Did you have friends for dinner and someone spilled the plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce on the table, soiling the clothes and the tablecloth? What can you do now to get rid of the stains? Most sauces and similar preparations are based on tomato and oil; both are quite difficult substances to eliminate. If you have stained any clothes or tablecloth with greasy tomato, read this article to learn how to remove fresh stains as well as older ones.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Clean the Acrylic, Nylon, Polyester and Elastane Fabric
Step 1. Remove the sauce from the fabric
Try to remove the substance from the surface of the fabric as soon as possible without applying excessive pressure. You can use kitchen paper or a rag to quickly remove the tomato sauce.
Step 2. Clean the stain with a sponge and cold water
Work with the sponge moving from the center of the area to be treated.
Step 3. Apply lemon juice
You can either use lemon juice or take a slice and rub it on the stain.
If the fabric is white, you can also use white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide instead of lemon and apply it directly to the stain
Step 4. Use a stain remover
Get one in stick, spray or gel and apply it to the stain. Let it sit for 15 minutes.
Step 5. Rinse the soiled area and see if the stain is left
Run running water from the back of the fabric and look at the fabric in the light to check for any marks left.
Step 6. If the stain is not gone, soak the fabric
Leave it immersed at least half an hour in a solution as follows:
- 1 liter of hot water;
- Half a teaspoon of dishwasher detergent;
- 1 tablespoon of white vinegar.
Step 7. Rinse the fabric with water and let it dry in the sun
Face the scrub area directly towards the sun. The light is able to remove what remains of the dirt.
Step 8. Wash the fabric
Follow the manufacturer's instructions and wash the garment normally.
Method 2 of 3: Clean Fresh Stains
Step 1. Scrape the sauce off the dress or fabric
You should remove it from the surface of the garment as soon as possible, but don't press too deeply. You can use kitchen paper or a rag to wipe off the excess sauce.
Step 2. Put the stained area under cold running water
Slide it over the back of the fabric to loosen any food residue outward. Avoid water falling directly onto the stain, as this would allow the substance to enter even deeper into the fibers.
Step 3. Rub some dish soap on the stain
Since tomato sauce contains oil, a detergent of this type can eliminate it. Rub in enough soap to completely cover the stain and make circular motions from the inside out.
- If the fabric is to be dry cleaned only, do not follow this step. Take it to the nearest dry cleaner and show the stain to the clerk so that he can remove it.
- Test it first by applying dish soap to a small, hidden area of the fabric to make sure it doesn't cause any damage. If the fabric gets damaged, use regular laundry detergent instead of dish soap.
Step 4. Rinse the soap thoroughly with water
Again, rinse from the back of the fabric, so that the dirt comes off and away from the fibers.
Step 5. Blot (do not rub) the stain gently with a sponge
Use a sponge or absorbent material such as kitchen paper and pat it on the area to be treated using cold water to lift the substance. If the fabric is white, you can apply a little mild bleach, white vinegar, or hydrogen peroxide to help whiten the fibers better.
Step 6. Wash the fabric as usual and check if the stain is still there
Hold the dirty area up to the light to see if there are any streaks. If so, use a stain remover stick, gel, or spray. When the garment is still wet, apply this product and let it sit for at least 5 minutes, then wash the fabric again.
Step 7. Dry the stain in the sun
Place the garment in the sun with the stain area facing up and wait for it to dry completely. The UV rays should eliminate the residual particles of the stain.
Method 3 of 3: Clean a Tomato Stain that has penetrated the fibers
Step 1. Wash the soiled area with water
This method allows you to remove old tomato stains that have set in the fibers of the fabric. It is not necessary to wash the whole garment, it is sufficient that the stained part is wet.
Step 2. Scrub the stain with dishwasher detergent (no bleaching agents)
Test the cleaning product on a hidden corner of the fabric first to make sure the color doesn't change. Then, gently scrub the stained and completely wet area with the cleanser.
Step 3. Scrub the fabric with dish soap and an ice cube
Continue this way and insist until the stain appears to have disappeared.
Step 4. Blot the soiled area with a sponge and vinegar
If the stain has not disappeared, use a sponge soaked in vinegar and dab the affected area to see if the dirt picks up from the fibers. The acidity of the liquid should eliminate the last remaining tomato residues.
Step 5. Wash the garment and dry it in the sun
Follow the directions on the label and wash the fabric as normal. Finally dry it directly in the sun with the stain area facing up. The UV rays allow to degrade all the residues of the stain.
Advice
- If possible, you should start cleaning the stain as soon as it forms. If you can't get rid of it right away, you can still try it, but you'll get better results if you take action as soon as possible.
- You can also try the white towel method on a new stain after wetting it with water. Use a clean cloth, blot the stain and check how much dirt you can remove this way. Keep blotting and moving the towel until you can no longer get rid of the other substance.
- Follow the washing instructions for the garment. If it needs to be dry cleaned only, take it to a professional, letting them know where the stain is and what caused it.
