How to Remove Tomato Sauce Stains from Clothing & Fabric

So you were enjoying a delicious bowl of spaghetti or slice of pizza when a huge dollop of tomato sauce fell onto your clothes. No need to panic! Tomato sauces usually contain a blend of tomatoes and oil, which can make it difficult to get the stain out. Luckily, there are several easy and effective methods you can use to tackle that tomato-based stain, and we’ll go over them all. Keep reading for everything you need to know!

How do you get tomato sauce stains out of clothes?

Scrape off excess sauce or tomato chunks with a blunt knife or a spoon. Run cold water onto the back side of the stain to flush it out of the fabric as much as possible. Rub some dish soap into the stained area and let it soak for 10-15 minutes. Rinse out the dish soap and launder as normal.

Section 1 of 7:

Removing Tomato Sauce Stains with Dish Soap

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If you’ve just spilled spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, or ketchup onto a clothing item, act as quickly as possible to remove it from the surface of the fabric. Use a blunt knife to scrape away the excess sauce, or scoop it up with a spoon.^{[1]
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Hold the back side of the stained fabric under cool running water.^{[2]
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Research source} This will help push the stain out of the front of the fabric and make it easier to remove.

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Apply dish soap directly to the stain. Use a small amount of your regular dish soap and gently rub it into the stained area with your fingers. Let the dish soap sit on the stain for 5-10 minutes.
- Because dish soap cuts through grease, it’s especially effective on tomato sauce stains, which usually include oils and tannins.^{[3]
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- If you don’t have access to dish soap, apply a small dollop of your regular laundry detergent to the stain instead, and work it into the fabric the same way.^{[4]
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Rinse the dish soap out with cold water and repeat (if needed). After you’ve allowed the dish soap to sit for 10-15 minutes, rinse it out with cold water. If the stain has lifted out of the fabric, move on to the next step. If the stain is still visible, repeat the process of applying dish soap, allowing it to soak, and rinsing it out one more time.^{[5]
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- If you prefer, you can apply a commercial stain remover or white vinegar instead of re-applying the dish soap.
- If you do choose to use one of these additional stain removers, do a patch test on an unnoticeable area of the garment to make sure it won’t discolor the fabric.
- Allow whichever stain remover you choose to sit for 10-15 minutes, then rinse it out with cool water.
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Wash the garment as usual. Check the care label on the item for instructions, then launder it as you normally would by hand or in the washing machine. And that’s it! Your garment should now be clean and stain-free.
- If you still see residue from the stain after washing the garment, do not dry it yet. This can cause the stain to set.
- Repeat the entire stain removal process one more time before placing it in the dryer.
- Tomato stains can be stubborn and may take a few rounds to remove, so try to be patient! Eventually, the stain should lift completely.^{[6]
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Section 2 of 7:

Removing Tomato Stains with White Vinegar

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First, use a blunt knife or spoon to scrape away any excess tomato sauce that’s still on the item. Next, hold the back side of the fabric under cool running water to flush out as much of the stain as possible.
Pour a bit of your regular liquid laundry detergent onto the stained area, and gently rub it in with your fingers. Start at the perimeter of the stain and work your way toward the center. Let the detergent sit for several minutes to break up the stain, then rinse it out with cool water.^{[7]
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Sponge the stain with white vinegar. Use a clean sponge to apply the vinegar to the stained area, then rinse it thoroughly under cool running water.^{[8]
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- White vinegar is suitable for colored fabrics, but you should still perform a patch test on a small, unnoticeable area of the garment to make sure it won’t cause any discoloration.
- For white fabrics, you can use lemon juice or hydrogen peroxide instead of vinegar if you prefer.
Check to see if the stain is completely lifted from the fabric. If there’s still visible residue, repeat the entire process until you’ve removed as much of the stain as possible.^{[9]
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Launder the item as normal. Once you’ve lifted as much of the stain as possible, wash the garment by hand or in the washing machine according to the instructions on the care label.
- For a bit of extra stain removing power, you can also spray the stain with a commercial stain remover before placing it in the washing machine.

Section 3 of 7:

Removing Tomato Stains with Baking Soda

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Baking soda is highly absorbent, so it’s great at tackling the oil and grease in spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce stains.^{[10]
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Research source} To start, simply mix 1⁄4 cup (59 mL) water and 4 tbsp (68g) baking soda until it’s a paste-like consistency.^{[11]
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After removing any excess tomato sauce or chunks from the fabric with a blunt knife or spoon, put some of your baking soda paste on the area.^{[12]
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Hold the item under cool running water to rinse out the baking soda paste, then launder it by hand or in the washing machine according to the directions on the care label.

