How to remove a tomato stain: how to remove tomato juice from white clothes

Red, orange and green marks from fruits and vegetables that appear on clothing are considered the most persistent and insidious. In this article you will learn how to remove a tomato stain, because it is this fruit and vegetable, which takes on different forms in food, that most often appears on our favorite things.

Pastas, sauces, ketchups, salads, soups, stir-fries and much more, this is not a complete list of dishes that cannot be imagined without the “golden apple”. Therefore, it is very easy to detect contamination from a tomato on yourself, but you will have to fight it thoroughly.

How to wash tomato from clothes

Many housewives have repeatedly encountered such contamination, but some of the clothes had to be thrown away, since the persistent substances that make up the vegetable penetrate deep into the fabric, absorbing into its fibers. When we put a soiled item into the washing machine, we think that we are removing the stains, although we see yellow marks afterwards.

To wash a tomato from clothes, you need to adhere to the basic rules, since first they treat the stained area and try to remove as much contamination as possible. Only after you apply the stain remover to the contaminated area will the treated item be washed, and not vice versa.

As a rule, many people make a mistake at this step, but we must not forget that a tomato stain sent to the wash without preliminary cleaning can not only leave yellow stains on the fabric, but also become embedded in it so that the clothes are ruined. Therefore, to avoid unpleasant consequences, try to wash off tomato juice correctly, following the recommendations.

Why is tomato juice dangerous?

Tomato fruits contain a special coloring substance of the carotenoid family - lycopene. Carotenoids are responsible for the bright (yellow, orange, red) color of many vegetables, fruits and flowers - carrots, tomatoes, pumpkins, peppers. Lycopene is insoluble in water.

For this reason, stains on fabric from any tomato derivatives, be it tomato paste, juice, ketchup or sauce, are quite difficult to remove. And it is tomato juice that is the most harmless of those listed, since, unlike sauce, it contains no fat.

In any case, do not despair, some practical tips will help you save your favorite thing.

Types of stains

It is impossible to imagine preparations for the winter without tomatoes, because they can be preserved both independently and by adding them as an ingredient to other dishes. Consequently, during preparation or actual cooking, it is very easy to get dirt on your T-shirt or sweater, which must be dealt with immediately. But, if you have your own garden, then you know that not only orange spots from tomato juice can appear on things, but also green spots from tomato leaves.

Each type of pollution requires its own approach, so the following are distinguished::

Green tomato tops stains. These stains are similar to grass stains and are quite difficult to remove. But the solution is hidden in the fruits themselves, so by taking an unripe green vegetable, you can neutralize traces of the tops with its juice.
A stain of tomato paste (ketchup). These stains are the most common, so there are many products that can remove tomato sauce. To treat stains, use salt, acids (vinegar, lemon), ammonia, bleaches, etc.
A trace from a fresh fruit. Similar contaminants, as in the example with tops, can be neutralized by the same vegetable, but completely green.

Verdict

If an expensive item or item marked “dry clean only” or “do not wash” (icon with a crossed out container of water) has been damaged by tomato juice, contact a dry cleaner . You should resort to home methods only with confidence in the result or with the awareness that the thing can be irrevocably ruined.

Important: dry cleaning employees do not accept items after home cleaning with stain removers.

If strong specialized chemistry is powerless, then it is unlikely that anything will have a positive effect on the stain.

Preparing for washing

We said earlier that preparing soiled clothes for washing is an important process that should not be skipped. In pursuit of saving time, we can send the item to the wash in the hope that traces of the tomato will disappear thanks to the powder. But such a rash decision will lead to the fact that the vegetable juice will adhere to the fabric and it will not be possible to remove it without damaging the tissue.

Therefore, to remove a tomato stain correctly, follow these tips::

Speed of action . If you notice traces of juice on your clothes, proceed to cleaning immediately, since dried stains may require more aggressive treatment, which the fabric will not tolerate.
Forget about the typewriter . If the traces are fresh, carefully clean the dirt with a brush, trying to remove particles of the vegetable. Then the washing is done manually and only then in an automatic machine.
Precautionary measures . To prevent the stain from spreading over the area, place a napkin or towel under the item and the stained area. The contamination itself is cleaned from the periphery to the center, trying not to rub.
Chemicals or improvised means . When choosing between aggressive substances and gentle compounds, consider the type of fabric, because the wrong product can ruin the item forever.

