How to remove red wine stains from light upholstery with unusual hack

Wine lovers have offered their top tips for removing red stains after a woman appealed for help following a spill on her pale upholstery.

Taking to Reddit, she exclaimed in the CleaningTips subreddit, "Please help!" before detailing her mishap further alongside a snap of the blunder. "Velvet upholstery stained by a slightly bold and dry Cab Sauv [Cabernet Sauvignon] with a graphite and cassis nose," she penned.

"The Cab was fruitier than most, and a little light on the flavour spectrum. Would definitely recommend with a ribeye, not a light pink velvetish chair. Please feel free to comment any recommendations or pairings."

Avoiding the common myth that applying white wine to a red stain will neutalise it, scores of Redditors were quick to provide alternatives. "I once spilled red wine all over a white sweater," one person revealed. "Soaked it overnight in water and white vinegar. The next morning the red stain had disappeared completely."

A second person detailed a similar experience and their solution, writing: "I was over at a friend's house one day, she spilled her cranberry and vodka all over her beige, almost white, carpet. That chick brought out a bucket of warm water, some liquid solution of Oxi Clean, and started scrubbing. Looked like nothing ever happened."

A third Reddit user advised: "Lots of baking soda (push down to absorb). White Vinegar. It should push the wine up and into the baking soda. Then you can vacuum it up or carefully pick up the clumps. I spilt a giant glass of red wine and this is how I got it ALL out."

Another person's tip was detailed: "Boil some water in a kettle and hold the chair over the tub on it's side and pour it over until it runs clear - might have to do it a couple times, then let it air dry for a couple days. Spilled wine on an ex's most beloved designer chair - it was a make it or break it moment for me to fix it."

Whilst a somewhat unusual technique was shared: "Salt overnight. Works so well. Then the Vanish pink foam cleaner stuff will work for the remaining stain. I used to spill red wine constantly (I'm clumsy and it's my drink of choice), and it always worked."

Demand for English wine is reportedly soaring, meanwhile, partly due to climate change. While still relatively small in scale, warmer temperatures have improved grape growing conditions and attracted international competitors, including Champagne houses Taittinger and Pommery, which have both bought land in the UK.

Last year saw the largest yield ever recorded in the UK with between 20-22 million bottles produced, 30,000 tonnes harvested and a 60 percent increase on the previous record yield set in 2018, according to industry body, Wine GB.