How to Remove Tomato Sauce Stains from Clothes

If you got tomato sauce on your favorite shirt, don't fret! You'll be able to wear it again soon. Simply follow the advice we share in this article to remove tomato sauce stains from any garment.
How to Remove Tomato Sauce Stains from Clothes

Last update: 15 December, 2022

Did you get ketchup on your favorite shirt? Did you spill some spaghetti sauce on your dress pants? It doesn’t matter what kind of tomato sauce you’re dealing with: tomato sauce stains often seem impossible to remove.

However, there are tricks to effectively remove tomato sauce stains from clothing. Take note of the ones we share in this article to restore your garments.

How to Remove Tomato Sauce Stains from Clothing

Although some stains are easy to remove, others aren’t and ruin clothes. Undoubtedly, tomato sauce stains belong to the hard-to-remove category.

If you’re tired of having to throw away your garments after getting a small drop of tomato sauce on them, take note of the following tips:

Act as Soon as Possible

Tricks to remove tomato sauce stains.

If you act fast, you prevent the tomato sauce from soaking into the fabric.

Before you even worry about tricks to get the stain out, act immediately once you get tomato sauce on your garment. After all, the stain will be much more difficult to remove if it dries.

Here’s what you have to do:

  • Simply remove the tomato sauce remains.
  • Then, take the garment, turn it inside out, and apply high-pressure cold water.
  • Finally, wash it by hand with dish soap or detergent.

However, we know this option isn’t always possible. (Imagine that you’re in a restaurant and are unable to wash your garment). If you can’t apply this trick or it didn’t yield the expected results in a particular garment, try the following tricks.

Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide to Remove Tomato Sauce Stains

You can remove tomato sauce stains by mixing these two ingredients.

To do this:

  • First, make a paste by mixing baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.
  • Then, simply spread it on the stain and leave it on for about 10 minutes.
  • Finally, rinse and put the garment in the washer.

Hydrogen Peroxide for Cotton Garments

A person pouring hydrogen peroxide on a gauze.

Hydrogen peroxide is a great remedy for cotton garments.

Tomato penetrates cotton easily, which is why many people throw away tomato-stained garments. To “save” these garments, take note of the following advice:

  • After removing the stain with cold water, you can apply salt on the stain and rub it gently and carefully.
  • Then, rub a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide over the stain.
  • For best results, after applying the hydrogen peroxide, soak the stain in saline solution and let dry.
  • Finally, put the garment in the washing machine and wash it.

Lemon for Woolen Garments

Did a tomato sauce stain ruin your favorite sweater? If your garment is made of wool, you can use lemon juice to remove tomato sauce stains.

To do this:

  • First, apply salt and gently rub the stain.
  • Later, soak a cotton ball in lemon juice and rub the stain very gently.
  • Finally, rinse the garment in cold water.

White Vinegar for Synthetic Fabrics to Remove Tomato Sauce Stains

A glass bottle of white vinegar.

One of the classics in household cleaning is white vinegar, which can remove stains. You can use it to save your synthetic clothes with a simple procedure:

  • First, dilute a few drops of white vinegar in a glass of water.
  • After, simply apply and rub the mixture gently on the garment.
  • Finally, rinse with cold water and, subsequently, put the garment in the washing machine and wash it according to the instructions on the label.

What Not to Do if You Get Tomato Sauce on a Garment

As there are tips on what you should do, there are also recommendations on what not to do if tomato sauce stains threaten to destroy your garment.

Here are a few:

  • Right when you get tomato sauce on a garment, never remove it by rubbing. It’s best to make sure the stain doesn’t spread by collecting the remains with a spoon. If you rub the sauce, it’ll just penetrate the fabric even more, making it harder to remove the stain later.
  • Don’t put the garment in the dryer if you didn’t remove the stain completely, as it’ll just make it soak into the fabric more, making it harder to remove.

As you can see, your garments can recover from tomato sauce stains. You just need to act as soon as possible and follow the tricks we shared in this article. This way, your clothes will look great, even after stubborn tomato sauce stains.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.



This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.