Red wine stain removal from pine wood

Red wine is one of the harshest staining ingredients for any material, but is particularly hard on wood. If red wine gets into pine wood, it can be very difficult to remove. Fortunately, however, there are ways to remove red wine stains from pine wood.

Red wine is particularly bad for pine wood because the wood is so light that it shows every stain. Once the wine sinks in, there is almost nothing that can be done to remove it all. As soon as there is a spill, wipe it up with a soft, dry cloth. Add some furniture polish to the cloth and rub vigorously over the area. Make sure to use a polish that is appropriate for your light-coloured pine wood. An oil soap will usually work, as will wood polishes sold in spray cans.

Suppose you have a red wine stain that occurred at a party and you didn't see it until the next morning. Wipe up any remaining wet spots. Try the furniture polish method. If some stain remains, go to the local hardware shop and pick up some rottenstone. This is a fine, slightly abrasive powder that is used for fine sanding. Also purchase some linseed oil or mineral oil. Mix the oil with 1 part baking soda and 1 part rottenstone. Mix in enough linseed or mineral oil to make a paste. Vigorously rub this paste into the stain in the same direction as the wood grain. It should slowly lift the stain. Wipe clean with oil applied to a soft cloth. If the stain remains after several applications you may have no choice but to sand the wood down to get rid of the rest of the stain. Note: this may damage any finish on the wood.

There are some things that can be done to the wood to prevent stains from sinking into the soft and porous surface. The easiest way to prevent staining is to apply a protective finish or coating to the wood. Any wood varnish or shellac will add a protective layer of finish to block stains. If you have a pine floor, you can add a linseed or wax coating to protect the wood. Urethane coatings also work well to waterproof and stain-proof floors.