Section 4 of 7:

Removing Dried Tomato Stains with Stain Remover

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Pre-treat the stain with a commercial stain remover. If you’re removing a stain that has already dried, it’s a good idea to opt for a stronger commercial stain remover such as OxiClean or Shout. After scraping away any excess dried sauce or chunks from the fabric with a blunt knife, spray the area with the commercial stain remover of your choice.^{[13]
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- It’s always best to start cleaning tomato sauce stains immediately, but it’s still possible to remove older, set-in tomato stains.
- If you can't get to the stain right away, don’t panic. Just spray the stained area with your stain remover as soon as you get a chance.
Commercial stain removers will usually need to sit on the fabric for several minutes to lift the stain. Follow the instructions listed on the specific product you have.
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Wash the item as normal. Once you’ve let the stain remover soak, launder the item as you normally would by hand or in the washing machine according to the instructions on the care label.^{[14]
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- Check to see that the stain has completely lifted before drying. If the stain is still lifted, repeat the process one more time.
- If the stain is completely removed, dry the item as normal.

Section 5 of 7:

Removing Set-In Tomato Stains with Oxygen Bleach

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Pre-soak the stained item in an oxygen bleach solution. If the tomato sauce stain is deeply set-in, oxygen bleach may do the trick. Also called non-chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach is a powerful stain fighter that is safe to use on most colored fabrics. Simply dissolve a capful of oxygen bleach in a bucket or large bowl of warm water, and allow the garment to soak for at least 30 minutes, or as long as overnight.^{[15]
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- If you’re worried about discoloration of the fabric, do a small patch test with the oxygen bleach on an unnoticeable area to test for colorfastness.
- Always check the care label on your clothing items to make sure they’re bleach safe.
  - A triangle with two diagonal stripes inside it means it is safe to use oxygen bleach on the item, while a triangle with an “X” through it means no bleach should be used on the item.^{[16]
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Launder the item by hand or in the washing machine according to the instructions on the care label. Before drying, check to see that the stain has fully removed.^{[17]
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Section 6 of 7:

Removing Tomato Stains On-the-Go

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Spot treat the stain with hand sanitizer or stain remover wipes. If you spilled tomato sauce on your clothes but you aren’t home, quickly apply some hand sanitizer or an on-the-go stain remover (like Shout wipes or a Tide pen) to the area. This will help remove as much of the stain as possible from the garment and prevent it from setting in.
- Once you get home, immediately treat the tomato stain with your preferred stain removal method (dish soap, vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, etc.) and wash the garment as usual.

Section 7 of 7:

Tomato Stain Removal FAQs

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It’s best to use cold water when rinsing out tomato stains at first. Hot water can cause the stain to set, which makes it harder to remove from the fabric.^{[18]
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Research source} Once you’ve used cold water to flush out the stain, you can launder the item in the washing machine with cool or warm water according to the instructions on the care label.
Tomato sauce stains are tricky to remove because they’re very rarely made up of just tomato. Pasta and pizza sauces contain tannins, oils, and sometimes even proteins from meat. All of these factors make tomato sauce stains complex and difficult to tackle, which is why it may take a few rounds of treatment to fully lift the stain from the fabric.^{[19]
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Mix 1 cup (240 mL) water and 1 tablespoon (15 mL) white vinegar and pour the mixture into your stained tupperware. Allow the solution to soak for at least one hour, or as long as overnight. After soaking, rinse the tupperware and wash it as you normally would with dish soap.^{[20]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

Can I use baking soda to remove tomato sauce stains?

Nat Ismaeil
Cleaning Expert
Nat Ismail is a Cleaning Expert based in Howel Township, New Jersey. He is the President of Pure Surface Care, a residential and commercial cleaning company. Pure Surface Care provides a wide range of professional cleaning services, including carpet cleaning, tile and grout cleaning, area rug cleaning, upholstery cleaning, hardwood floor cleaning, laminate and vinyl cleaning, and pet odor treatment. The company’s services cater to both residential and commercial clients, and they are dedicated to delivering top-quality service for all of their clients.

Nat Ismaeil

Cleaning Expert

Expert Answer

Yes, you can use baking soda to remove tomato sauce stains from your fabrics. Start by getting some baking soda and diluting it in water to create a paste. Apply this paste directly onto the stain and cover it entirely. Then, blot the stained area with a clean cloth to absorb the excess moisture and paste. For larger stains, you can soak the fabric in a mixture of baking soda and water for about 30 minutes before laundering it as usual.

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Is there any way a stain can be removed after the clothing has been washed and dried?

Community Answer

Yes. Apply detergent on the stain and then sprinkle OXI powder on it. Scrub it by hand and wash the item again with other clothes.

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How can I remove an eight-hour-old tomato sauce stain from light cotton fabric?

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Method 3 has all the steps to cleaning a set stain.

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Tips

If you’re dealing with a stubborn tomato sauce stain, feel free to use multiple stain removal methods at once. For example, if you start out with applying dish soap or laundry detergent to the stain and it’s still present, try applying some white vinegar to lighten it.

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If the care label on your item says “dry clean only,” don’t try any stain removal methods on your own. Take the garment directly to the dry cleaner to handle the stain.

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