Cleaning White Wine Stains from Leather

White wine spilled on leather may not create the instantly-noticeable bright stain as red wine, but it still can leave a stain that acts as a magnet for dirt and worsen the leather's appearance over time. While a professional cleaning is always an option, there are methods to remove white wine that are much less expensive. Using some household compounds and acting quickly can successfully remove white wine from leather by following a few simple steps.

Step 1 -- Soak with Paper Towels

Immediately after spilling white wine on leather, soak up as much as possible with paper towels. Gently blot at the stain until no more of the liquid can be soaked up, changing paper towels frequently. Do not rub too hard at the leather, otherwise more of the white wine stain will be worked in rather than absorbed.

Step 2 -- Clean with Detergent

Combine 2 tablespoons of liquid dish detergent with 4 cups of water in your cleaning bucket. You may need slightly smaller or larger amounts of water depending on the size of the stain, but these measurements are generally a good rule of thumb to follow. Be sure not to add an excessive amount of dish detergent, since this will take more time to completely rinse away. It is also recommended to use a milder, lighter colored dish detergent rather than one that is brightly colored. This is especially true in cases of cleaning white or light colored leather. Soak up plenty of this mixture with one of your cleaning rags and blot thoroughly at the white wine stain, re-soaking the cloth frequently. Blot from the outermost edge of the stain towards the middle. An old T-shirt works well for these types of cleaning rags.

Step 3 -- Soak and Sponge

With a second clean and dry rag, soak up as much of the water and detergent as possible from the white wine stain area. You may need to use several rags until no more of the liquid can be soaked up. Rinse all traces of the soapy water away by wetting a clean sponge with cold water and pressing it over the area. This step can take some repetition, so it is important to be patient.

Step 4 -- Apply Leather Cleaner

Once you have rinsed away all traces of soapy water from the leather, allow it to air dry for at least 1 to 2 hours. If any traces of the white wine stain are still visible, particularly on light-colored leather, apply a commercial leather cleaner. These often come in different formulas for different types of leather, so make sure that you select the appropriate one for the type of leather from which you are removing the stain. Follow the instructions for using a leather cleaner, particularly for softer and more delicate leather that is commonly used for garments. If you happen to be cleaning a white wine stain out of leather clothing, always allow it to hang dry overnight.