Tomato sauce stains can be a nightmare for neat freaks! But accidents happen, so it’s good to know how to act quickly. Whether it’s a fresh or old stain, on fabric, leather, oilcloth, or in a Tupperware, we’ve got you covered with our top tips for removing tomato sauce stains.
Removing Tomato Sauce Stains from Fabric
Clothes, tablecloths, curtains, or cushion covers—don’t panic if you’ve spilled on fabric. There are ways to get it clean again.
First, rinse the fabric with cold water (avoid hot water) to prevent the grease particles from embedding in the fibres. Then, you have a few options:
- Marseille soap
- Dishwashing liquid
- White vinegar
Gently dab and scrub the stain with one of these cleaning agents. Rinse thoroughly with clear water and then pop it into the washing machine. If the stain is gone, just dry your fabric.
Is your tomato sauce stain dry and set into the fabric? Try using:
- Baking soda
- Cornstarch
- Soda crystals
Dampen the stain, sprinkle one of these powders on it, let it sit for about 15 minutes, and then brush gently with a soft-bristled brush. Finish with a machine wash and voila!
Removing Tomato Sauce Stains from Oilcloth
Got a tomato sauce stain on oilcloth (or a plastic tablecloth)? Good news—it’s easy to clean! You can use:
- A soapy sponge (Marseille soap or dishwashing liquid): Scrub gently with the abrasive side without pressing too hard to avoid damaging the oilcloth.
- A milk-soaked sponge: Surprisingly, milk can be very effective against tomato sauce stains!
- White vinegar: This household hero is also great for oilcloth. You can also use rubbing alcohol as a substitute.
For old tomato sauce stains, try using a sponge soaked in turpentine before rinsing with clear water.
Removing Tomato Sauce Stains from Leather
Dropped tomato sauce on leather? While leather is sensitive and delicate, it can still be cleaned easily. For removing tomato sauce stains from a leather sofa, bag, or shoes, try these tricks:
- Talcum powder: Sprinkle the tomato sauce stain with talc and leave it for several hours (ideally overnight). Once the talc has absorbed the stain, brush the leather with a soft-bristled brush to remove the residue.
- Sommières clay: Similar to talc, but first, warm the stain with a hairdryer (keep it at least 10 cm away to avoid damage). Sprinkle with Sommières clay, wait several hours, and vacuum up the residue.
- Makeup remover milk and ammonia: Soak a cotton pad with makeup remover milk and add a drop of ammonia. Dab the pad on the tomato sauce stain and watch the magic happen!
Removing Tomato Sauce Stains from Tupperware
Who hasn’t ended up with a reddish Tupperware after storing bolognese or another tomato-based dish? Here are two foolproof tricks to get rid of those stains.
The first method uses baking soda. Add a tablespoon of baking soda with warm water into the container. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes, then scrub the interior walls and rinse.
The second trick is to fill your Tupperware with hot water and dishwashing liquid or Marseille soap. Drop in a sheet of absorbent paper (like kitchen roll). Close the container and shake vigorously for a few minutes. Rinse and admire the result!
