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 does not soak into quartz and Caesarstone because it is non-porous and does not react with acid. Blot it, wipe with warm soapy water and dry. Any tint left behind usually comes off with a non-abrasive cream cleaner.
First, check what you are dealing with
- Colour sitting on the surface: dried wine. It cleans off.
- A faint tint after cleaning: give it a cream cleaner and a day of light.
What you need
- Paper towel
- pH-neutral dish liquid
- Soft cloth
- Non-abrasive cream cleaner
Step by step
Blot, do not wipe
Soak up any liquid with paper towel straight away. Wiping spreads it across a bigger area.
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 quartz.
Lift any tint
Work a little non-abrasive cream cleaner over the area with a damp soft cloth, then rinse and dry.
Dark stone: On dark quartz, test any cleaner on a hidden spot first so you do not leave a lighter patch.
What not to use on quartz
- Scourers, steel wool and abrasive creams on a polished surface.
- Mixing cleaning chemicals, especially bleach with anything else.
- Oven cleaner, paint stripper and strong alkaline degreasers, which damage the resin.
When to call a professional
If a mark will not lift, ask a repairer before using anything stronger. A benchtop repairer can fix chips and some surface damage. Because Australia banned new engineered stone in 2024, repairs and protection are how existing tops are kept looking good.
Understanding red wine stains on quartz
Quartz (engineered stone) is crushed quartz bound in resin. It is essentially non-porous, so most stains sit on or just in the resin at the surface.
A benchtop repairer can fix chips and some surface damage. Because Australia banned new engineered stone in 2024, repairs and protection are how existing tops are kept looking good.
Good to know
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.
Stop it happening again
Whether yours is Caesarstone, Essastone, Silestone, Smartstone and other engineered stone, repairing it fixes today's mark; protecting it stops the next one. Our clear Stone Protection Film sits over the surface, so marks stay on the film, not the surface. Choose Gloss for polished quartz 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 quartz · Stain removal guide · Red wine stains on every surface