How To Get Tomato Sauce Stain Out Of Carpet

Tomato sauce is a staple food product for any household.

Be it pasta, braised short ribs, baked eggs, pizza, French fries or meatballs, it goes with everything.

And so, it is one of the most favourite seasonings until someone spills it all over the carpet and leaves large orange stains.

And naturally, you just can’t stuff your carpet in the washing machine.

For obvious reasons, these stains are quite dreaded because they are notorious to leave behind a mark, but in most cases, this is beyond reason.

As a thumb rule, stains such as these should be treated as soon as possible.

The longer you let the stain linger, the tougher it will get to remove them.

So it is better to start the process while the stain is fresh. You will be pleased to know that for tomato sauce stains, there are a number of ways to remove them.

Getting On With It (Method #1)

You Will Need

• Paper towels
• White terry towels
• Spoon
• Teaspoon
• Vacuum cleaner
• Dull knife or old credit card
• Flat plate or cup

Method

1. First and foremost, remove the excess tomato sauce from the carpet using the dull knife or the old credit card. Keep the flat plate or cup handy so that you can put this excess sauce in. I am telling you this because the scooped sauce may spill on a new area on the carpet and you will have to put in extra effort to clean that as well.
2. At this stage, you can either use a vacuum cleaner or a spoon to take off more sauce.
3. Use the paper towels or napkins to soak up the extra sauce that cannot be scooped up. Press down gently on the affected area and not too hard so as to not smudge the stain on the carpet and increase it.
4. Now mix a spoonful of liquid detergent or dishwashing soap in a cup of warm water and mix well.
5. Apply a small amount of this mixture on the stain until it is completely soaked in it. Use the white terry towel to gently remove it. This process may take a little longer, so be patient and don’t start rubbing the surface any harder, because you may spread it further.
6. Once you see the stain getting weaker, repeat step #5 a few times before it is completely removed.
7. Use the white terry towels to soak the excess water and detergent completely. Use more than one towel if necessary. I suggest using white towels because that way you can easily tell how much of the stain you have removed. If you use any other cloth, there is a danger of the cloth leaving stains of its own.
8. Rinse the affected area with cold water and use another terry towel to blot away all the moisture. You will need to repeat this process until all the excess wetness is completely soaked in the towels. Leave the carpet to air dry.

If you notice your stain turning reddish brown, mix a teaspoon of white vinegar into a cup of water and apply this to the stain. Blot away using terry towels and you will see the stain disappearing.

Getting On With It (Method #2)

You Will Need

• Carbonated water
• Terry towels
• Liquid dish soap
• Cold water
• Paper towels

Method

1. Remove any excess tomato sauce from the carpet.
2. Pour the carbonated water directly onto the sauce stain and let it sit for about 2 minutes. Do not go overboard with this, otherwise, it may create a puddle on the floor. I recommend carbonated water because it contains no sugar, and hence, will not attract ants or other insects after it dries up, or will get sticky.
3. Blot the excess carbonated water using the terry cloth. Use the paper towels afterwards to soak up any residual moisture.
4. Mix about 3-4 teaspoons of liquid soap into a cup of cold water and dab this mixture on the stain using a cloth.
5. You may have to repeat this step depending on the size of the stain, but soon enough, you will see the stain being lifted up.
6. Use a damp white cloth to remove the soap and moisture off the carpet and let it air dry.

Getting On With It (Method #3)

You Will Need

• Half a lemon
• White cloth
• Cold water
• Paper towels.

Method

1. It goes without saying that you will need to remove any of the excess tomato sauce from the carpet before starting on this technique.
2. This is one of the easiest methods to remove sauce stains. Take the half-lemon and start rubbing it directly on the stain. Move from the outer edges to the centre, so as to contain the stain and not make it spread any further. Leave it for a few minutes.
3. Pour a little water on the stain, just enough to cover it.
4. All you have to do now is to blot up all the excess water and gently lift the stain with it. Repeat this step a few times. Once all the water is soaked up, leave the carpet to air dry.
5. The stain would have gone by the time the carpet dries.

Getting On With It (Method #4)

You Will Need

• Hydrogen peroxide
• Cold water
• White towels
• Paper towels

Method

Before starting, you will want to use a few drops of hydrogen peroxide on a small area of the carpet to see if it is not changing the colour of the carpet.

Once you are sure it is not, proceed with these steps.

1. Mix some hydrogen peroxide in a cup of water with the ratio of 1:3. Now pour this mixture on the stain.
2. Cover this with a towel, and let it sit for about half an hour. I recommend doing this because this way, the moisture will not attract any dust particles and will also stop the light from bleaching the carpet.
3. Rinse the area with cold water and watch with wonder as the stain disappears. However, be cautious if your carpet is multi-coloured. If so, you are safer with the first three methods.
4. Blot all the excess water using terry and paper towels. Let the carpet air dry.

Conclusion

If you spill tomato sauce on the carpet, don’t just stand there look horror-struck and remove the excessive sauce immediately if you cannot clean it right away.

With the knowledge of these four methods, you can be confident of removing any sauce stains.

Also, be wary of using the detergents on the carpet and do not use an excessive amount, because that may damage the carpet.

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