General rules for deriving consequences

Of all vegetable juices, tomato is considered the most difficult to excrete. If you bought a package of reconstituted juice, it will be easier to deal with stains, but you will have to try harder with freshly squeezed juice. The success of the wash also depends on the naturalness of the juice and the fruit part/water ratio (for reconstituted juice).

If the affected area is large and the juice is quite concentrated, then you should not rub the stain with ordinary soap. Most often, this approach will only fix the dye to the surface.

Remember the first rule: do not let the juice dry out , because old stains are harder to remove and there is a high chance of failure. If you just spilled juice, quickly blot up the excess before it is absorbed deeply into the structure. A napkin or paper towel is suitable for these purposes. Gently blot marks, do not rub or smudge. It is worth cleaning off the excess from the edge to the middle so as not to inadvertently increase the damage caused.

Be sure to check the label before cleaning. Follow the manufacturer's directions and do not exceed the recommended temperature. Be sure to check compatibility with cleaning products, as many items cannot be cleaned with chlorine or bleach products.

It is worth exposing the item to cleaning agents only locally. There is no need to soak entire clothes in the product if you have a small stain. The only exception is that the packaging of the cleaning composition states that the items must be soaked completely, which is extremely rare.

Please note that there is no point in deliberately prolonging the chemical effect on the fabric. Thin and delicate materials from prolonged use of potent chemicals can deteriorate or develop bald spots - the chemicals will corrode the material. It is advisable to line the inside with a paper napkin or soft white cloth. As it soaks, replace it with a new one to quickly remove the coloring pigment.

Getting rid of fresh pollution

If while cooking you notice several spots of tomato on your clothes, then do not put off washing until later, because dried stains require even more effort and attention. Not only do stains from fresh vegetables need to be treated immediately; stains from soups and sauces also require attention.

To remove a tomato stain, try any of the two simplest methods.:

First . You need to apply salt to the stain, moisten it a little and wait until the salt “draws out” the juice of the vegetable and dries. Then it is cleaned off and the area is treated with ammonia or ethyl alcohol.
Second . Under the influence of high temperatures, the coloring pigments contained in vegetables and fruits are destroyed. To remove a stain, use boiling water, which must be poured onto the stained area from the reverse side and only on fabrics that do not lose color when in contact with hot water.

Old tomato spots

If you can't start washing quickly, use more powerful products to dissolve the greens/reds and remove them from the fabric.

Milk

Dairy products are good at removing ingrained hand stains from delicate fabrics and old yellow stains from tablecloths.

Milk must be soured before use.

In our case, it is necessary to use only whey or “kislyak” (sour milk). Sour milk helps remove tomato stains thanks to the acid contained in this ingredient. The product is gentle on fabric, so you can not only wash it, but also soak it for 12 hours:

Place the product in a pan with whey.
Let sit for about 20-40 minutes (or overnight).
Machine wash with powder.

To enhance the effect, add (dissolve) laundry soap shavings to the serum, obtained by rubbing the bar on a coarse grater.

Oxalic acid

Dissolve 2 g of acid in 1 tbsp. water and place the contaminated area in a container with the product. After 20–30 minutes, check the quality of the treatment and wash the stain by hand. Finally, rub the item with laundry soap and rinse.

Table vinegar

Every housewife can find ordinary food vinegar, especially if she prepares her own tomatoes and tomato juice.

Vinegar will remove tomato stains

To resuscitate kitchen towels:

Pour some table vinegar onto the stain.
Let the contamination sit.
Wash with soap or dishwashing detergent.

Compared to oxalic and lactic acid, acetic acid is much more effective. However, to enhance the effect, it is recommended to mix it 1:1 with ammonia, hydrogen peroxide and combine with salt, making a paste-like mixture.

Ammonia solution with glycerin or salt

Ammonia (ammonia) is sold as a solution and is freely available in pharmacies.

Ammonia is in every first aid kit

This product is available in almost every first aid kit, so if you find a persistent dry stain on your blouse from leaves or tomato fruit, wash it immediately. Take off your jacket and pour ammonia over the contaminated area. After 15–40 minutes, remove any remaining tomato and ammonia from your clothes with laundry soap.

