How to get wine stains out of a foam mattress?

Who doesn’t love to have a nice glass of wine in bed? We all have some days when we could use it. Whether it’s a long day at work or a celebratory glass after a great day, it’s always a pleasant way to wind down. But what happens when some of it spills onto your foam mattress?

A wine stain is usually highly visible and unpleasant. While any type of stain on the mattress can be problematic, wine has a potent smell that, like any alcohol, that tends to linger. 

Even so, don’t worry – cleaning wine stains isn’t overly difficult. They look worse than they really are! Below we’ve compiled a list of easy tips for you to be able to clean wine out of your mattress.

Before you begin

Before you start, please review our safety tips to ensure a smooth cleaning process.

1. If you are using any kind of detergent, please do not clean around children & pets. Also, make sure to air out the room.
2. Before trying to clean either your sheets or your mattress, perform a safety test to ensure that the product you’re using is suitable for the fabric. Apply a small amount to a hidden patch of your mattress and leave it to sit for 20 minutes. If it doesn’t stain, you can go on.
3. Important: Foam mattresses don’t handle excessive moisture very well. For this reason, use minimal amounts of liquid on them.
4. We recommend that you allow your mattress to air-dry after cleaning it. If possible, make other sleeping arrangements.
5. Make sure not to use warm water when removing wine stains. Only use cold water.

Effective methods to quickly get wine out of your mattress

When trying to get wine stains out of a mattress, you need to act quickly. The longer the stain remains, the harder it will be to clean. You can prevent a lot of damage by simply blotting the wine away with a cloth – make sure you do that before you proceed.

Even stains discovered later on have a high chance of being removed. Read below to find out how to clean your mattress using simple products found in your home.

Method #1: Using salt

Time: >1 hour

Required items: cold water, salt, white cloth or paper towels. 

This is the simplest method possible, but it is effective. Salt does a great job removing wine stains.

1. Begin by absorbing as much of the wine as possible using your clean cloth or paper towels. Make sure not to rub, or you may set the stain further into the mattress.
2. Dab cold water onto the stain using a wet cloth. Blot away excess liquid.
3. Sprinkle salt all over the stain.
4. Wait three minutes.
5. Afterward, dab the salt with cold water and rub it into the stain gently. Don’t scrub.
6. Blot dry using paper towels or fresh cloth.
7. Repeat the above steps until both the stain and the smell of wine are gone.
8. Air dry your mattress. If needed, you can speed up the process with a blow dryer or a ceiling fan, but we recommend simply letting it dry by the window.

Method #2: Using hydrogen peroxide

Time: >1 hour

Required items: a clean cloth or paper towels, liquid dish soap, 3% hydrogen peroxide, 

This method is recommended for stubborn stains.

1. Blot the stain with paper towels, switching out as they become saturated. Do not scrub the stain.
2. Like in method #1, dab the stain with cold water several times.
3. Mix hydrogen peroxide and liquid dish soap (equal parts). 
4. Perform a safety test on a small part of your mattress. If no stains appear, you can proceed.
5. Apply the mix to the stain and blot it in gently.
6. Leave it to sit for five minutes.
7. Blot away using a clean cloth dipped in cold water.
8. Repeat as needed. Leave to air-dry.

Method #3: Using baking soda

Time: >1 hour

Required items: a cloth or paper towels, cold water, baking soda, white vinegar, a vacuum cleaner.

Baking soda is effective when it comes to removing stains. However, vinegar has a rather potent smell.

1. Start by following the steps in the previous methods: blot away excess liquid without rubbing too hard, then dab the stain with cold water.
2. Sprinkle baking soda all over the stain. The color of the stain will change from red to pale grey.
3. Wring out a clean cloth in white vinegar. 
4. Wipe away all the baking soda. Be thorough – you don’t want any to remain on your bed.
5. At this point, repeat the steps if the stain remains.
6. Leave to dry, preferably by an open window. 
7. Vacuum your mattress to ensure that you got rid of all the baking soda.

What’s next?

Wine stains are relatively easy to clean, but any type of stain on the mattress is always an annoyance. However, like with many other stains, we recommend that you act fast – even if all you want to do is go to sleep. 

The unfortunate part of standard mattress stains, unlike air mattresses made from plastics, is that they need to dry before you can go back to bed. If possible, make other arrangements for the night. If not, you can cover the stain with baking soda, put your sheets back on, and go to sleep. Make sure you vacuum the baking soda away in the morning.

If you find yourself stuck with a very stubborn stain, please consult a dry cleaner. Using chemical detergents on the mattress is not recommended, as you don’t want to be inhaling any fumes in your sleep.

Remember to repeat the steps as needed, be gentle, and patient. Wine does come off – you just need to be persistent.