The RIGHT Ways To Remove Tomato Sauce Stains From Clothes

Tomato sauce-based stains are some of the most notoriously difficult to remove, and today, we’ve got some tips to deal with them so you can enjoy your spaghetti without worrying it’ll ruin your clothes forever.

What We Mean by “Tomato Sauces”?

This guide is designed to help you remove stains from any sauce condiment or other preparation that contains tomato as an ingredient. This most obviously includes pasta sauces made with tomato, like bolognese, marinara, puttanesca, and the like. Salsas also fall into this category though—as do tomato based curries or condiments like ketchup, barbecue sauce, or the sauce used on the McDonald’s McRib.

McRib sandwich with its BBQ sauce — Credit: McDonald’s

We mentioned the McRib because, when we attended a seminar given by the Laundry Evangelist for research for this series, he mentioned McRib sauce as one of the most stubborn to get out to those uninitiated in laundry science.

So, let’s delve into the science behind why tomato stains are so difficult to deal with.

Why Tomato Stains Are So Stubborn

The chemical composition of tomatoes imparts certain innate, stain-causing qualities. The iconic red color of the tomato comes from the carotenoid pigment lycopene. This pigment stains anything it touches that deep tomato red, and the natural acidity of tomatoes causes lycopene stains to set that much faster.

tomato slice — Tomatoes contain lycopene, which causes stains.

This staining capacity is also compounded by the fact that many tomato sauces contain other stain-causing elements in their ingredients. Oils, tannins, protein, and greases contained in foods or condiments made with tomatoes essentially create a hybrid stain, combining the qualities of two or more staining agents.

Fortunately, most of these additional staining agents should still respond to the techniques we lay out in this guide. But, if not, you can always outline the tips employed in our guide to grease stains or our general stain removal guide, focusing on the organic stains section.

How to Remove Stains from Any Garment

Pre-Treating Tomato Sauce Stains

As something you eat, tomato sauce stains are likely to occur at the most inopportune times—either when you are cooking or dining.

Whenever you happen to get a tomato sauce stain, it might be difficult to get away and initiate a pre-treatment routine, but the sooner you do so, the easier it will be to eventually get the stain out. Remember, the stain-causing elements in tomato sauces will set with time, becoming harder to remove the longer they sit.

1. Scrape Away Any Excess Sauce

Therefore, if at all possible, politely excuse yourself from wherever you are and retreat to an area with a sink like a restroom. Also, if possible, bring with you a clean nonporous instrument like a spoon as you’ll want to begin by scraping off any excess sauce. If possible, avoid using a towel or cloth at this stage as it could simply rub the sauce more deeply into the fabric.

2. Run Over Cool Water & Blot The Stain

Next, if possible, remove the stained item and gently run a trickle of cool water through the stain from behind. Now, with a clean absorbent material like a cloth or paper towel, gently blot at the stain to remove any remaining sauce. But, be careful not to rub or scrub.

If this is all you have the time and ability for at the moment, try not to worry and go back to whatever it is you were doing.

3. Apply Gentle Liquid Dish Detergent

If it’s convenient and available though, you can cover the stain with a gentle liquid dish detergent—those with grease fighting agents like Dawn are particularly useful here—then dab away any excess. However, don’t apply any conventional bar soaps or soap flakes to this stain.

The lipids and fats in the soap can bond with lycopene, making the stain even worse. Now that we’ve gotten pre-treatment out of the way, let’s cover how to remove a tomato sauce stain fully.

Removing Tomato Sauce Stains

The next steps here will depend somewhat on fabric type, but as always, be mindful of any garment care instructions found on a tag and, if desired, test any cleaning methods on a discreet area of the garment first.

Cotton, Linen, and Machine-Washable Fabrics

First, for cotton, linens, and most machine-washable fabrics, start by moistening the area where the stain is, then cover the stain with a cleanser. You can use a gentle hand soap or dish detergent, but a liquid laundry detergent that is enzyme-rich and tannin-targeting will be your best bet.

Keeping in mind that this post is not sponsored, you may see good results using products like Presto Biobased, Arm and Hammer Plus Oxi Clean, or Dirty Labs Detergent.

Dirty labs detergent — Dirty Labs Detergent, Arm and Hammer Plus Oxi Clean, or Presto Biobased

Let the cleanser sit for 10 minutes, then gently scrub with a soft brush like a toothbrush or by working the fabric against itself.

Some people swear by rubbing an ice cube against these stains with their logic being that the cold helps to draw out the stain. You can try this, but your mileage may vary, and we find that these more conventional techniques we’re outlining should yield good results no matter what.

With tomato sauce stains, persistence is key, so we recommend taking a picture of the stain between treatments to see if you’re making any measurable progress. Simply put here, if you are making progress, keep it up.

Once the stain is gone you can put the garment through the wash as normal. But, don’t put it through the dryer until you’re sure that the stain has been completely removed as heat from a dryer can set stains.

