How to Remove Pizza Sauce Stains: 6 easy steps

Pizza contains different sauces and toppings. These sauces and toppings can cause stains on your clothes or carpet. If you have questions about “do pizza sauce stains on clothes” or how to remove pizza sauce stains from clothes or carpet, this blog will help you find the most suitable method.

Does Pizza Sauce Have Dye?

Pizza sauce has natural ingredients like tomato, herbs, and spices. It does have natural dye, but in a minimal amount. However, some commercial pizzerias use commercial sauces that may have added food dyes to enhance their red color. Artificial colorants like Red 40 are used in the bulk production of pizza sauce.

Do dyes from pizza sauce cause stains on white shirts or clothes?

Whether you are using homemade pizza sauce, which has all-natural ingredients, or using a commercially available pizza sauce having red permissible food color, it can cause a stain on a white shirt or clothes.

Tomatoes do have a red pigment color. This is called lycopene. It is oil soluble and, thus, when absorbed by fabrics, is not easy to remove by a simple water wash. Artificial dyes have a more intense color and staining effect.

To prevent long-lasting stains, you have to act quickly, and the following steps may help you with it.

Do Pizza Sauce Stains on Clothes Come Out Easily?

Yes, but if acted rightly. Stains mostly get stubborn if left untreated; the same is the case with stains of pizza sauce. Follow the steps and see the results:

How to Remove Pizza Sauce Stains

How to Get Pizza Sauce Out of Clothes

Step 1: Remove Excess Sauce Immediately

If pizza sauce has fallen on your clothes, immediately remove it with the use of a spoon or knife placed nearby to avoid excess and deeper penetration of sauce into the fabric.

Step 2: Rinse with Cold Water

Wash the area of fabric with sauce as soon as possible to flush out the remaining sauce and weaken the stain effect. Don’t use hot water, as it may further set the stain, improving fabric dye absorbency.

Step 3: Apply Dish Soap or Laundry Detergent

Now you may have observed that the effect of the stain has been reduced; it’s time to wash it with detergent or liquid soap. Apply it directly on the stain, rub the fabric with your hand, or you may use a soft-bristle brush to remove the dye from the fibers evenly.

Step 4: Soak in Vinegar Solution

You can notice that it has created a visible difference, but if a light stain is still there, vinegar can help you. Just soak the fabric in a solution of one part white vinegar and two parts water. Keep the fabric in the solution soaked for about 15-30 minutes, depending on the strength of the stain and fabric type. The addition of vinegar to water can break down the tomato acids and oils.

Step 5: Wash as Usual

Launder the clothes in hot water suitable for the fabrics. You should always check the care label for suggested washing instructions.

Step 6: Use Hydrogen Peroxide for Stubborn Stains

If the light stain is still there, you can drop a bit of hydrogen peroxide onto the stain. Let it stay for almost 5-10 minutes and then wash again. It is not recommended for colored fabric as it may cause fading or discoloring.

This was suggested for the clothing or fabrics; now you may also want to know if pizza sauce or a pizza pie has fallen on carpet, leaving behind a stain or mark, what to do in this scenario. Let’s find out !!

How to Get Pizza Sauce Out of Carpet

If a pizza sauce has caused a stain on your carpet, it may not always be possible to wash the carpet immediately. Here are some ways that you can tackle it:

Step 1: Spot the Stain Immediately

When you see a spot or stain of pizza sauce on the carpet, use a paper towel or a clean cloth to remove the sauce directly from the carpet as much as possible. You shouldn’t rub it as it spreads the sauce further and deeper.

Step 2: Apply a Dish Soap and Water Solution

In this scenario, a mixture of dishwashing soap and water comes to the rescue. You can dip the clean cloth or mesh fabric into the solution and gently rub the stained area.

Step 3: Blot with a Dry Cloth

Washing the whole carpet is not feasible; thus, you have to use a dry piece of cloth to absorb the moisture.

Step 4: Use a Vinegar Solution for Deep Stains

If the stain persists, you may now add a vinegar solution to the stain; it will further break down the stain’s effect.

Step 5: Rinse with Cold Water

You again have to clean the carpet area with a wet cloth to remove any soap or vinegar residues.

Step 6: Sprinkle Baking Soda to Absorb Moisture

Baking soda helps a lot in removing extra moisture and odor. You may sprinkle baking soda for 30 minutes and vacuum the area later.

Bonus Tips to Prevent Stains in the Future

• Use Stain-Resistant Fabrics: If you often eat pizza on the go, consider wearing clothes made from stain-resistant materials.
• Keep Stain Removers Handy: A stain removal pen or spray can be a lifesaver for immediate treatment.
• Lay Down Napkins or Place Mats: If you’re eating pizza on a couch or carpet, using a napkin or place mat can help catch spills before they reach your fabric or flooring.

Conclusion

Stains or marks of pizza sauce can be annoying on fabric or carpet, but with the use of the right technique and prompt action, you can save yourself from permanent damage. Fresh water, dishwashing soap, vinegar, and baking soda can help you to remove the toughest stains.

Next time, when you get any stain of pizza sauce, you just have to be sure that it can be cleaned up easily.

Don’t forget to share your experience after following these cleaning steps in the comments and your favorite cleaning tip.