The best commercial alternative to Sil is dm Denkmit (same Grade 2.4, half the price) [S1]. For household alternatives, pure sodium percarbonate — the same active ingredient in Sil — is available cheaply in bulk. Some home remedies work (baking soda on fresh stains, lemon juice on rust), but many popular "hacks" like salt on wine are myths that can make stains worse.
Stain Remover Alternatives — What Actually Works
Commercial Alternatives
| Product | Grade [S1] | Price | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| dm Denkmit Fleckensalz | 2.4 | €1.45 | dm only |
| Rossmann Domol Fleckensalz | 2.6 | ~€1.69 | Rossmann only |
| Persil Universal Megaperls | 2.6 | ~€4.99 | Widely available |
| Vanish Oxi Action Spray | 2.9 | ~€5.95 | Widely available |
| Dr. Beckmann Fleckenteufel | varies | ~€2.99 | Widely available |
Takeaway: Store-brand stain salts (Denkmit, Domol) outperform many premium products. The active chemistry is the same — you're mostly paying for branding.
Household Alternatives That Work
✅ Sodium Percarbonate (Bulk)
This is literally the active ingredient in Sil and Denkmit. Buy it as pure powder from chemical suppliers or eco-stores (€3–5/kg). Dissolve in warm water just like branded products. Same chemistry, no branding markup.
✅ Baking Soda (Natron)
Best for: Fresh stains, light-colored fabrics. Make a paste with water, apply to stain, wait 30 minutes, then wash. Mild enough for most fabrics but less effective than oxygen bleach on tough stains.
✅ White Vinegar
Best for: Tannin-based stains (tea, coffee, wine) and deodorant marks. Dab onto stain, wait 15 minutes, rinse. Not effective on grease or protein stains.
✅ Lemon Juice
Best for: Rust stains and light-colored fabrics. Natural bleaching effect. Apply, place in sunlight for 1–2 hours, then wash. ⚠️ Can fade colored fabrics — test first.
✅ Dish Soap (Spülmittel)
Best for: Grease and oil stains. Apply a drop directly on the stain, work in gently, wait 10 minutes, then wash. One of the few household items that actually works on grease better than oxygen bleach.
Popular "Hacks" That Don't Work
❌ Salt on Red Wine
One of the most persistent stain myths. Salt can draw out moisture but doesn't neutralize wine pigments. Worse: as the salt dries, it can fix the tannin stain deeper into fibers. Use cold water immediately instead.
❌ Club Soda / Sparkling Water
The carbonation does nothing meaningful. Plain cold water works just as well — it's the flushing action that helps, not the bubbles. Save your Sprudel for drinking.
❌ Hairspray on Ink
This worked decades ago when hairspray contained alcohol as a solvent. Modern formulas don't. Use rubbing alcohol (Isopropanol) directly for ink stains instead.
❌ Hot Water on Blood
Heat denatures the proteins in blood, permanently bonding them to fabric fibers. Always use cold water for blood stains. This is one of the most common and damaging mistakes.
International Options
If you're outside Germany and can't find Sil or Denkmit:
- UK: Vanish Oxi Action, Dylon, Ace
- USA: OxiClean, Zout, Shout
- France: Vanish, K2r
- Worldwide: Any product containing sodium percarbonate (check ingredients)
Look for "oxygen bleach" or "sodium percarbonate" on the label — that's the active ingredient that matters.