Tomato sauce is a great addition to many scrumptious dishes. It’s essential to many cuisines; you’ll always need it in your kitchen. However, tomato sauce stains are one of the most dreaded.
But fear not, dear reader. I’ve found the secret to cleaning the hardest tomato sauce stains and keeping your clothes and carpets clean as a whistle.
In this article, our expert carpet cleaning technicians explain how to remove tomato sauce stains from carpets using simple ingredients found in every household.
Emergency Steps
Before you grab your detergent and start scrubbing the tomato sauce off your carpet, there are a few steps you need to take before treating your stain.
Step 1: Scrap Off Any Extras
With a flat, blunt tool, like a spoon or a butter knife, scrape all the extra, unabsorbed sauce off your carpet. Make sure to scrape from the outside of the stain towards the inside. This inward motion helps limit the stain from spreading any further.
Step 2: Remove Carpet Off of Hardwood Floors
If your carpet is resting on a hardwood floor, it’s best to move it somewhere else where you can safely clean it without ruining the hardwood floor.
Now you’re ready to start cleaning your tomato sauce stain.
Learn more: How to Get Turmeric Stain out of Carpet
Method 1: The Zesty Method
This method will clean up a tomato sauce stain with just a lemon slice and some water. Easy, right?
Step 1: Blot the Stain
After scraping all the extra sauce off the carpet, grab a clean cloth or paper towel and blot the stain to absorb as much sauce as possible. Work your way from the outer corners towards the inside of the stain, applying pressure as you go.
Step 2: Rub It with Lemons
After removing all the extra sauce that hasn’t lingered into your carpet’s fibres, you must break up the remaining sauce. Get a slice or half a lemon and gently rub it into the stain for an easier grip.
Remember to avoid spreading the stain to the clean parts of your carpet. So always rub your lemon towards the centre of the satin.
Learn more: How to Remove Blood Stains from Carpet
Step 3: Wash It Off
By now, you should see some progress with the stain. Soak a clean towel and dab it all over the stain to wash off the lemon and tomato sauce residue,
Keep dabbing the clean parts of your towel until the stain is 100% gone.
Step 4: Blot and Let Dry
Blot all the extra liquid with a clean cloth or paper towel until your carpet is nearly dry. Let it air dry until it’s no longer damp, and that’s it!
Learn more: How to Remove Ink Stains from Carpet
Method 2: The Fizzy Method
This method includes popping a bottle of club soda and allowing it to work its magic on your tomato stain.
Step 1: Pour Club Soda on the Stain
Pop a bottle of club soda and pour a generous amount over your tomato sauce stain. You’ll notice that it starts to fizz up slightly, which is a good sign.
Step 2: Blot with a Damp Sponge
Dampen your sponge and start blotting the entire stain with inward motion. Absorb as much liquid and tomato sauce as possible with the sponge.
You may need to dampen it a few more times if you’re trying to cover a large area.
Step 3: Create a Dish Soap Solution
Once you’ve lifted most of the stain, mix two cups of cold water with one tablespoon of dish soap or any mild detergent. Stir well until the soap creates suds, and soak a clean towel or sponge in your solution.
Step 4: Blot with Soap Solution
Blot the stain with the soapy towel by pressing firmly over the stain. Fight every urge to rub and scrub the stain, or you’ll spread the red tinge all over your carpet.
Step 5: Rinse and Dry
When you’re done, rinse the carpet with cold water and pat it dry with a clean towel. Blot as much moisture as you can, and let the air finish off the drying.
Method 3: The Hardcore Method
If the other two methods fail to lift the tomato sauce stain off your carpet, then it’s time to bring out the hydrogen peroxide bottle.
Step 1: Dilute Hydrogen Peroxide
Dilute one tablespoon of household hydrogen peroxide with three tablespoons of cold water and mix them well.
Step 2: Test the Solution
Before you apply the solution directly on the stain, apply a few drops to a small part of your carpet that isn’t visible to test its reaction with the fibres. Assuming you diluted the solution correctly, your test shouldn’t damage your carpet.
Step 3: Pour the Solution on the Stain
Go ahead and pour it over the tomato sauce stain. You need to cover the entire area, so if you need more solution, mix a new batch with the same ratios as in Step 1.
Step 4: Cover with a White Towel
Cover the stain with a clean, white towel for 30 minutes and watch the stain transfer from the carpet to the towel. If you’re worried about your carpet changing colour or picking up a red tinge, you could check on the spot every five minutes.
That way, you’ll be able to monitor the treatment closely and have enough time to save your carpet if it picks up another colour.
Step 5: Rinse and Dry
After 30 minutes, remove the towel and rinse the carpet. Dab it with a dry cloth or towel to remove as much water as possible to dry it up.
Wrapping Up
Many people consider tomato sauce stains dreadful. But the secret is to treat the stain as early as possible. The fresher the stain, the easier it is to clean it up.
So, the next time you splatter tomato sauce on your carpet, you will know how to handle the situation immediately.
