How to Clean a Red Stain Out of Carpet Fibers

In this post, I’ll help you figure out how to clean a red stain out of carpet fibers with minimal effort. The good news is that the carpet can be rescued.

Light-colored carpets are chic, but let’s face it: one red permanent stain takes all that charm away.

And there are so many ways that this could happen, from your kids knocking over a cup of Tropical Punch to a nail care session gone wrong or a dreaded red wine spill.

Removing Different Red Stains Out of Carpets: Overview

In a rush? Check out what works well for different tough stains:

Stain	Mechanical Removal	Cleaning Solutions
Beverages (Fresh)	Blotting and salt vacuuming	Club soda or vinegar
Beverages (Dried)	Brushing (with a paste)	Vinegar
Nail Polish	Scraping	Nail polish remover or hairspray
Blood	Blotting with cold water	Hydrogen peroxide or dish soap
Rust	Scrapping and vacuuming	Dish soap

5 Steps for Cleaning a Red Stain Out of a Carpet

Let’s dive in and see what you can do about a pesky red stain! Like urine stains from pets, coffee stains and ink stains, tomato sauce stains and other red stains are some of the toughest types of stains. They are such stubborn stains and may seem like a nightmare at first,

Follow the simple five-step process to cleaning a fresh or set-in stain, and you can get your carpet back to new.

1. Scrape Away the Dried Spots

Generally speaking, the cleanup is easier if you catch the spill before it seeps into the fibers, but you can still tackle a crusty red stain, even dry red wine stains.

Gently scrape the area with your fingertip (in a glove!) to loosen up the surface and vacuum the flakes.

2. Blot Fresh Spills

If you were lucky enough to catch the spill while it’s still fresh, I’d recommend rushing to the kitchen and grabbing some paper towels or a clean cloth as a first step.

Lay them over the spill to soak up as much liquid as possible. Keep replacing the paper towel as needed, and don’t rub it in—you’ll just spread the stain!

3. Consider the Salt Vacuum Method

Considering that salt from ice melts stains many flooring types, this step might sound counterintuitive, but hear me out.

Table salt is hygroscopic, which means it can soak up some of the liquid embedded into the carpet. So, you’ll sprinkle salt over the blotted area, let it sit for a couple of minutes, and then vacuum.

Don’t worry about salt stains since you’ll go in with a cleaning solution (mostly likely vinegar) next.

4. Pick a Cleaning Mixture

An important next step is choosing a cleaning mixture. The good-old dish soap should do the trick in most cases. In fact, some people even believe it could beat commercial options. Should you choose to use anything store-bought, I recommend you buy eco-friendly cleaning products as they’re gentler on carpets.

However, if you’re looking for next-level stuff, you can check out these alternatives:

Vinegar and Dish Soap Solution

For a red Kool-Aid stain, mix half a cup of white vinegar in two cups of warm water and add a tablespoon of any liquid dish soap you have on hand. Then, pour the mixture into a spray bottle and apply it to the target area. Use a cloth to work the cleaning solution into the stain from the outside and inward.

Some people might bring down the vinegar concentration a bit, using only one tablespoon of white vinegar for every two cups of warm water. This could be a good idea if you find the sour scent too strong for your liking.

Club Soda

We don’t really know why or how club soda works for cleaning pigments, but some folks believe the bubbling helps slow down the settling of the stain. So, it’s good for fresh spills and not much else.

To do a club soda rinse, pour some directly on the spill, let it fizz, blot it dry, and repeat as needed.

Baking Soda Paste

For dried stains, mix baking soda with liquid dish soap until you form a paste. It’s actually quite a powerful stain remover. Another solution that’s effective for removing red stains from a carpet is a mixture of vinegar and baking soda.

You can then scrub any of the pastes above into the carpet using a soft-bristled brush. When you’re done scrubbing, let the paste sit for a while to do its magic, and blot with a cloth dampened with vinegar. If you’re using the vinegar and baking soda paste, leave it to dry then vacuum off what remains of the mixture.

Nail Polish Remover

If the dried stained area turns out to be nail polish, acetone might seem like an obvious choice. However, I wouldn’t recommend it since it could damage the fibers.

You could use nail polish removers with “non-acetone” labels on them, though.

The best way to go here is to soak up a cotton ball and dab carefully without rubbing. To absorb the red dye and keep it from spreading, alternate between soaked cotton and a clean ball every few dabs.

Rubbing Alcohol or Hairspray

If nail polish remover fails, give rubbing alcohol a shot on the remaining stain, using a similar soaked/clean cotton balls dabbing technique.

Note that hairsprays that contain alcohol can save you in a pinch, too. You’ll want the real deal here, not a natural hairspray alternative.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide works well for many red stains, including blood. However, it could bleach the color out of your carpet as well.

It could be a last resort when all else fails. Remember to do a patch test, use a 3% grade, don’t oversoak, and rinse well when you’re done.

5. Let the Carpet Dry Before Judging the Results 

Dampen a cloth with water and blot the area to remove any residue from the cleaning solution, then switch to a dry absorbent cloth or towel to soak up the liquids from the fibers.

When the carpet is all nice and dry, you’ll be able to tell if the old stains are gone or if you need to go at it with a second round of stain removal treatment.

Final Thoughts

No matter how stubborn the carpet stains are, you’ll be completely prepared to restore clean carpets the next time one happens.

However, don’t get carried away with home remedies. Be careful, and don’t go around mixing just any cleaning products you have lying around. For instance, hydrogen peroxide or vinegar might work fine alone, but together, they can be toxic!

Don’t have time to prepare safe DIY cleaning solutions? Grab a red stain remover from the store and give it a go. Either way, don’t forget to run a test on a hidden spot.

More Carpet Cleaning Tips

• How to Clean Candle Wax off Carpet
• Experts Answer: How Often Should You Clean Your Carpet?
• How to Vacuum Ants Out of Carpet – the Easy Way
• How to Vacuum Shag Rugs Clean