Stone care & repair
Red wine stains: how to fix them on every surface
Red wine is a double threat to stone: its pigments stain porous surfaces purple or pink, and its acidity etches anything made of calcite. The faster you blot it, the less of both you will have to fix.
Before you try anything: always speak to a professional before cleaning, treating or applying any product to your stone. Every slab is different, and the wrong product can cause permanent damage. Contact us or a qualified stone restorer first.
Choose your surface
Every surface compared
| Surface | What is different on this surface | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marble | Red wine is both pigmented and acidic, so on polished marble it is common to lift the purple stain completely and still see a dull ring. That ring is an etch and needs polishing. | Easy to moderate | Read fix |
| Travertine | Wine on travertine tables often runs into the fills around the edge of the glass. Poultice the fills along with the stone. | Easy to moderate | Read fix |
| Limestone | Red wine on honed limestone spreads into a soft purple halo because the stone wicks liquid sideways as well as down. Poultice a margin well beyond the visible edge. | Easy to moderate | Read fix |
| Onyx | On backlit onyx bars, red wine can show as a coloured shadow when the lights are on. Blot immediately and call a restorer rather than using strong peroxide on onyx. | Easy to moderate | Read fix |
| Dolomite | Dolomite reacts slowly to the acid in wine, so if it was wiped up within a few minutes the purple colour, not etching, is usually the main problem. | Easy to moderate | Read fix |
| Granite | Wine rarely penetrates dense dark granite. On lighter, coarse-grained granites, a glass left overnight can leave a pink shadow that a peroxide poultice lifts. | Easy to moderate | Read fix |
| Quartzite | True quartzite ignores wine's acidity, so a wine mark on quartzite is a stain in a porous patch, not an etch. If it looks dull rather than coloured, check whether the stone is really dolomite. | Easy to moderate | Read fix |
| Quartz | Red wine is one of the few drinks that can tint the resin on white quartz if it dries overnight. It usually lifts with a cream cleaner and keeps fading in daylight. | Easy | Read fix |
| Porcelain | Wine cannot get into porcelain, but on textured or matte finishes the colour can sit in the surface texture. A soft brush helps. | Easy | Read fix |
| Terrazzo | Wine can etch the marble chips and the cement binder in terrazzo at the same time, so check for dullness across both once the colour is gone. | Easy to moderate | Read fix |
| Concrete | Wine on concrete is a two-part problem: colour in any exposed concrete, and acid attacking the sealer or wax. | Easy to moderate | Read fix |
| Soapstone | Soapstone is one of the few benchtop materials completely unbothered by red wine: it neither stains nor etches. | Easy | Read fix |
Rules that apply to every surface
- Act fast. The sooner you blot or wipe, the less there is to fix.
- Test first. Try any method on a hidden spot and check once it is dry.
- No acids on calcite. Vinegar, lemon and most descalers etch marble, travertine, limestone and onyx.
- Protect after repair. A clear film stops the same mark happening again.
Frequently asked questions
Porous and acid-sensitive stones such as marble, travertine, limestone, onyx need the most care. Non-porous surfaces like porcelain and quartz are usually the easiest.
Always. Try any chemical or poultice on a hidden spot, such as inside a sink cut-out or under an overhang, and check the finish once dry.
A clear protection film over the surface keeps spills and acids off the stone. Stone Film Sydney installs it across Sydney with a 10-year warranty.
Stop fixing. Start protecting.
Clear anti-etch, anti-stain film for every stone in Sydney. Free, no-obligation quote, on site or over the phone.