Best red wine stain removers

With these stainbusters at the ready, your carpet and clothes will be safe.

By The Good Housekeeping Research Institute

Red wine spilled on carpet (Stephanie Horrocks | Getty Images )

When your valentine prefers to sip — and then spill — cabernet instead of chardonnay, there's no need to panic. The stain wizards in our GHRI Cleaning Products Lab put 10 formulas for erasing red wine stains to the test. We spilled, blotted, applied, and laundered to see how completely each product restored white cotton and polyester fabrics and nylon carpet versus standard remedies like salt and carpet cleaner. With these winners, there'll be no crying over spilled wine ... and we'll drink to that.

Best Overall

Wine Away
($9 for 8 oz., amazon.com)

It not only zapped stains, but also was the easiest to rinse out of the carpet's pile without damaging it.

Video: Stain removers: Searching for a winner

Bargain Buy

Wine Out
($7 for 12 oz., amazon.com)

Less pricey per ounce, this stomped out red spots on carpet and polyester (cotton needed a double shot).

Very Versatile

Wine B' Gone
($20, 16 oz.; amazon.com)

This sudsy, strong-scented champ also erases coffee, tea, and other stains. Apply lightly.

Bing: How to remove a wine stain

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

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