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There is an old wives' tale that says the best way to tackle red wine stains on carpets and clothes is to cover them in white wine.

And while alcohol is the key to removing a spilled glass, the solution doesn't lie in a glass of Pino Grigio. 

In a video, a scientist has revealed how gin and vodka dilute red wine stains, why vinegar is so good at removing mineral deposits on glass, and how spit tackles stubborn food stains in your kitchen.

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Red wine is red because of pigments known as anthocyanins, which are alcohol soluble. When higher concentrations of clear alcohol, such as gin, vodka or white rum, are poured onto the stain, the colours dissolve into the liquid rather than drying into the carpet. These can then be soaked up using a paper towel

The video was created by the Washington-based American Chemical Society (ACS) as part of its Reactions series. 

It covers three household cleaning 'hacks' for windows, carpets and counter tops.

The first reveals an alternative to window cleaner is to add two cups of water and a quarter cup of 70 per cent rubbing alcohol to an empty spray bottle.

As the video explained: 'Vinegar is a fantastic cleaner and the secret to its cleaning capacity is acetic acid.'

Acetic acid sits at a 2.4 on the pH scale making it very acidic. 

Because of this acidity, vinegar 'eats away' at mineral deposits on windows including moisture and dust, while the rubbing alcohol absorbs greasy dirt like fingerprints.  

Onto red wine stains in fabrics, the video said the key is to 'act fast and grab a bottle of the nearest high proof clear liquor'.

This can be vodka, gin or white rum, but the important part is that whichever drink is chosen it must be higher proof than the wine that has been spilt.

Keep applying it to the stain while soaking the liquid up with a rag or paper towel until it's all gone.

Red wine is red because of pigments known as anthocyanins, which are alcohol soluble. 

When higher concentrations of alcohol are poured onto the stain, the colours dissolve into the liquid rather than drying into the carpet. 

As more alcohol is poured onto to the stain, the red colour dilutes completely and can be soaked up. 

ACS advise pouring plain water onto the carpet once the alcohol has been soaked up to remove the smell.

Elsewhere, if there is a hard food stain on a countertop or hard floor, ACS suggest using spit to remove it.

Inside saliva is an enzyme called amylase and it's used as one of the first steps of digestion.

Amylase speeds up the process of breaking down starches, for example.

'You may have noticed when you eat certain starchy foods like potatoes or crackers that they have a slightly sweet taste when you chew them,' said ACS. 

'That's the amylase in action and the same principle can be used to break down food spills.'

A cleaning expert from Hassle.com recently revealed the science behind why certain foods are so useful for tackling rust, removing stains and tightening cracks in wood, too. 

Amazing life hacks for cleaning products and removing red wine

The American Chemical Society (ACS) has produced a video as part of its Reactions series that covers three household cleaning 'hacks'. These include how to get streak-free windows, remove red wine stains from carpets (pictured) and clean stubborn food stains from counter tops and hard surfaces 

Alex Depledge, Hassle.com's chief executive told MailOnline that tomato ketchup is good for cleaning brass, copper and silver elements.

'Tarnishing mainly occurs due to sulphur compounds in the air,' she said. 

'When the ketchup is applied to the metal, the natural acid in the tomatoes reacts with the oxidising of the tarnished silver, brass or copper.'

'Potatoes and baking soda are effective at tackling rust because the oxalic acid in the potato mixes with the baking soda to help to dissolve the rust.' 

An alternative to window cleaner is to take an empty bottle and add two cups of water and a quarter cup of 70% rubbing alcohol. As the video explained: 'Vinegar is a fantastic cleaner and the secret to its cleaning capacity is acetic acid.' Acetic acid sits at a 2.4 on the pH scale making it very acidic' (pictured)

Because of this acidity, vinegar 'eats away' at mineral deposits on windows including moisture and dust, while rubbing alcohol (pictured) absorbs greasy dirt like fingerprints, said the chemist

Even the weakest levels of acid can dissolve and loosen the hydrated iron oxides found in rust. This also means vinegar is a good rust remover.

These foods can also replace the rust with a thin film of smooth hard oxide on the surface of the iron, to help it resist further hydrated oxidation.

Phosphoric acid in cola drinks, and citric acid in lemon juice also work.

'Banana skins are often used to buff leather, followed by a damp cloth, and this is effective because the potassium in bananas is absorbed and slowly works to plump up the scratches,' Mrs Depledge said.

To remove hard food stains on a countertop or hard floor, ACS suggests using spit to remove it. Inside saliva is an enzyme called amylase and it's used as one of the first steps of digestion (pictured)

Amylase speeds up the process of breaking down starches, for example. 'You may have noticed when you eat certain starchy foods like potatoes that they have a slightly sweet taste when you chew them,' said ACS. 'That's the amylase in action and the same principle can be used to break down food spills'

Potassium is often found in shoe polishes too, for the same reason.

'Ideal for removing marks on wood, mayonnaise contains oils and proteins that gently diminish scratches and marks on wood.

'They also react and cause the wood to swell, which tightens cracks in surface. 

'The oils in Brazil nuts are also effective and act like a natural die to darken and hide scratches.'

Elsewhere, Mrs Depledge added: 'To keep a fridge smelling fresh, experts claim putting dry ground coffee into an old margarine tub with holes in the lid will eliminate odours.

A cleaning experts has also revealed which food items can be used to clean a home. For example, potatoes remove rust because the oxalic acid reacts with baking soda to dissolve the hydrated iron oxides

Banana skins (stock image pictured) are often used to buff leather, followed by a damp cloth, and this is effective because the potassium in bananas is absorbed and slowly works to plump up the scratches. Potassium is often found in shoe polishes too, for the same reason

'Smelly substances floating around in the air attach themselves to the surface of coffee beans via a process known as 'adsorption'.

'Invisible to the naked eye the many tiny pores in a coffee bean create a large surface area, per unit mass. 

'This gives, in chemical terms, plenty of area for the smell to adhere itself to and causes it to be cancelled out.'

As a subsititute to limescale remover, Mrs Depledge recommends cutting a grapefruit in half and sprinkling one half with salt.

The salt acts like an exfoliator to remove the surface limescale, while the citric acid in grapefruit acts as the cleaning agent and breaks down the scale at a more molecular level.

And cola drinks are an effective toilet cleaner because they contains carbonic, citric, and phosphoric acids.

Many of these acids are found in household cleaning products already, and when mixed together, the reaction causes the stains to be lifted and removed.

Ideal for removing marks on wood, mayonnaise (left) contains oils and proteins that gently diminish scratches and marks. They also react and cause the wood to swell, which tightens cracks in surface. Tomato ketchup (right) cleans brass and copper because its natural acid reacts with the oxidising of the metal

To keep a fridge smelling fresh, the expert claims putting dry ground coffee into an old margarine tub with holes in the lid will eliminate odours. Smelly substances in the air attach themselves to the surface of coffee beans via a process known as 'adsorption'