Valentine’s Day is the celebration of romance and love that many choose to celebrate with chocolate and wine. In fact, 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold during the Valentine season, and 58 million pounds of chocolate are purchased in the seven days leading up to Valentine’s Day. That is A LOT of chocolate! And nothing pairs better with chocolate than a nice glass of red wine. Unfortunately, chocolate and red wine are two of the most stubborn stains to remove from carpet and upholstery. Fortunately, removing stubborn stains is Rug Doctor’s love language! It is how we show we care and we take it seriously. Keep this information handy to help with Valentine’s chocolate and wine mishaps.

How to Get Chocolate Out of Carpet

Chocolate tastes and looks yummy, but it can cause a significant unsightly stain on soft surfaces. We know you don’t want to interrupt your Valentine’s festivities, but it is really important to address a chocolate stain as soon as you notice it on your carpet. Follow these steps to remove it. 

1. If the chocolate stain is dried or solid, skip to step three. If the chocolate is melted or in liquid form, gently blot with a white paper towel to remove as much of the liquid as possible.
2. Place ice cubes in a plastic bag and place on top of the stain to speed up the drying and hardening of the chocolate stained area.
3. Once the chocolate is dry, get a spoon or butter knife and gently scrap away as much as you can. You want to do this slowly and carefully as not to damage the carpet fibers.
4. After scraping as much chocolate from the carpet as you can, vacuum the area to remove any flakes or chocolate debris remaining.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have removed as much of the chocolate as possible.
6. Generously spray the affected area with a carpet cleaning solution. We recommend Rug Doctor Spot and Pre-treat Dual Action Cleaner.
7. Allow the cleaner to penetrate the stain. The powerful foaming action of Rug Doctor Spot and Pre-treat Dual Action Cleaner is scientifically engineered to fight food and drink stains like chocolate and red wine.
8. Use a sponge or cloth to gently agitate the stain from the outside edge to the center. Be sure to use a white sponge or cloth to prevent color transfer.
9. Spray cold water on the stain to rinse and blot with a white paper towel or cloth again, pressing deep into the stain.
10. Repeat steps 6 – 9 until carpet discoloration is gone.

How to Get Red Wine Out of Carpet

Red wine stains are extremely difficult to remove from carpet and fabrics. The red color pigments in the wine come from the skins of the grapes and mimic permanent dye. When a spill happens, it soaks into the carpet fibers and begins to set almost immediately. It is vital to react to a wine spill immediately. The success of removal (or lack of) is directly related to the amount of time the spill is allowed to remain on the carpet. Follow these steps as soon as possible to remove red wine stains from carpet.

1. Blot the red wine stain (never rub!) as best you can with a clean dry cloth.
2. Generously spray the affected area with a carpet cleaning solution. Again, we recommend Rug Doctor Spot and Pre-treat Dual Action Cleaner.
3. Allow cleaner to penetrate the stain.
4. Blot again with a clean dry cloth. Press deep into the stain and soak up as much of the wine and cleaner as possible.
5. Repeat steps until carpet discoloration is gone.

Chocolate and wine stains that have been allowed to set may take a little more than elbow grease to remove. If either stain is still visible after completing the listed steps above at least twice, you will likely have more success with a portable spot cleaner. A portable spot cleaner uses suction to extract the stain from the carpet fibers, providing a deep clean that will draw the stain from deep within your carpet. A professional-grade deep cleaner delivers results comparable to an upright deep carpet cleaner. We recommend renting a Rug Doctor Pro Portable Detailer and Spot Cleaner and use with Rug Doctor Spot + Upholstery cleaning solution. This spot cleaner is designed with professional-grade suction power and has a motorized brush to do the scrubbing for you. Find the nearest rental location to you with our rental locator. Cleaning solutions may be purchased online or in-store at the Rug Doctor rental kiosk.

How to Prevent Chocolate and Red Wine Stains on Carpet

Obviously, the best way to prevent chocolate and red wine stains on carpet is to keep it away from carpet areas in the home. However, standing in the kitchen or sitting at the dining room table is probably the least romantic way to enjoy these Valentine’s Day treats. The next best way to prevent food and drink stains like chocolate and wine from setting into your carpet is to treat your carpet with a protectant. Rug Doctor Carpet Defense was developed with SpotBlock technology. It protects carpet for up to 12 months by keeping stains on the carpet surface for easy cleaning. SpotBlock is a repelling technology that prevents stains from penetrating into the carpet fibers and back padding. It even comes with an easy-to-use application wand and can be applied to large carpet areas in a few minutes. This formula is MAGIC!

We hope your Valentine’s Day is full of lots of love and laughter, with minimal messes and spills! But should a spill happen, we are here to help. Happy Valentine’s Day from Rug Doctor. We love to hear from you! Show us your Valentine celebrations and clean-ups on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.