the full method, including the vinegar soak and the alcohol spot. White, colorfast cotton sheets can also take chlorine bleach as the final wash, at the hottest temperature the label allows.
Colored cotton should stick to oxygen bleach after a hidden-area test. Never apply vinegar straight to the fabric, and keep it in the diluted soak.
Silk sheets
Silk can't take any bleach. The alcohol step is off the table too, so stick to cool water and a mild detergent pre-treatment, and skip the vinegar soak unless a hidden spot passes first.
If the stain remains after that, take the sheets to a professional cleaner rather than trying stronger products. Fragile fabric is a reason to go to the cleaner even for washable items.
Dark or colored sheets
Colored sheets need a colorfast check before any product touches the stain. Test each product on a hidden seam, and wait a few minutes to see whether any color comes off.
Skip chlorine bleach completely, and use oxygen bleach only after the test passes. Hydrogen peroxide can lift wine too, but only at the mild drugstore strength sold as an antiseptic, and only on fabric that is colorfast.
Sheets with an unknown fiber or no care label
If you don't know the fiber and the label is missing, don't guess. Start with cool water and detergent only, and skip the vinegar and the alcohol until a hidden spot has been tested.
Test each product on a seam before using it on the stain, and leave out bleach until you know the fabric can take it. If the stain won't budge, take the sheets to a cleaner and tell them it is red wine.
Acetate and triacetate sheets
These fibers can't take straight alcohol. On acetate, dilute the alcohol with 2 parts water before using it, and pretest it on a hidden spot.
Acetone and nail polish remover are off limits, because acetate dissolves in them. Test the vinegar soak on a hidden seam before using it, too.
Old, dried or set-in stains
An old wine stain has had time to bind to the fibers, so the basic soak alone may not be enough. Give it an enzyme presoak, left overnight if needed, and then wash as usual.
If the stain has dried, brush off any crusty residue before you start, then repeat the detergent and vinegar soak. For a tannin stain that is still visible, the enzyme pad method is a reasonable next step: detergent with a few drops of vinegar, then alcohol if the fabric allows, then a 30-minute enzyme pad kept warm and moist. Old tannin stains may need bleaching, as the fabric allows, and repeating the treatment is normal.
If the sheets went through the dryer, removal may be impossible, so set your expectations. If the stain is still there after a full round of these steps, stop and take the sheets to a professional dry cleaner rather than adding stronger products.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on red wine on sheets, towels & table linens?
Most home remedies for wine on sheets either duplicate what works or are a weaker backup. Stacking several products can cause problems on sheets, so a detergent pretreat and a warm vinegar soak are enough.
Works4Helps3Skip1
Chemical safety
Never mix these
Some products in this guide react dangerously with each other. Use them one at a time and rinse with water in between.
Chlorine bleach + Vinegar
Vinegar is an acid, and acid mixed with bleach gives off toxic chlorine gas.
Chlorine bleach + Oxygen bleach (OxiClean)
Both makers advise against combining them: OxiClean says not to mix it with chlorine bleach, and Clorox says the two bleaches cancel each other out.
Chlorine bleach + Hydrogen peroxide (3%)
Washington State's health department says bleach reacts with hydrogen peroxide, and Clorox says not to mix bleach with other household chemicals.
Oxygen bleach (OxiClean) + Vinegar
OxiClean's maker says it should not be mixed with household chemicals other than detergent in the wash.
If they mix by accident: Stop and add nothing else; leave the area for fresh air, open windows and keep children and pets away; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 if anyone has trouble breathing.
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't put the sheets in the dryer or iron them early
Heat locks tannin stains in, and after a trip through the dryer removal may be impossible. Check the sheets in good light first, and only dry them once the stain is gone.
Don't use chlorine bleach on silk, wool or spandex sheets
It isn't safe on these fibers, or on any color that isn't colorfast. For those sheets, skip bleach altogether and ask a professional cleaner.
Don't use bleach at full strength
Undiluted bleach can weaken the fabric so it tears or wears out sooner. Dilute it as the label directs, and test a hidden area first.
Don't leave pretreatments on past the label time
Liquid and aerosol pretreatments can change color or fade dyes when they sit too long. Gels on bright or fluorescent items should come off after a few minutes.
When to call a professional
Take dry-clean-only sheets to a professional dry cleaner promptly, and tell them the fiber content and the stain. Take washable sheets there too if the stain covers a large area, the set is bulky, or the fabric is fragile.
Questions
Can I use club soda on red wine on sheets?
Yes. Sponge the fresh spill with cool water or club soda if you have it, then blot thoroughly. Club soda is only the first step, so keep going with the detergent and vinegar soak if the stain is still there.
Can I use dish soap instead of laundry detergent?
A mild liquid dish soap works for spotting when it's mixed at 1 teaspoon to 1 cup of warm water. Keep it weak and rinse it out well, since stronger mixes are too harsh for delicate fabric.
Does hydrogen peroxide lift red wine from sheets?
Yes, at the mild drugstore strength sold as an antiseptic, if a stain is still there after cleaning. Test it on a hidden spot first, since it isn't safe on colored fabric that isn't colorfast.
Is chlorine bleach safe on sheets?
Only on white, colorfast sheets whose care label allows it, and only as the last wash after everything is rinsed out. Oxygen bleach is the safer default for most sheets.
What if the wine dried on the sheets days ago?
The longer a wine stain sits, the harder it is to remove, so treat it promptly even if it looks faded. An enzyme presoak, left overnight if needed, is the next thing to try.
Does table salt help on fresh red wine?
Yes, sprinkle it right away to absorb some of the wine, then blot it up and continue with the washing steps. Salt only absorbs a portion, so it's a start rather than the whole fix.
Does the stain come out in one wash?
Sometimes it takes more than one round. Check the sheets after each wash, and repeat the soak or the alcohol step if any color is left.
Methods, care labels and related guides
Good to know
Red Wine on other materials
Other stains on sheets, towels & table linens
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.