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.
Quick answer
Red wine stains in marble lift with a hydrogen peroxide poultice: blot the wine immediately, wash the area, then leave the poultice covered for 24 to 48 hours to draw the colour out. Wine is acidic, so on marble a dull ring may remain after the colour is gone; that is an etch and is fixed by polishing.
First, check what you are dealing with
- Purple, pink or grey-blue mark: a wine stain. Follow the steps below.
- Pale, dull ring where the glass stood: an etch from the wine's acidity.
What you need
- Paper towel
- pH-neutral dish liquid
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Flour, talc or diatomaceous earth
- Plastic wrap and tape
- Plastic scraper
Step by step
Blot fast
Blot up every drop straight away. On marble, the first few minutes decide how deep the colour goes.
Wash the area
Clean with warm water and a few drops of pH-neutral dish liquid, rinse and dry with a soft cloth so you can see what is left on the marble.
Test first
Try the mixture on a hidden spot of your marble (inside a cut-out or under an overhang) and check the finish after it dries.
Mix the poultice
Stir an absorbent powder (plain flour, talc, diatomaceous earth or whiting) into 3% hydrogen peroxide from a pharmacy (test it on a hidden spot first, as peroxide can lighten darker stone) until it has the consistency of peanut butter.
Apply it
Spread it 5 to 6 mm thick over the wine stain, extending about a centimetre past the edge.
Cover and wait
Cover with plastic wrap, tape the edges and poke a few small holes so it dries slowly. Leave it 24 to 48 hours until completely dry: the drying is what pulls the stain up into the powder.
Remove and rinse
Lift the dry poultice with a plastic scraper, rinse with clean water and dry the marble. If the wine stain is lighter but still there, repeat up to three times.
Dark stone: On dark marbles such as Nero Marquina and Emperador, keep to 3% hydrogen peroxide and test first, because stronger peroxide can lighten the stone.
What not to use on marble
- Vinegar, lemon juice or "natural" citrus cleaners: they etch marble.
- Scourers, steel wool and abrasive creams on a polished surface.
- Mixing cleaning chemicals, especially bleach with anything else.
- Salt, soda water and white wine "tricks": they do nothing for stone and can spread the stain.
When to call a professional
If colour remains after three rounds, or you are dealing with a large etched area, call a restorer. A stone restorer can hone and re-polish marble back to an even finish, and on bookmatched or heavily veined slabs that is the safest route.
Understanding red wine stains on marble
Marble is moderately porous. A polished, sealed slab slows liquids down, but anything left for a few minutes can still work its way into the surface, and white marbles show every mark.
Marble is almost pure calcite, which dissolves in acid. Lemon, wine, vinegar and many sprays dull a polished surface within seconds to minutes.
A stone restorer can hone and re-polish marble back to an even finish, and on bookmatched or heavily veined slabs that is the safest route.
Good to know
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.
Stop it happening again
Whether yours is Calacatta, Carrara, Statuario, Nero Marquina, Emperador and Crema Marfil, repairing it fixes today's mark; protecting it stops the next one. Our clear Stone Protection Film sits over the surface, so acids cannot etch it and liquids cannot soak in. Choose Gloss for polished marble or Matte/Satin for honed and matte finishes. The protection is identical. It is installed across Sydney with a 10-year written warranty.
How we protect marble · Stain removal guide · Red wine stains on every surface