First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Scrape off the excess sauce with a spoon or dull knife.
- Flush the back of the stain with cold water.
- Keep the item out of the dryer, away from the iron and hot air.
- Blot rather than rub, and work from the edge toward the center.
Tomato sauce on clothes is red plant pigment carried by oil, so the oily part has to loosen before the red color will lift. A fresh splash has a good chance of coming out in one or two rounds. Once the spot has dried or been through the dryer, it takes more patience, and some of the color may stay behind.
Rinse the spot from the back so you push the sauce out instead of deeper into the fabric. A spaghetti or pizza splash on a white shirt is worth treating with a prewash stain remover before it goes in the wash. If a red shadow is still there after one wash, pretreat it again and hold off on washing until it's gone.
6 items
What you'll need
Tap an item to get it on Amazon, or tick what you already have.
- Heavy-duty liquid laundry detergentBreaks up the oily part of the sauce for the rub and the wash. (opens Amazon)
- Stain remover stick, gel or sprayGives the spot a treatment before the wash. (opens Amazon)
- 3% hydrogen peroxideA mild bleaching agent for white or colorfast fabric. (opens Amazon)
- Plain white vinegarThe other mild bleaching agent. Colored vinegar can leave its own stain. (opens Amazon)
- Spoon or dull knifeLifts off the excess without pushing it deeper.
- Clean white cloth or spongeFor blotting and for applying the bleaching agent. (opens Amazon)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
6 steps
How to get tomato sauce out of clothes
Step 1 of 6
Scrape off the excess sauce
Lift off as much sauce as you can with a spoon or dull knife, working from the edge toward the center. Keep the tool flat against the fabric so you don't push the sauce deeper.
Tip. Do this before any water touches the stain.
Step 2 of 6
Flush the back with cold water
Hold the stain face down under cold running water, or pour cold water through the back of the fabric. Keep the water moving through until the stain looks lighter, and don't let it dry in between.
Careful. Don't run water through the front of the stain. It forces the sauce deeper.
Step 3 of 6
Work in liquid detergent
Put a small amount of heavy-duty liquid detergent on the stain and rub it in gently in a circle, working from the outside edge toward the center. The detergent breaks up the oily part of the sauce, which is the part that holds the red.
Tip. Use your fingertips, not your nails, and work slowly.
Step 4 of 6
Sponge on a mild bleaching agent
If the garment is white, or a hidden seam has passed a colorfast test, sponge on 3% hydrogen peroxide or plain white vinegar. Use only one of them, rinse well, then repeat the detergent and bleaching agent until no stain shows, holding the item up to the light to check. On colored fabric that hasn't passed the test, skip this step.
Tip. Dab a little on a hidden seam first and check the color once it dries.
Careful. Never mix hydrogen peroxide, white vinegar or chlorine bleach with each other. Use one, rinse well, then the next.
Step 5 of 65 minutes
Pretreat with a stain remover
Apply a stain remover stick, gel or spray to the spot and let it sit for at least 5 minutes. Stain removers need that wait to work, so don't rinse the spot early.
Step 6 of 6
Wash, then check before drying
Wash the item normally in heavy-duty liquid detergent. Before it goes anywhere near the dryer, check the spot in good light, and if any color remains, go back to the detergent and sponge again.
Careful. Don't dry the item until the stain is gone. Dried stains will often be permanent.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for tomato sauce
A stain remover stick, gel or spray works well here, as long as it gets at least 5 minutes on the spot. Pick a heavy-duty liquid detergent for both the rub and the wash.
Puracy Laundry Stain Remover
Seventh Generation Laundry Stain Remover - Free & Clear
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
Tomato Sauce on every material
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
You're making progress when the red looks lighter after each round of detergent and bleaching agent. If it stops lightening, move on to the stain remover and the wash rather than scrubbing harder.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your fabric
Whites and white shirts
White washable fabric can take every step above, including the sponge with 3% hydrogen peroxide or white vinegar. Work slowly and check the stain in good light between rounds, since white fabric shows what's left.
Only move to a hot wash once the stain is gone, because heat sets whatever is left. Use the hottest water the care label allows for that final wash.
Colored clothing
On colored clothing, test a hidden seam before you use any bleaching agent, because the dye has to pass the colorfast check first. If it fails, skip the sponge step and go from the detergent straight to the stain remover.
Keep the water cold until the stain is gone, since hot water needs more caution on colored items. The oxygen bleach soak is for colorfast fabric only, so stop there if you're unsure about the dye.
Silk, wool and delicates
Silk and wool are protein fibers, so skip chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach and enzyme detergent on them. Don't rub or brush the stain, since rubbing damages silk and agitation makes wool felt and shrink.
Blot gently with cold water from the back, using a clean cloth, and let a stain remover sit for at least 5 minutes before any wash. If the stain is still there after that, take the piece to a dry cleaner rather than trying harder at home.
Dry-clean-only items
Take the item to a dry cleaner as soon as you can, and tell them it's a tomato sauce stain with oil in it. Keep oxygen-based stain removers and home soaks off dry-clean-only fabric, since they can damage it.
Scrape off the excess using a spoon or dull knife, and keep the item out of the dryer until it has been cleaned.
