How to remove coffee and red wine from clothes
Short answer: Coffee and red wine are dyes that need to be rinsed out before they dry. Rinse with cold water from the back straight away, and then wash the item at 40 degrees as usual.
Fast rather than hard
Time matters most, not force. A stain rinsed within a few minutes usually disappears completely, because the dyes have not yet settled in the fibres. Scrubbing hard only spreads the colour over a bigger area and wears the fabric. Take the item off and rinse it right away instead.
Rinse from the back
Hold the fabric back side up under cold running water, so the stain is pushed out of the fabric instead of further in. Let the water run for a while and rub only lightly with your fingers. You can often see the colour running out with the water, which tells you it is working.
Soak it
If a shade remains, soak the item in lukewarm water with a little detergent for about an hour before washing. Soaking gives the detergent time to loosen the last dyes. Repeat if the stain is clear. It is gentler than using strong stain removers on bamboo viscose.
Wash at 40 degrees
A higher temperature sets the dyes instead of removing them. Stay at 40 degrees, use a mild detergent and repeat the treatment if needed. Skip the fabric softener, which leaves a film on the fibres. The rest of the rules for washing and care are in the washing guide.
Salt and white wine
The old tricks with salt and white wine rarely do more than dilute the stain. Salt can in some cases even help the colour set. Cold water straight away works better and is easier to have at hand. Save the white wine for dinner and use the tap instead.
Check before drying
A stain that has been dried with heat is usually permanent. So always check the item before it is hung to dry. Hold it up to the light if you are unsure. If you can still see a shade, soak it again before it dries. Avoid the tumble dryer entirely for bamboo clothing.
On light clothing
Light pieces show stains most clearly, but they are also the easiest to treat, because you can see whether the stain has gone. White and light t-shirts are the ones most often hit by morning coffee. See bamboo t-shirts for men, which handle the same treatment as your other bamboo clothing.
Where it happens most
Coffee and wine usually land on the chest of tops and the lap of trousers when you are sitting down. Both places are treated the same way. Soft lounge trousers are often worn on the sofa with a cup in hand. See bamboo sweatpants for women, which are washed the same way.
In bed
Morning coffee in bed is cosy, but a spilled mug quickly hits the duvet cover and sheet. Take the cover off straight away and rinse the stain cold from the back. Large pieces of fabric are heavy, so rinse only the affected area. See bamboo bedding, which is washed at 40 degrees.
Old stains
A stain that has dried in is harder to remove, but not always impossible. Soak the item overnight in lukewarm water with detergent and wash it the next day. Repeat a few times before giving up. If the stain has been through the tumble dryer, though, it usually stays.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use cold or warm water on red wine?
Cold water. Warm water can make the dyes settle in the fibres. Rinse from the back straight away, then wash the item at 40 degrees with a mild detergent as usual.
Does salt work on a red wine stain?
Rarely. Salt mostly dilutes the stain and can in some cases help the colour set. Cold water from the back straight away is both easier and more effective in practice.
How do I remove an old coffee stain?
Soak the item overnight in lukewarm water with detergent, then wash it at 40 degrees the next day. Repeat a few times. If the stain has been dried with heat, it often stays.
You can find the full range at Bamboo-Clothing.com.
