It’s inevitable. You’ve worn your favorite shirt or pair of pants to dinner, and somehow you manage to spill tomato sauce on yourself. But don’t despair or send your garment to the trash. Instead, get rid of tomato sauce stains with these all-natural home remedies. Using items from your pantry, you can remove tomato sauce stains and get your garments looking as good as new.
Dishwashing Liquid
Because tomato sauce stains are usually a bit greasy as well, a grease-fighting dishwashing liquid works well as a tomato sauce stain remover. Test a hidden part of the fabric first, to make sure the color doesn’t bleed or fade. Scrub the dishwashing liquid into the fabric with an ice cube and work it in to remove tomato sauce stains. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes and then wash like you normally would. If the tomato sauce stain isn’t completely removed, repeat the process. Don’t put the stain in the dryer because it will set.
Salt & Baking Soda
Make a paste with salt and baking soda and a little water to get rid of tomato sauce stains. Form a paste, apply it to the stain and work it into the fabric with your fingers or a small scrub brush. The salt will agitate the stain, helping to lift it from the fibers (kosher salt works well), and the baking soda will help remove the oily components of the stain. After you have removed most of the stain, wash as usual.
Sunlight
This is an old home remedy that many swear by. Lay your stained clothing or fabric on a dry, flat surface in full sunlight for a few hours each day. The sun will get rid of tomato stains by bleaching them out of the fabric. When the stain is gone, wash as usual.
Talcum Powder
Remove as much of the excess tomato sauce as you can with a spoon or butter knife first, being careful not to grind it further into the fabric. Dust a layer of talcum powder all over the surface of the stain and let it sit until the powder absorbs the oil, about one hour. If the stain still seems pretty deep, repeat the process until the greasy part of the stain is removed. Next, wash the fabric as usual to finish cleaning the stain.
Mild Bleaching Agent
If your tomato sauce stained fabric is white or colorfast, try an all-natural, mild bleaching agent such as hydrogen peroxide, white vinegar or even lemon juice as a tomato sauce stain remover. First, remove any excess tomato sauce, gently lifting it off of the fabric. Next, rinse the back of the stain with cold water to lift it away from the fibers. Next, blot the stain with the bleaching agent using a sponge until the stain is mostly lifter out, then wash as usual.
Sources:
thriftyfun.com
housekeeping.about.com
