This stain remover is for fabrics, but it works wonders on my counters

This is Highly recommended, a column dedicated to what people in the food industry are eating, drinking and buying right now. Here, Zoe Denenberg writes about Defunkify, the stain remover she uses on her couch and countertops.

As someone who spent way too much time watching QVC as a kid, I have a soft spot for products that claim to work everyday miracles. I’m also an incredibly messy cook and eater, so it’s no surprise that I was drawn to Defunkify, a cleaning brand with a self-proclaimed “magical stain remover” that will treat any fabric. What’s surprising, though, is how much I’ve grown to love and trust this humble cleaning spray, and not just for fabric stains.

Defunkify stain remover spray dissolves coffee splatters on my terry white robe. I take the chocolate off my white couch almost once a week (why did I buy a white couch in the first place?) and I did an act of God in the white linen pants I once wore to an underground rave . The stain-fighting solution works quickly without leaving behind weird water marks or a chemical smell – it’s free of synthetic fragrances, phosphates or dyes commonly found in other cleaning products.

So far, I haven’t found a stain that this spray can’t address. But his most impressive feat, the true Olympic-level performance, didn’t happen on the canvas, the surface it’s designed to handle, but on my white stone counter.

A few months ago, I hosted my first Shabbat dinner in my new apartment, an affair that involved copious amounts of challah and red wine. Unfortunately, none of my guests used the coasters I had suggested at the beginning of the evening. Cleaning time passed, and my stomach sank when I discovered three rings of red wine staining my beautiful white counter.

Resisting panic, I discovered almost every cleaning product in the black hole of a cabinet under my sink. I started with an all-natural spray, and when that proved ineffective, I moved on to a glass cleaner (no no), a citrus-scented deep-cleansing mist (I’m fishy), and as a last ditch effort, a mystery solution with a label written entirely in Italian (very fancy, but no dice). Stains of red wine growled at me, seeping deeper into the stone by the minute.

Residually drunk and losing all hope, I saw my bottle of Defunkify Fabric Stain Remover and thought, “Why not?” I sprinkled it on the stubborn red wine rings and let it sit while I started on the plates. Five minutes and all phases of pain later, a simple swipe of a paper towel revealed that the Defunkify spray had completely dissolved the stains. They had frankly disappeared.

While I still use all-purpose spray for everyday cleaning, I call on this powerful stain fighter for the toughest jobs: spilled matcha, turmeric-tinged curry, and splashed ketchup. It’s $20 for a two-pack, and if you’re as quick as I am, you can sign up for a subscription plan.

As it turns out, I’m not the only one who uses this spray way beyond its intended purpose. Hundreds of 5-star reviews claim this stain remover works on clothes, carpets, sofas, walls, granite and just about any other surface. Diesel mechanic and enthusiast reviewer Joanna B. uses it to clean engine oil and hydraulic fluid from “denim, cloth, and other materials.” But for me, a messy person who for some reason loves the color white, the alchemy performed on my counter will always be this spray’s best trick.