Now go away, go away, go away...
Hypothetically speaking, of course, should you ever spill red wine -- say, perhaps, a Robert Mondavi Merlot -- on light-colored carpeting, cover it with table salt immediately. Do not bother mopping it up with a rag or paper towels. Just cover it with salt. Big heaping amounts of it.
Scoop off as much as you can and vacuum up the remainder of the salt. Then hit what little bit of red is still there with Resolve Spot Magic.
Blammo, good as new. Not that it ever happened or anything.
Take the word of the hypothetical guy who did not knock over his hypothetical wife's glass of wine. Katie, errr, the hypothetical wife of that hypothetical guy was quite on the ball when she came up with that solution. And she has no idea where she learned it.
Way to go, Mrs. Hypothetical Wife.
That's a theoretically situation which would cause me to theoretically switch to white wine!
Posted by: Dave2 | Saturday, 16 September 2006 at 09:01 PM
Excellent advice! I used the same trick once when a waitress dumped half a glass of red wine on my cream colored wool coat. Works like a charm!
Posted by: jenny | Saturday, 16 September 2006 at 09:03 PM
I'm too clumsy for red wine. That's why I drink whiskey.
Hypothetically.
Posted by: Rabbit | Saturday, 16 September 2006 at 09:03 PM
That is hypothetically brilliant.
Posted by: Hilly | Saturday, 16 September 2006 at 09:37 PM
A much better method than the club soda one, because EVERYONE has salt in the cupboard.
I wonder if this would work on other staining liquids, like, say, coffee. Theoretically, it should.
Posted by: SJ | Sunday, 17 September 2006 at 01:25 AM
Shout (or other OTC clothing cleaners) also work on carpet. Just DAB the carpet, don't scrub.
For coffee and OTHER hard to clean stains, mix equal parts color safe bleach (clorox 2 or other generic POWDER) with dishwashing GEL (for dishwashers, not sink washing). When it makes a paste, 'paint' onto fabric and let sit for a few minutes as the washing machine fills. Then throw in and wash as normal.
For 'impossible' stains in carpet, try "Capture". It is manufactured by the carpet industry and is the equivalent of dry cleaning solvent. You can buy it at home improvement box stores.
Any guess what I do for a living?
Posted by: rennratt | Sunday, 17 September 2006 at 11:29 AM
Dave, well, if there wasn't a recall on spinach right now forcing us to buy a sausage pizza from Lou Malnati's instead, we might just have had white wine.
jenny, it's nice, isn't it? Did you get something free out of the spill? ;-)
Rabbit, whiskey is good. But too much of that and I'm still cleaning something. Just not quite as nice smelling as red wine.
Hilly, but only hypothetically so. I'll let you know should we ever have use for it. ;-)
SJ, theoretically it should. Keep it in mind and let me know what happens should the stain occur.
rennratt, gee, can't possibly fathom a guess as to what the answer to that question might be. ;-)
Posted by: kapgar | Sunday, 17 September 2006 at 02:57 PM
Hypothetical Wife sure saved Hypothetical Husband's Hypothetical Bacon, didn't she.
Posted by: Dustin | Sunday, 17 September 2006 at 04:55 PM
Dustim, that she did. My bacon is not yet cooked.
Posted by: kapgar | Monday, 18 September 2006 at 06:39 AM
Oooh, that might come in handy someday, hypothetically speaking, of course.
Posted by: Jacquie | Monday, 18 September 2006 at 07:17 AM
Only hypothetically, of course.
Posted by: kapgar | Monday, 18 September 2006 at 08:39 AM
I so need a hypothetical wife.
Posted by: Karl | Monday, 18 September 2006 at 09:48 AM
Sorry Karl, I'm not sharing.
Posted by: kapgar | Monday, 18 September 2006 at 10:01 AM
wow thats a great idea to remember! It kinda reminds me of putting the cat litter on oils spills don't you think??
Posted by: Debbie | Monday, 18 September 2006 at 10:53 AM
Spot Shot works great on carpets. It took out month old red Kool-Aid that magically appeared on my carpet (my children SWEAR they didn't spill it) out with only a little bit of work. Just remember with carpets that you always blot, not scrub.
Posted by: Allison | Monday, 18 September 2006 at 12:52 PM
Debbie, cat litter on oil spills? You mean as in vegetable or canola oil and not like some kind of Exxon Valdez spill, right? ;-)
Allison, a good point on blotting. Thanks.
Posted by: kapgar | Monday, 18 September 2006 at 01:59 PM
Ok, I've been out of touch for a while, but I'll give you my tip. White wine gets out Red wine. I was the maid of honor in a wedding and someone spilled a glass of red wine down the front of my dress, white wine got it out in seconds.
Then chug the rest of the white wine just because you opened the bottle. It's a win/win situation.
Posted by: Alissa | Thursday, 21 September 2006 at 09:41 AM
That actually works? Really? May have to remember that one. And start intentionally spilling so I have an excuse to open. ;-)
Posted by: kapgar | Thursday, 21 September 2006 at 10:00 AM