How to Clean Champagne from Carpet

Kristopher asked, “How to clean champagne out of grandma’s carpet when the bottle accidentally exploded?”

Alcohol stains left untreated can leave a brownish stain, so act quickly to remove the champagne from the carpet fibers.¹

You Will Need:

• White paper towels
• A sponge
• Club soda
• Dishwashing liquid
• Spot Shot Instant Carpet Stain Remover

Steps to Clean the Spill:

1. Soak up any excess liquid with white paper towels. (Do not use a paper towel or napkin that is colored as it could transfer dyes to the carpet as you clean.)²
2. Soak a sponge with club soda and blot the spill thoroughly until removed. Use club soda instead of seltzer if possible, while the carbonation in either will help to remove the alcohol from the carpet, the salt in club soda can prevent a stain if any alcohol remains.¹ If no club soda is available, blot with seltzer or cold water, then continue with the steps below to prevent staining.
3. Make a weak mixture of dishwashing liquid in water. Blot at spill from the outside toward the middle.³
4. Instead of dishwashing liquid, you can clean the area with Spot Shot Instant Carpet Stain Remover. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.¹
5. When spill has been removed, rinse well with cold water.
6. Blot area dry with white paper towels.
7. Allow to totally air dry.
8. Vacuum to raise the fibers.

Work with the cleaning solutions in the order listed if possible. If one does not work, continue to the next. In between each solution, rinse the spot well with cold water and blot dry with white paper towels.

You Will Need:

• A sponge
• White paper towels
• Dishwashing liquid
• 3% hydrogen peroxide
• Vegetable glycerin
• Ammonia
• White vinegar

Steps to Remove the Champagne Stain:

1. Soak a sponge with club soda and blot the stain.¹
2. Make a weak mixture of dishwashing liquid and water. Blot at spill from the outside toward the middle until stain is removed.³
3. Sponge with a mixture of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 6 parts water and a squirt of dishwashing liquid until stain is removed.³ (Do not use this solution on dark colors of carpet, as the peroxide can have a bleaching effect.)
4. Sponge with a mixture of equal amounts of vegetable glycerin (in liquid form) and water. Sponge spill from the outside toward the middle until stain is removed.⁴
5. Add 2 tablespoons ammonia to 1 cup water; sponge spill from the outside toward the middle.⁴ (Do not use ammonia on a wool carpet, as it will damage the fibers.)
6. Rinse the ammonia well, then blot with mixture of 1 cup white vinegar to 2 cups water until stain is removed.⁴
7. When spill has been removed, rinse well with cold water.
8. Blot area dry with white paper towels.
9. Allow to totally air dry.
10. Vacuum to raise the fibers.

• Pink champagne stains can be treated like red wine. If after attempting the above solutions a reddish stain is still visible, use Wine Away Red Wine Stain Remover.¹
• Use proper ventilation when working with ammonia and do not mix with products containing bleach, as toxic fumes could develop. See Wikipedia for more ammonia safety information.

1. How the Queen Cleans Everything by Linda Cobb
2. 10,001 Hints and Tips for the Home by Reader’s Digest
3. Stain Removal by Stephanie Zia
4. Natural Stain Removal Secrets by Deborah L. Martin