Old, dried or set-in stains
An old tomato stain, one that has sat for hours or already been through a wash, is harder to lift than a fresh one. Start by rubbing detergent into it, then soak the item in warm water for 30 minutes, rinse well, and apply a stain remover before laundering again.
If the stain has dried, it's often permanent, but it can still be worth trying. For oily sauces like spaghetti or barbecue, lift the oil first with a solvent spot remover kept on with a pad and let it dry, then soak in 1 tablespoon of oxygen bleach powder per quart of warm water for 30 minutes before washing.
After the dryer, the stain is usually set and needs the full soak to make any difference. If a red mark still shows after one full cycle, repeat the detergent and soak once more rather than drying it again. If a red dye mark won't lift within 15 minutes of bleaching, more bleaching won't help, so stop and take it to a dry cleaner.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on tomato sauce?
Plenty of home remedies are suggested for tomato sauce, but most of them are meant for other stains. Some remedies suit tomato sauce, some only help in a set-in soak, and others belong back in the cupboard.
Works2Helps1Skip3
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.
Chlorine bleach + Oxygen bleach (OxiClean)
Both makers advise against combining them: OxiClean says not to mix it with chlorine bleach, and Clorox says the two bleaches cancel each other out.
Chlorine bleach + Hydrogen peroxide (3%)
Washington State's health department says bleach reacts with hydrogen peroxide, and Clorox says not to mix bleach with other household chemicals.
Oxygen bleach (OxiClean) + Vinegar
OxiClean's maker says it should not be mixed with household chemicals other than detergent in the wash.
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 use bar soap on a fresh stain
Bar soap and soap flakes set many stains, so a fresh tomato spot can end up harder to lift. Reach for the liquid detergent from the steps instead.
Don't use the strong peroxide sold for hair
That stronger solution is a different product from the 3% antiseptic. Stick with the 3% strength for this stain.
Don't spot-bleach the stain
Skip chlorine bleach on the spot. If you ever use it on white cotton, treat the whole garment and keep it under 15 minutes. If you ever use it on white cotton, treat the whole garment rather than the spot, and keep it under 15 minutes.
Troubleshooting
If the stain is still there
Pick what you're seeing:
The stain is faintly visible after washing
Treat it as a set-in stain: rub detergent into the mark, soak in warm water for 30 minutes, rinse well, apply stain remover again and launder. Check with the fabric held up to the light before drying.
The garment is colored and you are unsure about a bleaching agent
Test a hidden spot for colorfastness first. If the color moves at all, skip the mild bleaching agent and repeat the detergent and stain remover steps instead.
The sauce was very oily, like pizza or a slow-cooked meat sauce
Remove the oily part first with a dry-cleaning-type spot remover, used per its label, held on the stain with a pad, and let it dry. Then run the cold-water flush and the detergent rounds. Finish with the 30-minute sodium perborate soak if a mark remains.
The garment already went through the dryer and the mark is still there
Dried stains will often be permanent, so be honest with yourself about the odds. Run the full set-in sequence once, including the 30-minute warm soak, before you decide. Don't repeat harsh bleaching rounds hoping for a different result.
When to call a professional
If the item is dry-clean-only, or silk or wool that won't respond to the steps, a dry cleaner is the safer route. Tell them it's tomato sauce with oil so they treat the oily part first, and bring it in before it goes through the dryer.
Questions
Does tomato sauce stain clothes, and will it come out?
Yes, tomato sauce stains because its red pigment is held in oil that sticks to fabric. A fresh stain can come out with cold water, detergent and a stain remover, as long as it stays out of the dryer until it's gone. Old or dried stains are much harder.
How do you get tomato sauce out of a white shirt?
Scrape off the excess, flush the back with cold water, and work in liquid detergent. Then sponge with 3% hydrogen peroxide or plain white vinegar, one at a time, and repeat until no stain shows in good light.
Can you use vinegar or peroxide on colored clothes?
Only after a hidden seam passes a colorfast test, and only with the 3% hydrogen peroxide or plain white vinegar. If the test fails, skip the bleaching step and go straight to the stain remover.
How do you get old tomato sauce stains out of clothes?
Start with a detergent rub, then soak in warm water for 30 minutes, rinse, and apply a stain remover before laundering. Don't dry it until the stain is gone, since heat makes an old stain harder to lift.
How do you get spaghetti sauce out of clothes?
Spaghetti sauce has more oil, so the oil needs lifting first. Use a solvent spot remover kept on with a pad, let it dry, then use the 30-minute oxygen bleach soak before washing.
How do you get pizza or marinara stains out of clothes?
Pizza and marinara are tomato sauce, so the same steps apply. If the sauce is oily, lift the oil first with a solvent spot remover, the way you would for spaghetti, before you flush with cold water.
How long should you leave a stain remover on tomato sauce?
Let a stain remover stick, gel or spray sit for at least 5 minutes before washing. Then wash normally in heavy-duty liquid detergent and check the spot before anything goes in the dryer.
What if tomato sauce gets on silk or wool?
Blot with cold water from the back, and don't rub or brush the fabric. Skip chlorine bleach, oxygen bleach and enzyme detergent on these fibers, and take the piece to a dry cleaner if the stain remains.
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.