First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Scrape off any excess with a spoon or dull knife, without rubbing it in.
- Flush the stain from the back with cold water.
- Blot, don't rub.
- Keep the item out of the dryer until the stain is gone.
BBQ sauce on clothes is a tomato-based stain with fat in it, so it needs a detergent step as well as a rinse. Sauce that is still wet is easier to handle than sauce that has had time to dry into the fibers, and the tomato in it is the part that can leave a mark behind. Whether the garment is washable or dry-clean only decides how far you can take it at home.
Rinse the back of the spot first so the sauce doesn't push deeper into the fabric. Then work a little detergent into the bbq stain on your white t-shirt before it goes in the wash. If the garment is dry-clean only, stop there and take it to a cleaner.
9 items
What you'll need
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- Spoon or dull knifeLifts off the excess sauce without pushing it into the fibers.
- Liquid laundry detergentPretreats the fat in the sauce before the vinegar goes on. (opens Amazon)
- Soft brushWorks the detergent in without roughing up the fabric. (opens Amazon)
- White vinegarSponged on after the detergent. Use plain white only. (opens Amazon)
- Solvent-based spot cleaner and absorbent padLifts the greasy ring that can be left behind. (opens Amazon)
- Hand dishwashing detergentFinishes the greasy ring, as the greasy-ring step describes. (opens Amazon)
- Ammonia (opens Amazon)
- Prewash stain removerPretreats the stain before the hot wash. (opens Amazon)
- Chlorine bleach (white cotton or linen only)Used diluted in the final wash, if the label allows. (opens Amazon)
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7 steps
How to get bbq sauce out of clothes
Step 1 of 7
Scrape off the excess sauce
Lift off whatever sauce you can with a spoon or dull knife. Keep the sauce on the surface and don't work it into the fibers.
Step 2 of 7
Flush the stain from the back
Turn the garment inside out and run cold water through the stain from the back. This pushes the sauce out the way it went in instead of deeper into the fabric.
Tip. Hold the fabric over a sink or towel so the water has somewhere to go.
Step 3 of 7
Pretreat with liquid laundry detergent
Work liquid laundry detergent into the stain with a soft brush, using an up-and-down motion. Then rinse the area well so no detergent is left behind.
Tip. Use a soft brush, not a stiff one, so the fabric doesn't fuzz.
Careful. Never rub a fresh stain with bar soap; soap sets many stains.
Step 4 of 7
Sponge with white vinegar and rinse
Sponge the area with white vinegar, then rinse it again. If sauce still shows, repeat the detergent and vinegar work until you've lifted as much as you can.
Careful. Use only white vinegar; colored vinegar can leave a stain.
Step 5 of 7
Treat any greasy ring that remains
If a greasy ring is left, sponge the area with a solvent-based spot cleaner on an absorbent pad, and change the pad as it picks up stain. Flush with the cleaner and let it dry. Then work in hand dishwashing detergent with a few drops of ammonia and flush thoroughly with water.
Tip. Change the pad often so the cleaner doesn't push the stain back into the fabric.
Step 6 of 7
Launder in the hottest allowed water
Pretreat with a prewash stain remover, then launder in the hottest water the care label allows. Leave chlorine bleach for the final step, once everything has been rinsed.
Step 7 of 7
Bleach whites last, then check
On white cotton or linen where the label allows it, add chlorine bleach diluted at 1/2 cup in 2 cups water, poured in 5 to 6 minutes into the wash cycle. Once the item is fully rinsed, check it in daylight before the dryer. If any stain remains, repeat the steps before drying.
Tip. Colored items skip the bleach entirely and go straight to the check.
Careful. Rinse out all vinegar and ammonia before this wash.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for bbq sauce
You don't need a product named for BBQ sauce. A liquid laundry detergent, a solvent-based spot cleaner and a prewash stain remover cover every step here, and a color-safe bleach suits colored items.
Clorox 2 Laundry Stain Remover and Color Booster Powder, 49.2 Ounces
How we picked these: each product is made for this type of stain, its maker doesn't warn against using it on this fabric, and its directions fit the steps above.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light before using any heat. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
See what to do for what you're seeing →If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →Pick what it is on
BBQ Sauce on every material
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
Check the stain while the item is still damp, since a faint shadow is easier to see then. If the stain still shows, repeat the detergent and vinegar work before the dryer.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
Whites and white shirts
White cotton and linen can take the full set of steps, including hot water and the chlorine bleach in the final step, if the label allows. This is the fabric where that last bleach step does the most work on a stubborn stain.
Use the hottest water the label allows in the wash, since white cotton and linen can take heat in the wash. Nothing else changes from the main steps for white shirts.
Colors and denim
Colored fabric and denim can't take chlorine bleach, so skip the final bleach step entirely. Use warm water rather than hot unless the label clearly allows hot water.
Test any remover on a hidden seam or inside hem first, because dye can lift from colored fabric. Oxygen bleach needs the same test, and it stays off any fabric that isn't colorfast.
