Consumer advocacy teardown
Vanish Oxi Action Fabric Stain Remover alternative & active ingredient dupe
Stop paying £9.00 for Vanish. The bulk active is Sodium percarbonate (food/technical grade) — 67% less per working litre than a typical pack.
- Active
- Sodium percarbonate
- CAS
- 15630-89-4
- Dupe
- Sodium percarbonate (food/technical grade)
- Saving
- 67% / L
Saving is per litre of working-strength mix versus a typical pack price, not versus the DIY kit total. Shop prices move — always check the listing.
The Marketing Claim & The Catch
A typical 1 kg tub pack of Vanish Oxi Action Fabric Stain Remover is about £9.00 in household cleaning. That is a snapshot, not a live Amazon price — listings, sizes and deals move. The marketing line is that you are buying a finished lifestyle product, not a weighed chemical.
On the pack: Lifts stubborn stains even in a cold wash; Oxi Action brightens whites and colours; and Trusted stain-removing power.
The catch: Sodium percarbonate is a solid hydrogen-peroxide adduct. The pink tub is perfume, dye and a scoop. Technical-grade percarbonate is the same oxidiser used in bulk laundries.
- “Lifts stubborn stains even in a cold wash”
- “Oxi Action brightens whites and colours”
- “Trusted stain-removing power”
Proprietary Blend & Dosage Breakdown
The labelled active is Sodium percarbonate at 100%. Everything else in the pack is soda ash, surfactants and fragrance.
Even when the pack is sold as “pure” or ready-to-use, the dose that actually does the work is Sodium percarbonate. The rest is how they get it into a bottle you will pick up.
Branded working strength is whatever comes out of the bottle. The bulk alternative is 100% Sodium percarbonate (food/technical grade), mixed to 20 g/L.
- Labelled active
- Sodium percarbonate
- 100%
- Carrier
- Soda ash, surfactants and fragrance
- Retail pack
- 1 kg tub · £9.00
The Active Chemical Alternative (Dupe Stack)
The dupe stack is Sodium percarbonate (food/technical grade) at 100% bulk. Indexed as CAS 15630-89-4, formula 2Na2CO3·3H2O2. Buy it as 5 kg for about £15.00 from Amazon UK.
Working strength: 20 g/L. Indicative cost £0.30 per diluted litre — 67% below a typical branded pack on a per-litre basis, before you reuse leftover bulk.
Follow the mixing method and the supplier SDS. Wear the listed PPE. Do not mix incompatible oxidisers, acids or ammonia.
- Oxidiser: keep away from acids, bleach (hypochlorite) and combustible materials. Wear gloves and goggles.
- For a pre-soak, dissolve 20 g per litre of warm (not boiling) water. Submerge fabric for 1–6 hours.
- For a machine boost, add 30–40 g to the drum with the detergent. Do not put powder in a bleach-dosing ball with acids.
- Rinse thoroughly. Test colourfastness on a hidden seam first.
- Store sealed and dry. Percarbonate cakes if it takes on moisture.
Mixing desk
Dilution calculator
Switch between filling a sprayer and covering a measured surface. Figures are educational estimates from the listed ratio — always check the SDS.
Formula
Sodium percarbonate (food/technical grade)
- Concentrate
- 100 g
- grams of solid
- Water
- 5 L
- carrier volume
- Batch cost
- £0.30
- 5 L working solution
- Saved vs retail
- £0.60
- 67% · retail £0.90
Estimated coverage at the listed rate: 10 m².
Side-by-Side Price & Potency Comparison
Head-to-head comparison
| Measure | Retail brandedVanish | Raw active dupeDupeStack |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Vanish Oxi Action Fabric Stain RemoverAmazon UK search — listing, not a confirmed seller | Sodium percarbonate (food/technical grade) |
| Pack / unit | 1 kg tub · £9.00 | 5 kg · £15.00 |
| Active | Sodium percarbonate at 100%Carrier: Soda ash, surfactants and fragrance | 100% bulk2Na2CO3·3H2O2 |
| CAS number | Not disclosed on pack | 15630-89-4 |
| Working strength | Ready-to-use pack | Dilute 20 g/L |
| Cost per litre | £9.00 / pack | £0.30 / L mixed from bulk |
| Headline saving | Baseline | 67% cheaper |
| COSHH / PPE | Follow the branded SDS | Gloves. Chemical-resistant gloves (nitrile or neoprene)Eye protection. Indirect-vent splash goggles — not ordinary spectacles |
Active ingredient and cheaper alternative — FAQ
What is the active ingredient in Vanish?
Vanish Oxi Action Fabric Stain Remover is labelled as Sodium percarbonate at 100%. The carrier is Soda ash, surfactants and fragrance. Pack size: 1 kg tub. The bulk equivalent we index is Sodium percarbonate (food/technical grade) (CAS 15630-89-4).
Is Sodium percarbonate (food/technical grade) safe on the intended surface?
Used at the listed working strength (20 g/L), the dupe is the same chemistry as the branded pack for kettles, ceramics and washable hard surfaces. That is not a blanket all-clear: read the supplier SDS, wear the listed PPE, keep acids away from hypochlorite, and follow UK HSE/COSHH rules. Wellness teardowns are supplements, not medicines.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Vanish Oxi Action Fabric Stain Remover?
Yes. The bulk equivalent is Sodium percarbonate (food/technical grade) (CAS 15630-89-4). Indicative saving 67% per working litre versus a typical £9.00 pack. Working strength: 20 g/L. Live shop prices move.
How do you mix the Vanish Oxi Action Fabric Stain Remover dupe stack?
Oxidiser: keep away from acids, bleach (hypochlorite) and combustible materials. Wear gloves and goggles. For a pre-soak, dissolve 20 g per litre of warm (not boiling) water. Submerge fabric for 1–6 hours. For a machine boost, add 30–40 g to the drum with the detergent. Do not put powder in a bleach-dosing ball with acids. Rinse thoroughly. Test colourfastness on a hidden seam first. Store sealed and dry. Percarbonate cakes if it takes on moisture.
DupeStack provides chemical concentration data and educational mixing guides. Always review official manufacturer Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and comply with UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and COSHH regulations when handling concentrated substances. Some links on this site are affiliate links.
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DIY stack · 67% / L vs branded
£26.98indicative kit · Amazon cannot add a mixed search kit as one basket