Question
I spilled an entire glass of Merlot on off white Berber carpeting! HELP!!
Answer
What a disaster! You probably will have to bring in a professional carpet cleaner to get the stain all the way out, but there are a few things you can do now to increase the chances of eventual success. First, try to get up as much of the wine as possible by blotting it with a clean white towel. Once no more wine absorbs onto the towel, pour a little club soda onto the stain to lighten it. This is very effective for wine stains on fabric, and I hope it can help you with your carpet. Next, blot up the soda/wine mixture within a few minutes of putting the club soda on–use another clean white towel if you need to. Finally, if you have a carpet cleaner on hand that you can use (follow the directions on product) to treat the stain, then do it. Be sure to only keep the cleaner on the carpet for whatever time the manufacturer recommends, and then vacuum the treated spot.
If your Berber carpet is made from synthetic fibers, you actually have a good chance of getting the stain out, Wool, however, is much more difficult to work with and really requires professional cleaning. Carpet is so much more complicated to work with than fabric. I hope you are successful! Please let me know how it goes, or if you have any other questions.
–Dr. Laundry