Note ! If you use this recipe on fresh dirt, you can do without laundry soap, but then the treated area will have a strong ammonia smell. It is recommended to wash the jacket in a washing machine with powder.

In combination with salt

Salt removes stains well as an independent ingredient, but in combination with ammonia it doubles the effectiveness of ammonia:

Prepare a paste by mixing 1 tsp. salt with 1 tbsp. l. ammonia.
Wet the contaminated area with water.
Apply the prepared mixture.
Leave for about an hour.
Wash away even old dirt.

Recipes with ammonia are suitable for both white and colored clothes, so they are often used to remove watercolors and gouache from clothes or acrylic paint from various fabrics. However, when processing delicate materials, test the product on an inconspicuous area to ensure that it does not affect the quality and shade of the fabric!

With glycerin

This method works on many types of stains, such as paint streaks on leather or pen smudges on jeans.

Glycerin and ammonia are ideal for cleaning leather products

This method is especially popular if splashes from tomatoes have contaminated clothes with leather inserts and eco-leather furniture. This recipe will help remove tomato stains from any clothing, including leather, without damaging the quality and moisturizing the skin, which cannot be done in other ways.

Mix 1 tbsp. l. ammonia with 2 l. glycerin.
Apply the thick mixture onto the stain.
Let it soak.
Rub it in.

Use the recipe to “save” white and black leather, dermantine and knitwear. After treatment with these ingredients, the skin does not need to be lubricated, since after glycerin it becomes softer and more elastic.

Potassium permanganate (potassium permanganate)

You shouldn’t wash tomato stains on white with potassium permanganate, since it can give a snow-white blouse a pink, not always monochromatic, tint.

Potassium permanganate pigment is less noticeable on colored fabrics

For processing:

Prepare a basin in which to place the blouse in an unfolded form.
Wet the tip of a match, dip it in crystallized potassium permanganate and add it to water until you reach a pale pink hue.
Place the blouse in the solution for 20 minutes.

Then wash thoroughly by hand and immediately machine the product to remove the potassium permanganate pigment.

If manganese gets on your hands, immediately remove it using available means.

Old tomato stains

Any pollution must be dealt with immediately, but we don’t always have time for this. Therefore, if you can’t remove tomato stains from clothes right away, then you need to take decisive action. According to washing rules, the old stain must be soaked so that the cleaning agents penetrate the contaminated fibers faster.

If you have stains that require soaking in room water, then before this action, try to remove as much vegetable particles as possible from the surface of the fabric. It is advisable not to soak the clothes themselves completely, but to treat only the necessary areas. When using aggressive substances (bleaches or stain removers) to try to remove a tomato stain, test them on the wrong side of the product.

First aid for a fresh stain

If you just spilled a tomato drink on yourself, don't waste your time. It is best to sprinkle a fresh stain with salt. It will absorb any remaining liquid, making it easier to remove traces of juice. This method is not only suitable for tomato stains. You can use the method to remove contaminants from fatty broths, as well as beets.

Another way to help save fabric is regular laundry soap. To remove as much dirt as possible from the fabric fibers, scrub the dirt with a brush. Movements should be from the edge of the spot to the center.

Important! The brush should not be used on delicate fabrics. For example, wool and silk.

Features of cleaning multi-colored fabrics

Since brightly colored items must be washed at a certain temperature, sorted before putting them in the washing machine, and only gentle detergents must be used, it will be more difficult to remove stains from colored clothing.

Before cleaning the fabric and treating it with any chemical composition, it is necessary to take into account that the material may fade, and the paint will come off along with the stain. Therefore, it is important not only to check the substances in an inconspicuous area of the product, but also to know which product not to use at all.

To wash tomatoes from jeans, you need to follow the same rule, since this type of fabric is colored. Wash the item in warm water, after treating the stain with salt and alcohol. Do not use boiling water as it may leave a lightened area.

Proven methods for combating pollution

Fruits and vegetables can be used not only for salads, but also as a stain remover. Cotton and linen can be cleaned well with lemon juice. You can use citric acid granules, but it is best to use the fruit itself. The fruit juice is squeezed onto a cloth. After 5 minutes have passed, you need to wash the fabric.

