What’s the best way to get red wine or ink off your sofa?

Red wine and pen marks can both be an absolute nightmare to remove from your pristine sofa. Happily, there are plenty of effective methods you can try!

Your sofa goes through a lot, and no matter how careful you are with it, there’s always a risk of it eventually getting stained. Some stains can be more problematic to remove than others; red wine and ink stains are both notoriously difficult to remove.

The team at Plumbs know this as well as anyone – with more than 60 years of reupholstery and interiors experience behind them, they’ve seen their fair share of stains and marks on sofas. Thankfully though, that also means they’ve picked up some useful tips on how to deal with these irritating stains. Here are the most effective techniques they’d recommend!

All cleaning methods should be tested in a discreet area first to ensure they won’t cause any damage or discoloration.

How to get red wine stains off your sofa

Red wine is something of an ever-present risk when you have friends round, especially if you’re having a medium-to-large sized gathering. Happily though, there’s no shortage of ways to tackle a red wine stain, as long as you’re quick on the draw!

White wine

Using white wine to tackle red wine stains sounds like an old wives’ tale, and technically it is. But it’s true nonetheless! Essentially, it works because the enzyme in white wine effectively strips the pigment from red wine, thereby neutralising the stain. Make sure you’re conservative in its application though, and blot up the liquid with a cloth rather than scrubbing it. You might find it helpful to use a little baking soda here and there, as this raises the pigment of the stain.

Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda

Red wine stains react with oxygen, which is one of the reasons why ‘oxidising agents’ like hydrogen peroxide or bleach work so well on them. Hydrogen peroxide though is rarely sold over the counter so it’s harder to procure than white wine. (As to whether that’s a bad thing… well, we’ll leave you to be the final judge.)

The important thing to remember about hydrogen peroxide is that it’s very corrosive, so make sure to test it in a discreet area to start off with. Then apply a small amount (spray it if you can) and then put a small amount of baking soda over the stain. Leave it for a short period of time and then rinse it with cold water. Repeat as necessary!

Washing up liquid

This is without question one of the easiest and cheapest methods, and a great one to fall back on if you haven’t got any white wine (or indeed, hydrogen peroxide) in the house. Simply mix one part washing up liquid with two parts cold water, dip a sponge into it and blot the stain until it’s gone. Again, remember not to scrub, or you could simply rub the stain further into your sofa.

How to get pen marks off your sofa

If you’ve ever had children or grandchildren waving pens around in the vicinity of your sofa, the challenge of removing them is probably something that’s already popped into your head at some stage!

If the worst should happen though, before you get started on any cleaning measures you’ll first need to ensure you’re familiar with your sofa’s cleaning code. You can typically find this on a tag on the underside of your sofa cushions, or its platform (the hard bit underneath the cushions). That tag will display one of four symbols:

• W means you’re free to use water based solutions, including soap, washing up liquid, carpet cleaner and upholstery shampoo
• S means that you’ll need water-free solvents, not water. That includes rubbing alcohol, clear alcohols, dry cleaning solvent and baby wipes
• S-W indicates that you can use either of the above
• X signifies that you can’t use any of the above, and instead you can only clean your sofa with a vacuum. It may necessitate a trip to the dry cleaner

Now that you know what you’re permitted to use to clean your sofa, you’ll be better able to decide between any of the following.

Rubbing alcohol

This is a simple and effective method – just apply rubbing alcohol to a clean cloth, and dab at the stain until the cloth won’t absorb any more ink. Swap out the cloth, and repeat as necessary until the stain is gone. Don’t forget to work from the outside in! When the stain is almost completely gone, dip the cloth in fresh water, wipe the mark clean, and dry it with a towel. If the entire process isn’t bringing you the results you’d like, try using a dry cleaning solvent with this method instead.

White vinegar

This one might have already occurred to you; arguably, we’ve reached a stage where white vinegar is as famous for its cleaning capabilities as it is for its cooking utility! Essentially, you can use it in much the same way as we’ve discussed for rubbing alcohol or dry cleaning solvents. It’s worth mentioning that it’s a particularly effective option for leather sofas.

Hairspray

This is a slightly more unorthodox technique, and you may not have any readily to hand in the house – but if you do, there’s no denying that it works! The hairspray does need to be alcohol based though, and you’ll need to have a damp cloth handy too. Then, all you need to do is spray some on the stain, and wait at least 30 seconds (closer to 40 or 60 if the stain is dry), and then wipe it away with the cloth.

Of course, while they’re all tried-and-true methods for removing these tough stains from your sofa, unfortunately success isn’t always guaranteed. If it’s proving almost impossible to shift though, you can always rely on reupholstery to completely revitalise your sofa.

That’s exactly where companies like Plumbs can help. They have more than six decades of reupholstery and interiors experience (which also encompasses made-to-measure furniture covers and made-to-measure fitted curtains), all of which makes them the perfect people to help you elevate your interiors to the next level. Request a FREE home visit for expert advice in the comfort of your own home and receive a no obligation quotation from one of their friendly consultants.

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