First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Scrape off as much sauce as you can with a spoon or knife, without rubbing it in.
- Don't dab at it, since that can spread the stain.
- Run cold water through the back of the stain as soon as you can.
- Keep heat away: no dryer, iron or hot air until the stain is gone.
Tomato sauce on sheets is a red pigment riding on oil, so a plain rinse won't clear it and the dryer will lock in whatever is left. A fresh spill comes out completely, but once it has dried into the weave it may only lighten over a few rounds. Read the label before you start, because cotton, silk or a blend each allows a different strength of bleach.
Pretreat the stain with a prewash stain remover and let it sit before the wash. On a white tablecloth or cotton sheet, oxygen bleach powder is the stronger option to reach for next. Silk and some blends need a gentler hand, so test a hidden seam before you use anything stronger.
Before you start
What sheets, towels & table linens can take
Safe to use3
- Water
- Soaking
- Enzyme cleaners
Use with care6
- Hot water
- Chlorine bleach
- Oxygen bleach
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Acids (vinegar, lemon)
- Scrubbing and abrasives
Avoid1
- Heat, once the stain is out
6 items
What you'll need
Tap an item to get it on Amazon, or tick what you already have.
- Commercial cleaner with petroleum distillates or hydrocarbonLifts the greasy part of the sauce first.
- Absorbent pad or clean white clothHolds the cleaner against the stain and soaks up what it lifts. (opens Amazon)
- Liquid hand dishwashing detergentThe second cleaner, used with ammonia. (opens Amazon)
- Household ammoniaWorks with the detergent and must be flushed out before the bleach soak. (opens Amazon)
- Oxygen bleach powder (for example, all-fabric oxygen bleach)For the soak, at 1 tablespoon per quart of warm water. (opens Amazon)
- Heavy-duty laundry detergent and fabric-safe bleachFor the final wash. (opens Amazon)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
6 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 6
Work the solvent into the stain
Sponge the stain with a commercial cleaner containing petroleum distillates or hydrocarbon. Cover it with an absorbent pad dampened with the same cleaner, working from the wrong side of the sheet. Blot from the outside edge toward the center.
Careful. Test on a hidden seam first, and work in a well-ventilated room away from flame and sparks.
Step 2 of 6
Keep the pad damp and change it
Keep the pad damp with the cleaner and let it stand while the stain is coming out. Swap in a clean pad whenever the old one has picked up stain. When the stain stops coming out, flush the area with the cleaner, let it dry, and sponge it with water.
Step 3 of 6
Add dish soap and ammonia
Apply a few drops of liquid hand dishwashing detergent and a few drops of ammonia to the spot. Cover it and let it stand, changing the pad as the stain transfers and dampening the new pad with the same detergent and ammonia.
Step 4 of 6
Flush out all the ammonia
Flush the spot with plain water until every trace of ammonia is gone. Rinse thoroughly before the bleach soak, so no ammonia is left in the sheet.
Step 5 of 615 minutes
Soak in oxygen bleach solution
Dissolve 1 tablespoon oxygen bleach powder in 1 quart warm water. Soak the whole sheet in the solution for 15 minutes.
Careful. If a dye stain is not out after 15 minutes, bleaching will not remove it.
Step 6 of 6
Rinse, then launder with fabric-safe bleach
Rinse the sheet thoroughly with water. Launder it with heavy-duty detergent and a bleach safe for fabric, at the hottest temperature the care label recommends, then air dry it and check the spot.
If you'd rather buy than mix
Best products for tomato sauce on sheets, towels & table linens
Choose a solvent-type cleaner that lists petroleum distillates or hydrocarbon on the label. Pick an oxygen bleach and a laundry bleach that are both labeled safe for fabric.
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 sheets, towels & table linens, 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.
If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
The red should fade into the oxygen soak, and the oily sheen should be gone before that soak starts. Once the sheet is washed and still damp, hold it up to a window: a faint pinkish shadow means one more round usually finishes the job.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your sheets, towels & table linens
White cotton sheets
White cotton can take the full treatment, washed at the hottest temperature the care label recommends. If you want extra lift, chlorine bleach is an option only if the care label allows it and a bleachability test passes on a hidden spot.
Use chlorine as the very last step, once the sheet has been rinsed out of everything else. Skip it on colored or printed sheets.
Colored or printed sheets
Colored and printed sheets need a colorfast test before any cleaner goes on, and that includes the oxygen bleach soak. Test a hidden seam or the inside of a hem, and if the color changes, don't use the bleach.
Chlorine bleach stays off the list on these sheets. The 15-minute limit on the soak still applies.
Fitted sheets with elastic
If the elastic is spandex, chlorine bleach is off the table, since it isn't safe on spandex. Skip that step entirely and keep to the solvent, detergent and oxygen bleach steps.