Acids penetrate deeply into matter, corroding contaminants. But you need to use this method carefully. Lemon juice may damage the material if left too long. The method is not suitable for silk! How to wash silk, see here;

You can also use fresh milk. To do this, you just need to soak the fabric. There is no need to wait for a certain time - milk does not harm the structure of the fabric fibers.

Interesting fact! Tomatoes help deal with tomato juice stains. Only green vegetables should be used. Tomato juice is squeezed onto the cloth. Then you need to rub the stain vigorously. After the mark has faded, you should sprinkle the area of the material with talcum powder and wash the item.

Another proven method is oxalic acid. Two grams of the product are diluted in 200 ml of water. You need to place a piece of fabric under your clothes. It is best to use white cotton fabric. Afterwards, the area is wiped with a cotton pad previously soaked in a solution of oxalic acid. Then you should wash the fabric.

Vinegar is also suitable for cotton. Dilute it with water in equal proportions and soak the clothes for two hours. Then wash the item with conditioner and dry it in fresh air to get rid of the unpleasant odor. For greater effect, you can mix the vinegar solution with the juice of half a lemon.

For white clothes, use hydrogen peroxide. Apply the mixture to a cotton pad and treat the stain. Move from the edges to the center so that it does not spread. Rinse the product in warm water. You can mix peroxide with baking soda and leave for five to ten minutes, then wash the item using the usual method.

Woolen items can be washed with mineral water. Soak the fabric in this drink and wipe away any stains with a cotton pad.

How to remove tomato stains

Traces from the red vegetable are quite whimsical, so they must be dealt with thoughtfully. So, in order to remove a tomato stain and prevent it from “growing,” the stained area must be treated from the edges to the center, using light movements. Traces of tomato grass, the greenery of which is familiar to many summer residents, can also be easily removed if the stain is treated before putting the item in the wash.

To remove tomato juice from clothes, you can use both improvised means that everyone can find in the kitchen or among medicines, and complex chemical compounds.

What to do

It’s good if the contamination is noticed right away - a fresh stain is much easier to deal with than an old one.

The main thing is to act quickly.

The soiled item must be removed.
Using a clean napkin or towel, it is necessary to collect tomato juice from the clothing without pressing on the fabric so that the dye does not penetrate deep into the fibers. Much depends on the type of weave. On simple linen, the juice will most likely stain the fabric through and through, especially if it is loose. Twill fabrics are denser and have a slight water-repellent effect.
Sprinkle the remaining stain with regular table salt on top - this is an effective sorbent. It will absorb some of the juice.
Shake off the salt, take the item and place the stain (always on the wrong side) under a stream of cool water.
Keep under water for several minutes until the pigment is completely washed out of the fibers.

Powders

Prepare a concentrated cleaning solution from warm water and powder, soap shavings or liquid detergent that does not contain chlorine.
Apply the solution to the product and leave for a few minutes.
Then rinse in clean water.

This way, fresh stains can be removed the first time.

Stain removers

But if you didn’t immediately see the dirt or you simply didn’t have time to clean your clothes immediately, and the stains have already dried, special chemicals designed to remove old stains will come to the rescue.

Stain removers are now available in the form of a gel, powder, spray, roller or stick. There are quite effective products from Russian and foreign manufacturers. Their main drawback is that colored items can “fading,” even if the packaging says “for colored laundry” or “gentle formula to protect color.”

Read about: how to remove brilliant green from clothes: recommendations for saving your favorite things.

Therefore, you must first apply the product to an invisible part of the product, for example, the inside of a pocket or collar, the back seam, and leave for half an hour to act. Then wash the area and dry with a towel. If the paint is not damaged, no streaks or stains have appeared, then the product can be applied to the contaminated area.

Apply bleach to the stain and a little beyond its borders.
Leave to act for the time recommended by the manufacturer of the product.
Wash the item following the instructions on the label.
If the stain is not completely removed, the procedure can be repeated.

On a note

You should not extend the exposure time of cleaning agents by several hours, as this may damage the structure of the fibers and make the fabric less durable.

