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Wine Away: Makes Red Wine Stains Disappear

2-20-wineaway.jpgWe tend to mistrust single-use items. But we will admit that red wine stains have stymied us a few times, especially when we've let them sit. And that because of that we've become those people who dislike serving the stuff when we have parties. But we're thinking of selling out our "all products must have multiple uses" values and shelling out for some Wine Away..

 
 

The product carries some lofty recommendations, including the Good Housekeeping Institute and Food & Wine magazine.

Has anyone out there used it? Or have a better solution for those seemingly-permanent red wine stains on our table cloth?

Wine Away is available through the company's website starting at $15.

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Comments (11)

Yep, this stuff is great. I just used it on a month old dribble I saw when I moved my dining table and it took the stain out very well. I have a 50/50 wool/olefin blend for the feel of natural fibers with good stain resistance. Spray, let sit for a couple of minutes (long enough for a few sips of wine, for example), then blot with a clean white rag. Repeat if necessary.

I still don't serve red at gatherings of more than four, though, unless I'm serving outside. There are plenty of amazing whites (suave, rioja, pino grigio, white burgandy) that are better than most reds with finger foods and it's never missed and I feel less anxious.

posted by kimg924 on 2008-02-20 18:29:05
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I have had 3 years of holidays parties serving red wine. This year, someone finally dumped a whole glass. Of course it all landed on my off-white newly upholstered arm chairs. We used emergency club soda that evening, and then bought a bottle of wine away the next day and a pack of Tide pens (for the water rings left by the club soda). It took 2 bottles of Wine Away and some elbow grease but it worked. It was amazing. My chair looks (almost) like new. I will now keep it on hand before the red wine serving event.

posted by MC on 2008-02-20 18:36:14
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Windex. It works wonders.

posted by captncarrie on 2008-02-20 18:45:48
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I became a Wine Away devotee after being introduced to the miracle potion by a family of grape growers in a community of grape growers who would have scoffed at serving anything but the local Zin and who enjoyed getting jolly. As we all know, jolly often results in stains. It came in handy after my mother, meeting my now husband for the first time, dumped a full glass on his cream sweater (he was still in it but thankfully he wipes clean with soap and water). The entire stain came out without leaving so much as a shadow.

I even keep a purse size version found in the wine aisle around.

posted by KiKiinOB on 2008-02-20 20:55:06
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I don't know how, or why, but mix equal parts hydrogen peroxide and dawn blue dishwashing liquid. Dribble over wine stains and they vanish. First discovered this when I spilled red wine all over a brand-new, very light, beige linen skirt and this mixture worked like magic.

posted by DC Sarah on 2008-02-20 22:09:16
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Another one that I haven't tried on red wine but works on cranberry juice, etc is Nature's Miracle pet enzyme cleaner. It is meant to clean up pet accidents, but the enzymes tend to eat up all biological matter. I spilled a full glass of cranberry juice all over my parents' white carpeting and it worked wonders.

posted by eowes on 2008-02-21 00:22:45
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Like DC Sarah, I use thy hydorgen peroxide and dishwashing liquid mixture and it is amazing. I use a mixture of (aproximately) 3 parts HP to 1 part dishsoap. It got an entire glass of red wine out of a pair of green cotton pants and a white cotten shirt - even after they sat for a whole week. The trick is to pour the solution on and let it sit for a little while and continue adding solution (and letting it sit again) until the stain magically disappears. No need to rub or scrub, just wait.

posted by nikkicole on 2008-02-21 01:22:50
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I was at a nice cocktail party when the hosts' exuberant yellow lab dashed by the coffee table, knocking over several wine glasses with his tail. He ran off and the whole party turned to look at me, standing alone, and a massive red wine stain on the white carpet. I was framed! Anyhow, a batch of white napkins and Wine Away cleaned up so well that you'd never know what happened. Made a believer out of me.

posted by Molly Margarita on 2008-02-21 09:41:50
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Oxyclean works great. Guessing it works the same and hydrogen peroxide. Just make up a strong solution and dab it on the stain and it will first turn blue and then after awhile totally disapper. I've used it on clothes, furniture, even on a white painted wall! (Guess I qualify as a wino?)

posted by tommymiller50 on 2008-02-21 12:27:07
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I use the hydrogen peroxide and dishwashing liquid mixture as well. It's always worked for me!

posted by jennifer in sf on 2008-02-21 13:08:43
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Molly, I have tears running down my face from that story!

I lived with a friend for 3 weeks who had two labs that probably had done that more than once, but she had wood floors.

posted by kaanswfm on 2008-02-24 16:31:58
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