Silk, wool and delicates
Silk, wool and other delicates can't take chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach or hot water. Skip any enzyme detergent too, and use a plain liquid detergent without enzymes.
If you can't tell what the fiber is, don't guess. Take the item to a dry cleaner, because a home attempt on an unknown delicate can ruin it.
Dry-clean-only items
A dry-clean-only label means the home water steps are off the table. Don't use oxygen bleach on these fabrics, and keep water-based cleaners away from them.
A solvent-based spot cleaner is the only home product worth considering, and only for a small spot. Otherwise, take the item to a professional cleaner as soon as you can.
Old, dried or set-in stains
A stain that has dried, been through the dryer or sat for days is set in, and it's much harder than a fresh one. Start by removing any excess sauce, then soak the item in cold water.
Spread liquid detergent over the stain and let it sit for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with warm water and wash the item normally. If the stain still shows, add a color-safe bleach to the cold soak, as its label directs.
If color remains after that, use the oxygen bleach soak: 30 minutes in 1 quart of warm water with 1 tablespoon of oxygen bleach, then rinse. Test colored fabric first, and expect that an old stain may leave a faint shadow even after all of this.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on bbq sauce?
Most home remedies you'll see for sauce don't belong in this job. Here's how each one fits, so you know which to use and which to skip.
Works2Skip4
Chemical safety
Never mix these
Some products in this guide react dangerously with each other. Use them one at a time and rinse with water in between.
Chlorine bleach + Vinegar
Vinegar is an acid, and acid mixed with bleach gives off toxic chlorine gas.
Ammonia + Vinegar
Poison Control warns that mixing ammonia products with other cleaners is dangerous, and the ammonia maker's safety sheet lists acids such as vinegar as incompatible.
Ammonia + Chlorine bleach
Bleach mixed with ammonia releases toxic chloramine gas.
If they mix by accident: Stop and add nothing else; leave the area for fresh air, open windows and keep children and pets away; call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222, or 911 if anyone has trouble breathing.
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't dry or iron until the stain is gone
Heat sets stains, and a stain that has been dried may become impossible to remove. Check it in daylight first, and keep the item away from the dryer and iron until it is clear.
Don't rub or dab at the sauce
Rubbing spreads the sauce and pushes it deeper into the fibers. Blot gently, or work the detergent in with a soft brush instead.
Don't use full-strength bleach
Undiluted bleach can weaken fabric so it tears or wears out sooner. Always dilute it first, as the final step describes.
Don't mix chlorine bleach with ammonia, vinegar or alcohol
This mix is never safe, so rinse thoroughly between any two removers. If you need more than one remover, rinse the item fully before you use the next.
Don't use chlorine bleach on silk, wool or spandex
These fibers are damaged by it, so check the fiber before you reach for any bleach. When in doubt, take delicate items to a dry cleaner.
Troubleshooting
If the stain is still there
Pick what you're seeing:
A faint orange tint remains after washing.
Don't dry it. Repeat the oxygen bleach soak, then launder again.
The stain spread into a wider ring.
Too much rubbing or liquid pushed it outward. Work from the back of the fabric and from the edges inward, using less liquid each round.
The garment is wool, silk or spandex.
Skip chlorine bleach entirely and follow the care label for wash temperature.
When to call a professional
Take the item to a professional cleaner if it's silk, wool or dry-clean-only, or if the stain survives two rounds of these steps. Tell them how old the stain is and whether it went through the dryer, because that changes what they'll try.
Questions
Does BBQ sauce stain clothes?
Yes. Barbecue sauce is colored and tomato-based, and it often contains fat, so it can leave a visible mark on most fabrics. A fresh stain can be removed with the steps above, especially on white cotton and linen.
What do I do about a BBQ stain on my clothes right now?
Start with the cold water flush while the stain is still fresh, then work through the steps in order. Keep the item out of the dryer until you've checked it.
Will BBQ sauce come out of clothes?
It can, if you act while it's fresh and the fabric can take the steps. Dried or set-in sauce is harder, and it needs the extra treatments in the set-in section.
How do I get dried BBQ sauce out of clothes?
Yes, but it takes the extra soaks for set stains, and some faint color may stay behind. Start with the cold soak and detergent described in the set-in section.
Can I use bleach on jeans?
Skip chlorine bleach on colored denim and use the colors approach instead. Test any remover on a hidden spot first, because dye can lift.
Do I need a special BBQ sauce stain remover?
No. A liquid laundry detergent, white vinegar and a solvent-based spot cleaner cover the steps, and oxygen bleach is only needed for set stains. Choose products by type and read the fabric label before using any of them.
How do I get BBQ sauce out of clothes fast?
Speed comes from starting right away, not from skipping steps. Get cold water on the stain as soon as you can, and don't skip the check before the dryer.
What about BBQ sauce on carpet?
Carpet needs its own approach, because the tomato in barbecue sauce can stain it permanently. Laundry detergent doesn't belong on carpet, so use the Carpet & Rugs guide for that surface.
Related
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.