Lay the sheet flat with the stain facing up, and work from the wrong side so you don't push sauce into the elastic. Pretest the cleaner on a hidden seam first.
Silk sheets
Silk can't take chlorine or oxygen bleach, and dish soap is unsafe on silk and other delicate fabrics. Stop after the solvent step, and pretest the cleaner on a hidden seam before you start.
If the stain is still there, take the sheet to a dry cleaner promptly and tell them the fiber content and the stain. Don't keep trying with stronger products at home.
Polyester or blend sheets
Polyester and blends don't have one clear rule, so read the care label before you start. Follow only the steps the label allows.
If the label says nothing about bleach, skip the oxygen bleach soak and stick with the solvent and detergent steps. Pretest on a hidden seam first.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Fresh stains come out far more easily than old ones, so a set-in stain needs a longer, slower pass. Start with the solvent step again, keep a pad on the spot, and let the sheet dry before you go on.
If the spot has dried, work liquid detergent into it, then soak the sheet in warm water for 30 minutes and rinse it well. Dried stains often become permanent, so don't wait on a spot that has already dried.
If the stain went through the dryer, the heat has probably set it, and a faint mark may stay. If it's still there after the soak, repeat the solvent step, then the detergent and ammonia step, rinsing between them. Stop bleaching at 15 minutes, because a dye stain that is still there by then won't come out with bleach.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on tomato sauce on sheets, towels & table linens?
Most home remedies for tomato sauce don't belong on sheets, and a few are risky on fabric. Start with a petroleum-distillate cleaner on the oily part, then an oxygen bleach soak, and skip the riskier options.
Works1Helps1Skip4
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 + 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.
Ammonia + Chlorine bleach
Bleach mixed with ammonia releases toxic chloramine gas.
Ammonia + Oxygen bleach (OxiClean)
Poison Control warns against mixing ammonia products with other cleaners, and OxiClean's maker says not to mix it with household chemicals.
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 start with the color step
Tomato sauce is a greasy stain with color in it, so the oily part has to come out first. Start with the solvent step, and move on to the color only after the oil is gone.
Don't run water through the front
Running water through the front of the stain pushes the sauce deeper into the fabric. Always rinse from the back so the sauce is pushed out, not in.
Don't leave the solvent on too long
Liquid pretreatments should come off after the recommended time, and gels on bright sheets shouldn't stay on more than a few minutes. Longer contact can change the color of unstable dyes.
Don't let the pad dry out
The solvent and the ammonia mix only lift the stain while the pad stays damp, so a dry pad can leave the sauce's oil sitting in the fibers. Keep it moistened and swap it out as soon as it turns red.
Don't rub bar soap into it
Bar soap is a natural soap, and on a fresh red mark it can set the stain instead of lifting it. Use the liquid dish soap from the method and keep the bar away from the sheet until the stain is out.
Don't use vinegar without a test
Vinegar can weaken cotton and rayon and may change the color of acetate. Try a small hidden spot first, and rinse it out completely before you move on to any other product.
When to call a professional
If the sheet is dry-clean only or silk, take it to a dry cleaner quickly and name the fiber along with the sauce. A washable sheet with a large, dried-in patch is also worth a cleaner's time, since they can handle a bulky sheet without stressing it.
Questions
How soon do I need to act?
Right away. Fresh stains come out far more easily than old ones, and a dried tomato stain often becomes permanent. Blot up what you can and start the first steps before it sets.
Is ammonia safe to use on sheets?
Yes, in just a few drops, as long as you flush it out completely before moving on. Keep the room well ventilated while you work, because caustic cleaners need it.
What if I can't find the care label?
Don't guess about bleach or heat. Pretest each cleaner on a hidden seam, and if you still don't know the fiber, a dry cleaner is the safer choice.
Can I take the sheet to a dry cleaner instead?
Yes, and it's the better choice for dry-clean-only sheets, silk, or a large stain on bulky bedding. Tell the cleaner the fiber content and that the stain is tomato sauce.
Should I wash tomato sauce sheets in hot water?
Not until the red is fully out, because hot water can set stains of unknown origin and lock in any pigment that's left. Once the sheet is clean, use the hottest wash the care label allows, since cotton handles heat well.
Can I use bleach on colored tomato sauce sheets?
Only if the sheets are colorfast and the care label allows bleach, and chlorine bleach is the one to skip on dyed or printed fabric. Oxygen bleach is usually kinder to dyes, but a small test on a hidden corner comes first, since any color shift means you should stop.
Can a tomato sauce sheet soak overnight?
An enzyme presoak can sit overnight, but the oxygen bleach soak for this sauce only needs about 30 minutes in warm water. Use one tablespoon of the oxygen bleach powder per quart of warm water, and don't let a liquid or spray pretreatment sit longer than its label says.
Tomato Sauce on other materials
Other stains on sheets, towels & table linens
Start from the bigger picture
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.