We've all been there. You're getting ready to head out for a night on the town with friends when you spill your wine on your perfectly coordinated outfit. At this point, there's no going back; there's no way you have enough time to pull together another outfit as good as the one you've already spent an hour analyzing in the mirror.
Left with no option, you implement the 5 minute make-shift stain removal process: Add water, rub, then use a blow dryer or any other air-blowing device to dry the spill zone just in time to run out the door. As it turns out, these are some of the worst things you can do if you have any intention of wearing that outfit outside of the dim and forgiving lights of the bar-scene.
Luckily enough for the spill-prone among us, Rinse's co-founder, James Joun, grew up in the Dry Cleaning business and has laid out 6 Do's and Don'ts in case you spill your favorite wine on your clothes.
1. Blot. Don’t rub.
Blotting the spill zone is an essential first step to treating your wine stain. While the immediate reaction may always be to rub the stain, James points out that it’s important NOT to do so since it can actually cause the stain to spread and permanently damage or alter delicate fabrics.
2. Water is your ally
Since wine is a water-soluble stain, a good thing to do is to use room-temperature water to tackle the spill zone. James suggests using a wet cloth and blotting around the edge of the stain first to prevent further spreading.
3. Don’t wait
While it can be hard to face the reality that you just stained your favorite white top, crying over spilled wine can actually make it worse. The longer you wait to treat the stain the harder it becomes to remove since it can get deeply embedded into the fibers of the garment.
4. Step away from the blow dryer
It turns out that using your blow dryer or heater on the stain can do more harm than good. For the best chance of restoring your garment, keep it away from sunlight and heat since both can accelerate the setting of the stain.
5. Don’t try to be a super-hero
Given the unpredictable nature of garment materials and dye strength, using a home-brewed solution for the wine stain can be a hit or miss experience. Unless you’re 100% positive that a household soap has a neutral pH, it can react unpredictably to the stain and garment.
6. When all else fails, leave it to the experts
While the steps above are great for preventing the stain from worsening, your best chance at restoring the garment would be to leave it to clothing care specialists. At Rinse, we always examine and apply best practices for removing stains and maintaining the integrity of the garment.
To learn more and schedule a Rinse, visit rinse.com.
