Whether it’s the kitchen or lunchtime, food stains are one of the most difficult incidents to clean. It is therefore advisable to dress in comfortable clothes that can be stained during cooking or at meal times, allowing us to carry out the task without any worries, although of course this is not always possible .
One of the most complex types of stains to completely remove are those of tomato. This is due to several factors, such as the fact that said food contains natural pigments – like lycopene – which dye clothes an intense red color. Another reason tomato is so difficult to remove from clothes is that it contains acids that react with the fibers, setting the color and making the stain very persistent.
In this way, cleaning this type of stains is not an easy task, although there is a method to try to leave your clothes looking like new after an accident. So whether you need it or not, it’s important to know how to remove a tomato stain from clothes.
How to remove a tomato stain from clothes
Tomato stains are very difficult to remove from clothing, so it is important act quickly once detected. In this way, it is important to be careful to prevent the tomato from penetrating deep into the fibers of the garment, thus fixing it permanently.
To start cleaning, the first thing is remove excess tomato present in clothing. To do this, use a cloth to remove the excess and place it on the stain so that it absorbs as much as possible. Avoid rubbing, as you may spread the stain, making the process even more difficult.
Then rinse the garment with cold watermaking sure the stain is completely damp, both outside and inside. This will allow any excess tomato still present in the fibers to drain with the water from the garment. Avoid using hot water, as this may cause stains to appear on the fabric due to the properties of the food.
After rinsing the garment in cold water, apply a small amount of liquid detergent directly to the stain to break up oils and attached pigments to the fabric. To do this, place a small amount on the stain and rub with your fingers using circular motions until most of the detergent is absorbed into the fibers of the clothing.
Once the soap is applied, leave it to act at least a quarter of an hour so that cleaning products completely reach the stain. If you don’t have liquid laundry detergent, you can use liquid dish soap, which is specially formulated to clean grease and oils.
Next, place the garment in a bowl of cold water and let it soak for half an hour. In this way, the detergent previously applied will continue to act on the stain thanks to the fact that the damaged fibers will come off with the water. If the stain is very persistent, you can rub it with your fingers while the garment continues to soak.
If during this stage the water begins to become excessively dirty, empty the container and refill it with more cold water to ensure no residue damages the garment.
Once the garment has been treated, put it in the washing machine with the rest of the clothes. It is important that the wash cycle is cold and as long as possible, which will give the fibers more time to loosen and remove pigments. If the stain is particularly complicated, you can add a tablespoon of baking soda directly to the drum of the washing machine.
Once the wash cycle is complete, allow the garment to air dry and check to see if the stain has been completely removed once dry. It is important to avoid using the dryer because the heat it produces could fix the stain in case it has not been completely removed after washing.
Other recommendations
This method works not only for fried tomato stains, but for all derived from this foodsuch as tomato sauce, ketchup, tomato puree or gazpacho, among others.
In addition, it is important to point out that if a garment is stained with tomato for a long time, it can it is impossible to remove the stainas it may have permanently adhered to the fibers of the garment. Concerning tomato stains on delicate clothing such as silk or wool, these are very complex to remove and it is advisable to go to a dry cleaner to have them treated by a professional.
