A juicy tomato squirts when you least expect it, a slice slides out of a sandwich, or ketchup drops from a hot dog straight onto your shirt. In summer and autumn, during the home preserving season, these stains are especially common.
How you remove them depends on what has landed on the fabric. Fresh juice, ketchup and cooked sauce behave differently, so identify the type of stain before you start.
What you will need
Important: Do not soak tomato stains in hot water or put the item straight into a hot wash: the sugar in ketchup caramelises and the pigment sets. Test WD-40 on a hidden area of the fabric first.
Step 1
Identify the type of stain
Fresh tomato juice contains almost no fat but leaves a bright pigment. Ketchup also contains sugar and vinegar, so it is sticky and prone to caramelising. Cooked sauces and dressings usually contain fat, so the stain has a greasy ring.
For juice, cold water and detergent are often enough, while ketchup and sauce are best treated with WD-40 first.
Step 2
Remove the excess and rinse in cold water
Lift off everything on the surface with a spoon or blunt knife without working the sauce into the fabric. Then hold the stain under cold running water from the reverse side: the water pushes the tomato back out the way it came in.
Step 3
Treat the stain with WD-40
Blot the fabric so it is only damp and spray WD-40 Multi-Use onto the stain. For a small spot on a shirt, the precise jet of WD-40 Smart Straw is easier.
Wait 1-2 minutes for the product to soften the grease and dried sauce, then blot the stain with a clean white cloth, working from the edges to the centre.
Step 4
Rinse off the residue with washing-up liquid
Put a drop of washing-up liquid on the stain and rub gently with your fingers. It removes the remaining sauce and the greasy WD-40 film. Rinse in cool water and check the result. If a mark remains, repeat the WD-40 step.
Step 5
Wash the garment
Wash the item with your usual detergent at the temperature allowed on the care label, starting with a cool programme. Make sure the stain has gone before drying.
A faint pink shadow on white cotton often fades if the item is dried in the sun.
Tip: Keep a
pocket-size WD-40 100 ml in your picnic bag or car: treating a fresh ketchup stain straight away is far easier than removing it a few days later.
What next
The same steps work for stains from tomato soups, stews and chutneys. WD-40 Multi-Use also comes in handy in the kitchen for removing greasy splashes from the hob and cupboard doors.
These uses come from the experience of WD-40 users in many countries. Always follow the instructions and warnings on the product label.
More guides in «How to use».