Also, stain removers with a special brush applicator have recently appeared on sale, with which you can apply the product to the fabric for impact, and then gently clean off all the dirt. Typically, such products should not be used to clean silk and wool clothing. For them, you can try more gentle folk methods - mineral water, milk.

Bleaches

We are talking about soft oxygen products that do not contain chlorine. They also need to be used either only on white fabrics or after making sure they will not damage the paint.

Household chemicals

Standard chemicals that can remove tomato stains from clothes are stain remover, bleach, and dishwashing detergent. With all these substances you need to be extremely careful and read the recommendations left by the manufacturers on the label.

If you decide to use a stain remover whose instructions say to use it only on light-colored items, then do not use it on colored clothing. For such fabrics, the product must be marked “color”. Bleach and other bleaches are often mixed with laundry detergent and used exclusively on white items.

Folk remedies

An effective remedy against the coloring pigment lycopene, which is found in tomato juice and leaves a mark on the fabric, is acid. It dissolves and bleaches such stains.

Green tomato

Lemon acid

Instead of green tomato juice, you can use a solution of citric or oxalic acid. The principle of operation will be the same.

Ammonia

It is important to wear protective rubber gloves when using all chemicals and carry out all work in a ventilated area. Do not inhale ammonia vapor - it can cause respiratory arrest. Place a clean, dry cloth under the contaminated area.

Vinegar

The combination of vinegar and citric acid has a similar effect on tomato juice stains. Mix the vinegar solution with the juice of half a lemon, moisten a cotton pad with the resulting mixture and wipe the stain with it. After this, rinse the item.

Hydrogen peroxide

Peroxide can only remove stains on white fabrics.

All traditional methods are best used on clothes made of undyed fabric.

If you stain your favorite item with tomato juice, do not despair and start washing immediately. When using folk and chemical remedies, be careful, check the color fastness of the fabric and use protective equipment - gloves, a mask.

Home remedies to remove tomato stains

At home, it is quite easy to wash off traces of tomatoes, because we can immediately begin treating the stained area without waiting for it to dry. Traditional methods allow you to use cheap remedies to combat tomato marks that everyone has.

The easiest way is to use salt and alcohol. To do this, mix the mixture and apply it to the stained area. After it dries, the pulp is removed with a brush, and the area of the fabric is washed with water. Below are simple recipes to help remove tomato stains from your things in more detail.

Hydrogen peroxide

If you spill ketchup on yourself and your clothes are white, try treating the stain with a cheap bleach, which is hydrogen peroxide. Its 3% solution is poured onto the dirty area or blotted with a sponge.

Wait 10 minutes until the mark becomes lighter, then absorb the liquid with a napkin and repeat the procedure. You can soak clothes in a solution diluted at the rate of 100 ml of peroxide per 4-5 liters of water.

Effective Methods for Removing Tough Stains

There are several effective ways to help deal with difficult tomato juice stains:

1. Washing powder . This method is great for synthetic fabrics. You need to prepare a concentrated solution of powder and water. It is then applied to the material. You need to let it sit for half an hour, and then rinse the clothes thoroughly. Afterwards you can wash the fabric in the washing machine.

2. Laundry soap. If the stain is several days old, it can still be removed with regular soap. Contaminants are removed thanks to the acids that are part of the bar. It is necessary to thoroughly soap the stain and leave for 30 minutes. Then you can wash your clothes as usual.

3. Antipyatin. This is a special soap that cleans different types of fabrics well. It is suitable for different materials. Antipyatin's biggest advantage is hypoallergenicity. This product is suitable for washing baby clothes.

5. Bleach. This product is only suitable for white items. It is advisable to use bleach for cotton or linen. Delicate fabrics require more gentle products.

If none of the above methods have dealt with the stain, you can use folk remedies.

When choosing a method, consider the type of fabric

Using ordinary vinegar, ammonia, peroxide and even lemon juice, do not forget about the material from which your item is made. After all, even seemingly harmless substances can damage the color and even the structure of the fabric.

Before sending it to the wash, do not forget to soak the items in a soapy solution, because laundry soap can remove dirt without harming the fibers. To wash tomato from fabric without consequences, always check the reaction of the material in an inconspicuous place (the wrong side, seam or fold).