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Removing Persistent Tomato Stains

For persistent stains, you can follow largely the same method, subbing out the cleanser for a dedicated stain remover. We’ve gotten great results from The Laundress Stain Solution, but other popular choices include Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover, Tide Rescue, and Chanteclair Scioglimacchia.

Grandma's Secret Spot Remover — Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover

If you don’t happen to have any of these stain removers, a solution of equal parts water and white vinegar can work similarly well. There are also stain removers specifically formulated for tomato stains in particular, like Carbona Stain Devils No. 2. In the past, we’ve found that these extremely-targeted stain fighters don’t actually work much better than general stain solutions, but let us know in the comments if your experiences are different.

Follow the listed instructions on your stain remover of choice. Then, wash the garment as normal once the stain is completely gone.

Spot-Clean Only Fabrics

For spot clean only fabrics, especially silks, you can again follow the same basic instructions. Here though, make sure that you’re using a gentle cleanser suitable for the fabric like The Laundress Delicate Wash or Heritage Park Detergent.

How to Remove Stains from Ties & Pocket Squares

Leather & Suedes

Similarly, leathers and suedes should only be cleaned using appropriate cleaners. And for delicate fabrics and leather and suede, be more delicate in any scrubbing that you do on the material.

Woolens & Knits

Meanwhile, for woolens and knits, you’ll want to avoid scrubbing entirely. Instead, moisten the stained area with water, apply a gentle cleanser, and allow it to sit for approximately 10 minutes, then soak the entire garment in a solution of tepid water and Woolite or a similar detergent, following all instructions for your detergent of choice.

Soaking a garment with tomato sauce stains in a tepid water and Woolite solution — Soak tomato sauce-stained garment in tepid water and Woolite solution

Once the stain is gone, hand wash the entire garment and then let it air dry. And for more information on how to generally wash these garments, our guide to wool sweater maintenance has more.

Removing Large, Tough, or Set-in Tomato Sauce Stains

On the topic of soaking, for large, tough, or set-in tomato sauce stains on any garment that is washable, soaking the entire garment overnight first to reactivate the stain may be helpful. Even after soaking through, tomato stains on white or lightly colored garments can be particularly difficult to remove completely.

chlorine bleach with a red x mark on the lower right

avoid chlorine bleach

It Damages the Garment Fibers

Here then, you might also want to employ an oxygen bleach, keeping in mind the bleach’s directions and the garment care tag instructions. And as we’ve said in most installments of this series, we generally recommend avoiding chlorine bleach entirely. They may remove the stain, but they’re also probably going to damage the fibers in your garment, and therefore, won’t really be worth it.

Instead, for any especially stubborn tomato sauce stains that you haven’t been able to get out using the techniques we’ve already outlined, we’d then say that you should just bring them to your local dry cleaner, and as we’ve emphasized, the sooner you can get these garments to the dry cleaner, the better—provided that you haven’t already gotten the stains out yourself. And with that, you should have all that you need to properly defend yourself against the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes.

Let us know in the comments below if you have any other tips for removing tomato sauce staine!

Outfit Rundown

Preston in casual outfit — Preston in a casual outfit.

Today, I’m wearing a relatively casual outfit, good for being around the house or doing some stain removal. The central element is my polo shirt from Charles Tyrwhitt. I figured that a red color would be appropriate given the subject matter of this guide.

My trousers are plain brown, though they do feature a reddish undertone. My shoes are deep red, whole cut Oxfords with a hand painted patina from Ace Marks, and to harmonize with them, I’ve gone for a belt in oxblood leather. My socks are from Fort Belvedere. They’re one of our shadow-striped ranges—in this case, in burgundy and light gray.

In the outdoor footage you’re seeing, I’m, of course, wearing my trusty coconut straw pork pie hat; and for a fragrance today, I’ve gone for Habit Rouge from Guerlain. This has continued the red color theme, of course.

So, for the socks I’m wearing today, as well as a wide array of other classic men’s accessories, fragrances from the Roberto Ugolini collection, and corduroy trousers, you can take a look at the Fort Belvedere shop.

Fort Belvedere

Burgundy and Light Grey Ribbed Socks

FAQ

Can I remove a tomato sauce stain after it has set?

Yes, you can still remove a set tomato sauce stain. It might require more persistent treatment and repeated cleaning steps.

Should I use hot or cold water to rinse the stain?

Always use cold water to rinse the stain initially, as hot water can cause the tomato sauce to set into the fabric.

What is the first step I should take upon staining my clothes with tomato sauce?

Gently scrape off any excess tomato sauce with a spoon or knife. Do not rub the fabric, as this can spread the stain further.

Are there any household items I can use to treat the stain?

Yes, white vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice are common household items that can be effective in treating tomato sauce stains.

Can I put the stained clothing in the dryer after washing it?

Do not put the garment in the dryer until the stain is completely removed, as heat can permanently set the stain. Air-dry the item instead.

Is it safe to use bleach on tomato sauce stains?

Bleach may be used for white or colorfast fabrics but avoid using it on colors or delicate materials. Always refer to your clothing’s care instructions.